Welcome back to our ongoing home transformation journey! If you’ve been following along, you’ll know I have a notorious soft spot for pillows – a true “pillow problem” if you will. So, it should come as no surprise that when we stumbled upon these incredibly chic, boldly striped 26″ x 26″ euro pillows at HomeGoods, resisting them was simply out of the question. The deal was irresistible: just nine dollars each for giant, 100% cotton euro pillows. Yes, you read that right – nine dollars! To be fair, my husband, John, was the one who actually brought them over to me, so perhaps the “pillow problem” is a shared affliction in this household. Regardless, at that price, they were an instant “sold.”
Pillows in our home are true wanderers, often migrating from room to room, bringing fresh perspectives wherever they land. These versatile striped beauties could easily find a temporary home in the guest room, add a playful touch to the playroom, or even lend a relaxed vibe to the sunroom or living room. But for now, they’ve found their perfect perch in our bedroom, creating a harmonious visual dialogue with the similarly toned flower & berry prints we brought back from Alaska and hung just a few weeks prior. This serendipitous pairing has instantly elevated the space.
The immediate impact of these new euro pillows is quite striking. They effortlessly create the illusion of a temporary, boldly striped headboard, all without the commitment, the effort, or the expense of actually installing one. For a mere $18 investment, we simply tossed them onto the bed, and voilà – an instant bedroom refresh! No fuss, no muss, and zero long-term commitment. This design flexibility is something we truly value. We’re particularly fond of how these striped pillows effortlessly integrate with the diverse elements of our bedroom. They beautifully complement everything from our unique garage sale botanical art and the subtle green-gold hue of our curtains, to the vibrant potted plant on the opposite side of the room, and even the majestic presence of Sir Ram. After all, when you pause to consider it, what *truly* “works” with a giant ram’s head positioned above your bed? It’s all about finding unexpected harmonies, isn’t it? As for the smaller green-gold pillow, it’s a nomadic piece in its own right and will undoubtedly appear in various other spots. While it pairs beautifully with the new striped pillows, tying into the curtain color, it’s certainly not permanently layered there for those who prefer less layering. This flexibility allows us to continually evolve our decor.
Here’s a wider view of what we affectionately call the “very unfinished” side of our bedroom. It’s a work in progress, but filled with potential!
I know, I know – that picture might look a bit chaotic, but every successful room transformation starts with a vision! To give you a clearer idea of our long-term goals and the thoughtful changes we’re planning, take a look at these doodled sketches outlining our future adjustments:
Allow me to elaborate further on the detailed plans captured in my doodles, each aimed at enhancing both the functionality and aesthetic appeal of our bedroom:
- **Optimizing Art and Nightstand Placement:** Currently, our twig & berries art is centered on the same line as Sir Ram, primarily to prevent it from appearing too high and because the lampshades only slightly overlap the text, not the illustration itself. However, our vision includes replacing our existing living room side tables, which are simply too low and lack essential concealed storage, with taller, more functional nightstands. Once these new pieces are in place, we’ll likely adjust the height of all the wall art slightly upwards to achieve a more cohesive and balanced look.
- **The Ottoman Upgrade for Our Furry Friend:** The ottoman situated by the bed is an absolute necessity, serving as Burger’s personal ramp to comfortably get in and out of bed (yes, we completely pander to him, though we draw the line at doggy steps!). While it currently ties into our leaning mirror and dark chair, its chunky, dark, and somewhat short stature isn’t ideal. Our plan is to either source or craft a lighter, longer ottoman, perhaps featuring dark legs but with a lighter fabric top, to better integrate with the room’s evolving aesthetic and provide more elegant access for Burger.
- **Reimagining Lamp Shades for Brighter Ambiance:** Our current wheat-colored lamp shades, while initially appealing, sometimes appear a little muted or even “dirty” when contrasted with the crisp white of our bedding, trim, light fixture, and door. A subtle makeover or a complete upgrade of these shades is definitely on the horizon. We envision something that will brighten the space, offering a cleaner, more vibrant glow that complements the overall palette.
- **Introducing a Chunky Cabinet for Balance and Function:** To the left of the bed, there’s an intriguing, albeit somewhat awkward, little nook. Our long-term plan involves incorporating a substantial, chunky cabinet into this space. This addition would not only provide much-needed storage and functional utility but also serve to beautifully balance the room’s layout, giving purpose and presence to what is currently an underutilized area.
So, those are the ambitious long-term plans for this sanctuary! It’s fascinating how even the smallest new additions to a room can spark a cascade of further adjustments and refinements. For instance, in a delightful turn of events, our beloved twig & berry art surprisingly inspired us to part ways with our old printed duvet cover, ushering in a cleaner, more minimalist bedding scheme. Similarly, the simple act of introducing these new striped euro pillows immediately triggered an art tweak on the *other* side of the room.
You see, ever since we added the pair of framed botanicals by the bed, along with the matching wall plaques flanking Sir Ram and the new striped pillows at the head of the bed, the existing horse art started to feel… off. What once felt pleasantly balanced (with two different items, a chair and a dresser, beneath it) now felt overly symmetrical, almost a mirror image, amidst a growing collection of paired items. This newfound “super-symmetry” began to feel a little stifling.
Driven by an itch for a little less perfect symmetry – while still absolutely committed to maintaining a semblance of visual balance to ensure our newer chair and the well-loved antique dresser felt harmonious – we embarked on a creative experiment. Our goal was to conjure a fresh, free alternative using only items we already possessed. This led to a two-step transformation:
- **Relocating the Horse Art:** First, the horse art that previously hung above the dresser found a new temporary home in the playroom. We’re hopeful it will eventually discover a more permanent and prominent spot elsewhere in the house down the line.
- **Unveiling Hidden Treasures:** Next, we retrieved two differently sized old Ikea frames that had been patiently waiting, unhung, in the playroom for nearly eight months. This was their moment to shine!
The moment we hung these frames, we immediately appreciated the less symmetrical arrangement; it felt more dynamic and interesting. However, the jarringly mismatched frame colors (one a rather clashy reddish-brown, the other a stark white) were undeniably detracting from the overall effect. Recalling how stunning the botanicals looked after a simple oil-rubbed bronze (ORB) spray paint makeover, I decided to replicate that magic. With minimal effort, I quickly removed the glass and art from the frames and applied several thin, even coats of leftover ORB spray paint. The aim was for them to seamlessly blend into the room’s existing palette, creating a more integrated and sophisticated look that connected with the decor on the opposite wall. And so, I ventured outside, donning my ever-so-stylish spray painting socks (you can see those beauties here, if you’re curious!) to tackle this mini-project.
In surprisingly short order, the frames were transformed, boasting a rich, bronzed, and beautifully cohesive finish…
With the frames looking impeccable, my next task was to find the perfect art to fill them. I delved into our stash of old art supplies and rediscovered a charming, simple green dandelion print from Ikea – a piece that once hung next to our front door in our very first house. This print offered a lovely touch of understated nature. For the second frame, I decided to embark on a DIY project that is always appropriate for a creative couple’s bedroom: “paint chip art.” I rummaged through my paint swatch basket (yes, I have a dedicated basket for paint swatches because I simply can’t bring myself to throw them away – it also houses all my paint decks, except for my absolute favorite one that hangs proudly in the hallway). Knowing that Home Depot no longer sells Ralph Lauren paint, I felt that “recycling” these vintage swatches was a far better option than hoarding them indefinitely or simply discarding them. So, I meticulously pulled out all the individual colored squares, ready for their new artistic purpose.
To ensure a seamless integration with our bedroom’s existing color scheme, I deliberately selected only those tones that subtly reoccur throughout the room. My intention was to create a piece that felt cohesive and understated, rather than something overtly bold that might compete for attention with the botanical prints and the remaining horse photograph situated above the leather chair. The resulting palette was a beautiful mix of browns, grays, soft blue-grays, subtle green-yellows, gentle sand colors, creams, and pure whites. I then arranged these small squares in a graceful gradient, transitioning from the darkest hues to the lightest. (Please note, the accompanying photo captures the artwork mid-process; I did make a few subsequent adjustments, swapping out chips that felt a bit out of place or disrupted the smooth flow of the gradient.)
To secure each precious paint chip in its designated spot, I used small loops of scotch tape on the back. These were then carefully affixed to four pieces of card stock, which I had taped together to form a large 16 x 20-inch background, perfectly sized to fit the frame. And just like that – ta-daaa! – our personalized paint chip art was complete.
We absolutely adore the final look of the paint chip art, which strikingly resembles a pixelated photograph, adding a modern and artistic flair to the room. The dandelion print, with its delicate charm, provides a lovely “neutral” touch, ensuring that both new pieces layer in beautifully without clashing with any other elements on the walls. It’s a resounding “yay” from us – we are truly fans! We’ve learned over time that art choices are incredibly personal; what resonates with one person might not float everyone’s boat. But for us, this room is our sanctuary, and we like it *mucho*. Hurrah! And as for Clara, her favorite part? Without a doubt, the pig! She literally dashes into the room, squealing “piggy!” and pointing while oinking excitedly. It’s absolutely adorable and a testament to the joy these personal touches bring.
For more inspiration on creative paint swatch art, be sure to check out what we crafted with leftover swatches in our old office, displayed proudly on our postcard ledge. And for another fantastic take on this DIY trend, drop in on Jessica Jones’ awesome paint chip art project here on How About Orange. These projects prove just how much creative potential lies in those seemingly simple paint samples!
Oh, and since I’m in a reflective and “doodling” mood, allow me to provide a bit more insight into the “why” behind our recent art rearrangement and design choices:
As you can observe, the new arrangement is intentionally less perfectly balanced and less of a mirror image than its predecessor. However, it still maintains a wonderful sense of visual harmony. We believe this dynamic setup will evolve and improve even further with subtle tweaks over time – so get ready for more doodling and future updates!
… much like this refined vision:
We’re particularly pleased with how the crisp white mirror in the nook now relates beautifully to the glossy white window trim, creating a subtle, cohesive connection. The art pieces hanging on either side of the mirror are deliberately dark enough to provide a grounding sense of balance, yet they are no longer precisely the same size or shape, adding a welcome layer of visual interest and dynamic asymmetry. And so, that’s precisely where we stand in our bedroom design journey – a state of evolving beauty.
Who knows what other changes and inspirations will strike us as we continue to live in and interact with this space. We are, without a doubt, staunch advocates of the trial-and-error method in decorating – largely because we never seem to get things perfectly right on the very first try, haha! Despite all the ongoing adjustments, this particular corner view remains my perennial favorite, and for good reason. Perhaps it’s the way the mirror magnificently reflects a flood of natural light from the window, or how the grand chandelier gracefully floats overhead, casting a warm glow. It could also be the intriguing interplay of the neutral-ish (but not stark white) curtains, the rich, moody texture of the dark leather chair, and the subtle presence of the horse art anchoring the background. Each element contributes to a captivating visual narrative that feels uniquely ours.
In essence, it’s truly wonderful how something as simple and budget-friendly as two inexpensive euro pillows, combined with a quick and free art rearrangement (I must confess, I seem to be in a “free art mood” this week!), can infuse a room with so much renewed interest and personality. This process effectively tamed the “super-symmetry” that had gradually built up and eventually felt overwhelming as we introduced more art and accessories. It’s a reminder that thoughtful design doesn’t always require grand gestures or significant expenditure.
Have you recently stumbled upon any incredible deals on pillows that sparked a decorating cascade? Or perhaps you’ve found yourself switching out art and accessories as you slowly build and evolve a room, allowing new additions to inspire fresh perspectives? We’d love to hear about your go-to sources for fantastic pillows! And on a related note, has anyone out there ever managed to get *everything* – from furnishings to accessories – absolutely perfect in one single shot? That must be an incredibly serendipitous and rare experience. We, on the other hand, are definitely more of the “learning as you go” slash “bumbling along” type when it comes to home decor. Haha! But at least this time, we can proudly say we didn’t break anything in the process, which feels like a win in itself!