We found these babies at a yard sale and haggled them down to $10 a pop. Let’s call them our twig & berries.
We immediately thought the extra tall shape of the frames would be perfect for either side of our bed above the glass based lamps on the makeshift just-for-now side tables (they’re way too small and don’t have any drawers for storage) on this very unfinished side of our master bedroom:
We definitely had plans to change out the art. They’re prints of the berries and wildflowers of Alaska (which is kind of fun and fitting since we honeymooned there) but they felt a bit too grandma for us.
But we loved the long rectangular shape of those $10 frames. So we hung them up, just to see what we were dealing with. Don’t mind all the blank space on either side of the walls, we still have furnishings to add to fill up this cavernous room. And once we change out the side tables we might rehang the art a bit further out from the bed or higher up depending on the new furnishings.
We definitely liked the shape of our new frames, but we weren’t crazy about how the warm wood tones sort of clashed with the darker tones in the thrift store wood candle holders on either side of Sir Ram above the bed…
… along with the leaning mirror, and the leather chair in the corner:
And yes, we’re aware that not all couples aspire to sleep under a giant resin ram head. We are indeed a rare and special breed. Akin to centaurs and unicorns. Speaking of that above-the-bed stuff, we originally mentioned that the maybe-too-small-art might go, but months later it’s still there and has strangely grown on us.
But back to the yard sale frames. I actually decided to do something completely insane for me when it came to them (but totally ain’t-no-thang for anyone else). I opted to spray the frames with oil-rubbed-bronze spray paint. I know you might think that given my recent ORB kick (here and here and here) this isn’t news. But, you my friend, would be wrong-O with a capital O. Why? Because virtually every frame that we own is white (both in this house and our first one) and we must own five million of them! Dark frames have never been our preference. White is my eternal jam..
Until now, apparently. Total curveball. At least to a white-frame loving fool like me.
I’ll spare you the spray painting play-by-play (you can find some general tips here) except to point out these two things:
- the glass was so tightly fitted that I worried I’d break it if I tried to remove it before spraying – so I just covered it with newspaper
- I laid each frame up on a big ol’ rock from the yard so the sides wouldn’t stick to the “drop cloths” and peel off the finish when I picked them up
While I was at it I carefully removed the mats and sprayed those white for a cleaner look.
Now brace yourself for the hottest picture you’ve ever seen on the internet:
My white mom legs + black dress socks = sexy beast. I can’t believe I’m sharing this, but the whole dark sock thing is actually a spray painting trick I implement nearly every time. Instead of worrying about getting rogue drips on my shoes or flip flops (or my feet, which I could then track into the house) I just don some dark socks, spray to my heart’s content, and slip them off at the backdoor so I don’t track anything in (and don’t have to worry about scrubbing my feet or ruining my favorite shoes/flip flops). As for the rest of my outfit, I’m nude. Just kidding. I wear painting clothes that I do not slip off at the door (big drips only seem to fall on my feet).
A few minutes after snapping that photo was when John and I both started giving each other crazy eyes. Which means we were both having strange and exciting ideas (ideas that are completely unrelated to bedding each other under the ram – get your mind out of the gutter).
John: “What if we put those old botanical-looking prints back into these now that the mat and frame is all updated and graphic?”
Sherry: “Just to be suuuuure we’re completely over them – I agree!”
So we hung them up and we really liked them. So we are in fact completely under them (you know, as opposed to over them as we originally anticipated). Sure, they’re still a little grandma, but they’re also something we could picture in Elle Decor or House Beautiful (with more than a $10 price tag on them). And most of all, they make us smile.
Here’s where I’ll stop to acknowledge that not only is hanging a big white ram head over your bed one of those personal preference things maybe-I’m-crazy things, art in general is definitely a place where all folks on the internet won’t come together and unanimously agree. But we’re loving our twig and berries – er flowers and berries. I mean it’s not like we’ll ever entertain in our bedroom – so we don’t have to worry about what other folks might think. Which I hope is nothing weird and kinky due to the ram. Yikes.
Speaking of weird, we got an embarrassingly huge kick out of hanging the berries on J’s side and the flowers on my side. You know, because ladies have flowers and guys have berries. Too far? My deepest apologies.
Then something crazy and completely unexpected happened (manage your expectations, our lives are not that interesting).
John decided to exercise his veto power on the leafy duvet cover that we ordered around seven months ago.
Didn’t see that coming did you? See, back when the duvet cover was one of the first things we bought for our house (deeply clearanced from West Elm) John agreed that we could get it (we have a full agreement agreement, meaning we’re not allowed to buy things without both being ok with it). But he only agreed with one stipulation: that it wouldn’t necessarily be a forever choice. He reasoned that it was affordable enough and I loved it enough not to keep me from ordering it (I was so worried it would sell out and I’d forever regret it slash hold it against John The Tyrant). But he asserted that if someday he should decide that he no longer liked it I would have to be open to looking for something else that we both could love – especially if the price was right and we could sell this baby on craigslist or something.
At the time I grinned and nodded, never thinking that day would actually come. But wouldn’t you know it, John loved those 10 dolla (holla!) yard sale art infinitely more than the compromise duvet. So he decided we should revisit the whole new-duvet-cover-idea and leave the art as-is (since it was kinda circus-y and compete-y to have them both going on at the same time). And you know what? In an even more shocking turn of events I agreed.
Maybe we’re just sentimental suckers and sleeping between prints of wildlife from the place we honeymooned is our idea of romance? Maybe we think rams and flowers and berries somehow belong together? I don’t know. Either way, the leafy pattern in the duvet cover was fighting with our new leafy art so I stripped things down to our white duvet insert from Ikea and we stepped back to survey the scene.
The weird white duvet insert was definitely more compatible with the art than the competing leafy duvet cover, but not quite perfect. Meaning a white duvet cover isn’t going to be what we go for. We’re hoping to find something with less of a bold pattern and more of a subtle texture (like a soft chevron or crosshatched design or something striped or something else entirely). The jury is still out on what will come home with us, but we’re planning a few HomeGoods and TJ Maxx runs just to see what’s out there. And maybe even an Ikea road trip.
The lesson? Grrrrr, don’t compromise. Just hold out to find something you both love. Oh well, hindsight is 20/20, right? And I like to think the Alaska prints “found us” because it was meant to be. And we certainly had our fair share of decorating mind-changing in the first house, so it’s only fitting that we work in a few control-alt-deletes in this house too (look honey, it’s a bad computer joke that I threw in just for you).
So yeah, we’re thinking about selling the old duvet cover on ebay or craigslist. There are some on there for over $100 and we only paid $42 for our king-sized guy thanks to sales and coupon codes. So who knows, maybe we can recoup the entire cost and list it for $45 in great-but-slightly-used condition. We shall see…
As for what the kids think, Clara toddled into the bedroom and gave the new art two thumbs up (not lying, but she does happen to do that gesture a lot). And Burger gave it one paw sideways. He’s such an art snob.
Do you guys have any duvet cover switches or “rewinds” going on? Has anyone else had their man exercise veto power in a surprising but serendipitous-in-the-end way? Does anyone else spray paint while wearing black dress socks or sleep under a white resin ram? Yeah… probably not.
sara @ it's good to be queen says
i LOVE LOVE LOVE the twig and berries. i’m partial to vintage…but seriously, they look so good. plus, i really like the white duvet…i think you should keep it. :)
paula says
I have paint socks too! They are not black and sexy like yours though.
I never thought of spraypainting mats! I guess you can pretty much spraypaint anything these days though.
Love the updated twigs and berries. Hehe… twigs and berries! :)
What I really, really love is the wall color. And also, your affinity for white frames. Your hallway is awesome!
Jane says
I like the twigs and berries..very charming :)
I have a question about painting my cabinets. Is it absolutely necessary to completely remove the doors from the hinges to paint? Why cant we keep them in its place and then paint?
Also do you have any tips about painting the insides of the cabinets?
Jane says
I mean my kitchen cabinets.
YoungHouseLove says
It’s just nearly impossibly to paint everything evenly with the doors up. As for the insides, that’s a huge step (we don’t usually paint the inside as a lot of painted cabinets come with wood interiors anyway) but to make that happen you should remove all the doors and do the backs first and the interiors of the cabinets. Then give them a few days of drying time and flip the doors over and do the fronts. That way if you get any marks from the paint not being 100% dry it’ll be on the back side and not the front!
xo,
s
Andrea says
This post cracked me up. I’m planning to spray paint my frame stockpile for our hallway and living room. I’ve got a lot of Pinsperation but haven’t quite been motivated enough to start.
Actually, this comment can apply equally to both of today’s posts so feel free to read it twice.
(p.s. I just got an email that Anthro is having a bedding sale. They have a lot of textured duvet covers that are really pretty. And some that aren’t so pretty. And some that are just weird.)
Heather says
You said twigs and berries, heh heh. I have the same duvet cover and am not in love with it either… My husband hates it.
Allison Jag says
Fact: LOVE it! :) But I will tell you what makes me said. That you said spray painting play-by-play instead of spray-by-spray – I expect that sort of fabulous word play out of you Sherry! :)
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man, how could I have missed that? I’m hanging my head in shame.
xo,
s
Debra says
Hi Guys,
Love your new/old art. Tell me about spray painting the mats, genius idea, how does it look close up?
YoungHouseLove says
Like a white mat! Haha. Thin and even coats are key. And ample drying time.
xo,
s
Karla says
I giggled so hard when I saw the title of this post and even more when you made the joke of which sides you hung the prints on. They look great and I love the idea of a new look of the bedding. Mostly because I do that sort of thing all the time! In fact I was just switching bedding in our room when I decided to check my google reader and saw this post! My husband is out of town for work so I’m doing a little redecorating/rearranging. He loves when I move things around and redecorate because he knows it’s my passion and what I like to do for us. As long as I don’t go crazy buying furniture or something :) Don’t tell him I’m going shopping tonight :)
Erin C says
At first I didnt like the prints, but after spray painting the frames I fell in love! The new frame color totally enhances the colors of the prints. Plus, I think the ram needs a place to call home too… I know he will love his Alaskan oasis :) Keep it up $herdogg!
Vanessa says
So did you really just spray paint over the picture mats? We just bought some frames for super cheap at a thrift store, but the mats are cream colored, when we really wanted white ones (but we’re too cheap to get mats made that fit these frames), so we just left them. We thought the spray paint would soak into the mats and make it nasty, or it wouldn’t cover well…it seems like it worked out really great for you guys though! Would you recommend it??
YoungHouseLove says
The key to painting anything (spray paint or not) is thin and even coats with ample drying time. If you mist your mats with tons of thin and even coats of spray paint and give them time to dry before hanging them back up, it’s awesome. Hope it helps!
xo,
d
Katie Sooy says
We most certainly do NOT sleep under a white ram’s head. However, we do sleep under the heads of a Buck and a Moose…both white resin as well. I wanted the real thing, but my husband hates the idea of dead animal body parts in our house, so we settled for the resign ones. People think we’re crazy, maybe they’re right, but at least we’re not the only crazy white animal-head-above-the-bed people out there.
YoungHouseLove says
Yesss! A fellow sleeps-under-a-faux-white-animal-head soul mate!
xo,
s
Gem says
I think it looks fantastic! And I’ll admit I was never a big fan of your duvet cover. Although the idea of just having one duvet cover confuses me anyway, but I think that may be a US/UK cultural difference.
Ashley says
Love the new duvet guys!! I’m an advocate for white duvets :) however, I miss the yellow from the old duvet. Gave the room a subtle yet noticable pop of color. The house looks awesome!
YoungHouseLove says
We actually didn’t get a new duvet yet (that’s just the white insert from our old duvet cover) so we could definitely bring in something with some warm tones or textures! We’ll have to see what we find!
xo,
s
gesikah says
I love the prints (especially with the ram’s head).
As for the duvet, it looks like it might not be available anymore, but the Ikea Jorun duvet cover might have been what you are looking for (might be able to find it on eBay or Craigslist?). It’s not on the website anymore, but here is a photo of it on our bed (ignore everything else, have since painted etc): http://www.flickr.com/photos/gesikah/4841168279/in/photostream
YoungHouseLove says
I have loved that cover since the beginning of time. So sad it’s no longer available!
xo,
s
Amy says
I loved the duvet, but I actually think it looks better all white. So fresh and clean looking! Like your bed just had a shower or something.
We have two prints hanging above our bed that we bought on our honeymoon! Vintage posters from Barcelona – one has a black cat and the other has a fancy lady. We had the same sort of (dirty!) laugh about them when we put them up because the lady went on my husband’s side and the cat went on mine. He said, “Perfect! ‘Cause I like girls, and you have a…[redacted].” Who knew I had such a foul-mouthed partner, LOL.
YoungHouseLove says
Bwahaha, redacted has me dying.
xo,
s
Bethany says
I love the prints! I’m so glad you kept them, I was really disappointed when you said you were just using the frames. I’ve actually been looking for some non-grandma looking botanical prints so I may have been slightly devastated if you had thrown yours away… haha
emily @ thirtyeight20 says
This is definitely a departure from the more modern choices you’ve been making in your new house (a la Sue the Napkin) but I do personally like the prints! (However I have an original charcoal drawing of an elderly couple wearing retro glasses — found in the FREE box at a thrift store — in my house, so maybe my taste in art is not to be trusted.)
That said, even without the duvet cover I think it looks a little busy around the bed, and I think I blame the candleholders on the wall. I vote to let the ram stand (hang?) on his own so he, the hanging light and the prints can breathe a little.
PS I am also a sucker for all-white bedding — it’s like sleeping at a posh hotel every night!
Anna says
Wow, it is amazing how a little paint completely transformed those picture frames! I will be more inspired now to pay closer attention to the frames that are always in abundance at our local Goodwill.
Jennifer says
Drooling over duvet cover and will happily buy. Craigislist post? Also, am stealing your brilliant ribbon bulb cover idea. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- we definitely plan to share a link if it ends up on craigslist or ebay!
xo,
s
Dana says
We are currently sleeping with our white down comforter too. We moved into our new house 4 months ago and decided it was time for new bedding. We still haven’t found anything affordable that we love. So in the meantime we opted to sleep under our stark white, naked, down comforter.
Megan says
I really like the prints! But I agree that the frames needed changed.. I do love ORB but you could always try white too. But I like that way, especially with the plain duvet cover. I agree with John that it was just too much. But I like seeing the transformation of your room – it makes me want to go decorate! I just have to wait until I get my new (bigger) paycheck in September. I hate waiting.
Jenna says
I adore the art prints – I loved your old duvet, but I definitely love the art prints more, so I think switching out the old duvety is a great choice.
But….but….everything in your room goes together so nicely! The curtains! The accent pillows! The horse art! I feel like the duvet really tied them all together! Are you going to look for something with a bit of that greeny-gold in there, or just see where fate takes you?
YoungHouseLove says
We wouldn’t be opposed to something with those warm gold undertones but we’ll have to see where we end up. We still have those accent pillows and the curtains and the art that go with each other – so maybe not everything needs to match and it’ll still work, you know?
xo,
s
Sarah says
I love the prints. I’m glad you decided to keep them. I also loved the comforter but I agree that the way the room is going it doesn’t work as well. Sometimes we envision a room one way and as you aquire items it starts going in a completely different direction. Also, loved the Friends reference. Great job!
Anna says
The google ad at the end of your post on my Google Reader is for “Sheri’s berries”. ha ha. :)
Love the prints by the way.
YoungHouseLove says
Bwahahaha. I love it!
xo,
s
Holly Austin says
Lovin’ the new look!! Taking that duvet cover off really made a huge difference… and I really like an all white comforter with colorful pillows! And for the record, I like the way the pictures hang behind the lamps a bit :)
Erika says
I love “Grandma-ish things”! Love the art and especially the white duvet cover.
Sara says
Ok, some of the best comic relief i’ve gotten out of a random frame post in a VERY long time!
Denise Z. says
Who knew you could spray paint mats?!? I learn something new here all the time. Thanks for teaching this old dog a new trick!
Oh, and I’m also glad John’s nix’d the leafy duvet cover–it just never seemed like “you”.
Lauren says
My mom had similar prints of Tennessee wildlife (where she grew up)on her bedroom walls when I was little. There were actually twelve in the set, one for each month, but she only bought the ones that coincided with one of our birthday months. So she ended up with only six random months but I always loved them and have tried to steal the January one(my birthday)like approximately four to seven times. My mom is pretty good at foiling my attempts though unfortunately. Also, it’s really hard to get a giant print out of the house without anyone seeing.
gesikah says
Oh me too! So much that I made my husband take me to the closest (aka about 5 hours away) Ikea just to get it. Ok, so I picked up a couple of other things while I was there, but it was the MAIN reason for going. ;)
Carrie says
I am so upset about the timing of this post. :( I just bought two oval frames with grandma prints and the same green matting for $1 a pop. I thought about painting the mats but my boyfriend thought it was a horrible idea and wouldn’t work. I listened and they went out for recycling last week. BIG FROWNS going on over here! I did spray the frames black and they look fab. Haven’t been able to search for new mats yet. I pray to Betsy I find a size that works with my ovals.
But besides my pity-party, you’re art looks great. I am extremely envious.
YoungHouseLove says
Aw so sorry Carrie! Another option is to get mat-board (they sell it at craft and art stores) and try to cut your own mats. Just trace the exterior size of the mat that you need and make it as thick as you’d like and cut out the oval in the middle. Good luck!
xo,
s
Rachel says
Where did you get your night stands? The husband and I are looking for something just like yours.
YoungHouseLove says
Those are just side tables from Target a while back. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Melissa @ HOUSEography says
I have several duvet covers but surprisingly I haven’t changed any of them in the past 2 years! I sold a few in the yard sale and plan to sell a few more shortly. Once I found what I wanted, I just stuck with it until I get tired of it. Maybe I’m getting old!
Karen says
Okay, I first saw the pic and said “Oh, cute prints! I guess they’re going to paint those ugly frames before putting them up!”
:) Glad you “came around” to doing it this way!
Jess says
Do you guys have any experience with spray painting things like cabinet door hinges? Mine are currently brass and I’d love to get in on the ORB party without buying all new hardware.
I love those prints! Great choices with the dark frames and white mats.
YoungHouseLove says
We haven’t attempted that yet but the ORB spray that we use (Rustoleum All Surface Oli-Rubbed Bronze) could work if anything can. Maybe just try it with one and see how it wears? It has primer built into the spray paint, so here’s hoping it lasts!
xo,
s
Cindy says
I am totally working on finding a new duvet considering the cute little kitten I just adopted peed all over mine! Thank God I was hot the night before and kicked it on the floor and that it wasn’t on my bed! I went to Home Goods today but didn’t see anything and since when did Target think it was ok to charge the same price for West Elm knockoffs…not cool!!
Love the black socks ;)
Lee Anne Jackson says
I have a lovely framed photograph from my favorite park in Paris that I picked up at Goodwill a few years ago. It was in a similar frame, with an atrocious mat. I spray painted the frame, touched up the mat, including adding a small black border, and it looks amazing on my collage wall. I add B&W photographs of places I’ve traveled and over the last 10 years, it’s grown considerably in size. I love that you kept the prints because they are really lovely, and secretly sentimental with the nod to your honeymoon.
And ignore those few comments about the placement of the art. They are perfectly balanced with the height of your bed!
I love your blog! I’ve shared it with so many of my friends and they are all hooked as well :)
Jill says
Love the old man socks! My husband comes home from work and occassionally leaves his dark dress socks on with his running shorts – sexy!
I loved this paint by number idea Ashley Ann did if you ever want a new spin on your prints: http://ashleyannphotography.com/blog/2011/06/28/diy-goodwill-print-to-paint-by-number-art/
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yeah- that was an amazing project!
xo,
s
Sabrina says
I haven’t spray painted enough to use socks but maybe I will. I do clean the bathroom naked lol With the door closed. Why ruin my clothes ( even the grubby ones) with cleansers? Though I am switching to green cleansers so…lol I love your bed. Do you use a box spring with it? I was thinking of a bed like that for my master since it is so small 9 X 12. Since we can only fit a bed and 2 end tables in it, I figured I should make a statement with the bed. We have white end tables from ikea
YoungHouseLove says
We actually opted to go without a boxspring (we didn’t have one in the last house either) but the bed is made to work with or without one (it has different heights for the mattress or boxspring).
xo,
s
Rose says
I love it! Those prints are really sweet in that room. They also remind me of a poster we used to have hanging in one of my childhood homes, so it reminds me of my mother. But the updated frames and mats make these feel really contemporary and lovely. (Much better than the horse art, imo, but to each his/her own as you guys know!) :)
Skye says
Totally unrelated to the subject of the post but Where did you get the “Clara Kenley” canvas? Is Kenley her middle name? That is so cute! I have never noticed it before – is it a family name?
Anyways – I really like the botanical prints! I think they look great with the white duvet but I can’t wait to see what you guys find to use. I’m sure it will be awesome! :)
YoungHouseLove says
Yup, Kenley is her middle name after my dad (Ken) and great aunt (Lee). And Clara is John’s grandmother’s name. We like to keep it in the family. Haha. As for the canvas, it’s from numsi.com. Love it!
xo,
s
Kerianne says
I am really hating my duvet cover recently. I am thinking of DIY-ing my own. I just want a plain king sized cover I am thinking of taking 2 flat sheets, sewing them together, and maybe putting some bright buttons as the clasps. We’ll see how it works out.
Mary says
Maybe you guys would like this duvet:
http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?SKU=122234
I’m in love with it and trying to decide to shell out the dough for it or try and make it a DIY project! The slate grey color is my fav!!
YoungHouseLove says
Very pretty- but you’re right about the price for a king!
xo,
s
Shawna says
I will buy your duvet cover!!!! I’ve loved it from the time I first met it (in your bedroom on the interwebs–OK, that’s weird!)
If you decide to list it, LMK. $45 plus whatever it would cost to ship to Pittsburgh?
YoungHouseLove says
We’re definitely planning to share a link if we put it up on ebay or craigslist! Thanks so much for the interest!
xo,
s
kelly says
i was going to so be so annoyed if you got rid of those prints and then ask if i could buy them — i LOVE them! they remind me of this “beautiful conifers of canada” print we have in our living room. http://www.lovelydesign.com/lovely_products_poster.html
YoungHouseLove says
Coolest conifer poster ever.
xo,
s
Jane @ The Borrowed Abode says
I love the prints, and love what you did with them. I wouldn’t have thought to let them overlap with the lamps, but I really like the finished result.
Bonus points for sharing the joke about the placement of the flowers and berries on your and John’s sides of the bed, respectively. Teehee.
Finally, I was so bummed to read that you do not, in fact, spray paint nude in only black socks. I bet Bob, your sleepover buddy, was too.
:)
Skooks says
OK, I did NOT see that one coming at all. But even though I personally like that duvet cover on its own merits, for me it never fully felt “right” for you guys. I have no idea why. It’s not like I know you personally even if I feel like we go way back . . .
Anyway, tangent. I like where this is going. Looking forward to seeing what you choose to complement the twig and berries.
We’re in the saving-up-for-stuff process right now to redo our master. We’ve had the same bedspread and curtains for the last 5+ years and while I still like them (I did pick them out after all), I’m ready for a change. Something a lot lighter (our stuff was more deep and bohemian) and brighter . . . we’re going for some mix of white, soft turquoise, orange, and gray . . . I’ve got lots of ideas in my mind but nothing has materialized quite yet.
Laci Waner says
I think this is my favorite post EVER!! Why? (..you ask..) 1. Your personality is coming out more and more in your posts and 2. Ya’lls (from Texas..so it’s ok) personality is coming out more and more in your decor!! I love, love, love that ya’ll are feeling confident enough and “safe” enough in the design/blog/design-blog world to let your lights shine!! I know it opens ya’ll up to more criticism both personally and professionally, but, MAN, I appreciate it!!
ps. shake dem haters off! (bc you appreciate video references) …BEWARE CURSE WORDS in the following.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AV8aiI-NIIA
kelly says
we have the deer & moose heads (?) in our bedroom too but my boyfriend was definitely, definitely against putting them over the bed. he’s convinced a middle of the night california earthquake is going to put one of the antlers in his sleeping eye!
Charley says
Ok, so I REALLY, REALLY, wanted to like the leafy bedding. And, it’s not that I didn’t, but I didn’t care for it in the space. I also was not a huge fan of the dandelion light fixture until now! With the bedding simplified, it totally changes the space. It’s really coming together!