Yard Sale Frames Turned Bedroom Makeover

We picked up these frames at a yard sale and talked the seller down to $10 each. They’ve become what we jokingly call our “twig & berries.”

The tall, narrow shape felt ideal to flank our bed, sitting above the glass-based lamps on our temporary side tables. Those tables are way too small and have no drawers, so they’re not a long-term solution for the unfinished side of our master bedroom.

The prints inside the frames show berries and wildflowers from Alaska, which is a sweet nod to where we honeymooned, but the overall look skewed a little too “grandma” for our taste. Still, we liked the frame shape, so we hung them up to see how they read in the space. Don’t mind the empty stretches of wall—we’re still furnishing this room, and once we swap out the nightstands we may reposition the art a bit higher or farther apart depending on what we bring in.

We loved the proportions of the frames, but the warm wood finish clashed with other darker wood accents nearby, like the thrifted candle holders beside the ram head above our bed.

They also didn’t quite match the leaning mirror or the leather chair in the corner.

Yes, not every couple chooses to sleep under a giant resin ram head. We do. It’s our quirky thing, and it’s grown on us. The prints originally felt too small for the wall, but over time they’ve started to feel right.

Then I did something slightly out of character: I spray painted the frames oil-rubbed bronze. If you follow our projects you might know I’ve been on an ORB kick lately, but this felt like a real curveball since most of our frames are white. I usually reach for white frames—tons of them—so this was a departure for me.

Quick notes on how I sprayed them: the glass was tightly fitted, so rather than risk breaking it to remove it I covered it with newspaper. I also raised each frame on a yard rock so the edges wouldn’t stick to the drop cloth and peel when I lifted them.

• The glass was so tightly fitted that I worried I’d break it if I tried to remove it before spraying, so I covered it with newspaper instead.
• I set each frame on a rock from the yard so the sides wouldn’t adhere to the drop cloths and peel when I picked them up.

I also removed and spray-painted the mats white for a cleaner, more graphic look.

And yes, this is the photo you didn’t know you needed: spray painting in black dress socks. It’s my practical trick—dark socks hide paint drips, and I can slip them off at the door so I don’t track paint into the house. I wear old painting clothes otherwise.

A few minutes after shooting that photo, John and I exchanged the kind of looks that mean we both had an idea. He asked, “What if we keep the botanical prints but update the mat and frame to make them more graphic?” I said, “Sure, let’s try it.”

We rehung the prints in their new oil-rubbed bronze frames with the white mats and were pleasantly surprised. The pieces still read a touch traditional, but the updated framing made them feel crisp and unexpected—less granny, more editorial. They genuinely made us smile, and that matters more than whether they’re perfectly on-trend.

Art is subjective—what we love won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. But we like our floral-and-berry prints, and since we aren’t hosting guests in the bedroom, we don’t feel the need to cater to outside opinions. Also, it amused us to hang the berries over John’s side and the flowers over mine—gendered symbolism, wink wink.

Then something unexpected: John decided he didn’t love the leafy duvet cover we bought months ago. When we originally picked it up—deeply discounted—John agreed as a compromise with the idea that it might not be forever. He allowed the purchase knowing we could change it later if one of us grew tired of it.

Once the frames were updated, the leafy duvet felt like it was competing with the botanical prints. So we stripped the bed down to a simple white duvet insert and took a step back. The plain white worked better, but it still felt too stark next to the art. We’re now hunting for a duvet cover with subtle texture—a soft chevron, crosshatch, gentle stripes, or something similarly understated—to complement the prints without overwhelming them.

We’ll be checking HomeGoods, TJ Maxx, and maybe making an Ikea run to find the right balance of texture and tone. The plan is to avoid bold patterns that fight the art and choose something quieter that still adds warmth.

The takeaway? Don’t settle. If something doesn’t feel right, be willing to revisit it until you both love it. In our case the Alaska prints felt like they found us, and updating the frames transformed them into pieces that fit the room and made us happy.

We’re considering selling the old duvet cover online—there are similar covers listed for much more than what we paid—so we might recoup some of the cost. For now, Clara toddled in and gave the new art two enthusiastic thumbs up, and Burger the dog gave it an aloof one-paw side-eye. He’s a little art snobby, but he approves in his own way.

Have you ever switched bedding or decor because a small find changed the whole feel of a room? Has your partner ever exercised a surprising veto that turned out for the best? We’d love to hear stories—especially if they involve spray painting in dark socks or sleeping beneath a resin ram head.