I have a pillow problem. True to form, I couldn’t resist two boldly striped 26″ x 26″ euro pillows for just $9 each when we found them at HomeGoods. In my defense, John walked off and came back holding them, so maybe he’s guilty too. But $9 for large 100% cotton euro pillows? Sold. In our house, pillows travel from room to room, so these could end up in the guest room, playroom, sunroom, or living room. For now, we love them in our bedroom alongside the flower and berry prints from Alaska that we hung a few weeks ago.
They act like a temporary, boldly striped headboard without any commitment—$18 and a quick toss on the bed. No fuss, no permanence. The pillows coordinate nicely with our garage-sale botanical art, the lighter greeny-gold curtains, the potted plant, and yes, even Sir Ram over the bed. When you have a giant ram head above your bed, you learn to make everything work together. The smaller greeny-gold pillow we already owned will likely move around the house, so it’s not permanently layered with the new striped pillows, though in person the combination ties the curtains into the bedding nicely. Below is a wide shot of the less-finished side of our bedroom.
I know, that photo looks a little crazy, so here are the changes we’re planning, sketched out as we go:
- We hung the twig & berries art on the same center line as the ram so nothing looked too high, and to prevent the lampshades from overlapping the illustration. Once we find taller nightstands with concealed storage (those old living room side tables are too low), we’ll lift the art and lamps a bit.
- The ottoman helps Burger get in and out of bed (we spoil him, though we won’t buy doggy steps). It’s short, chunky, and dark; it ties into other dark accents like the leaning mirror and chair, but we may replace it with a longer, lighter piece—perhaps with dark legs and a lighter fabric top.
- The wheat-colored lampshades can look a bit dingy against all the white bedding, trim, and doors. They may need a makeover or an upgrade.
- We’d like a big, chunky cabinet to the left of the bed to add function, balance, and to make sense of that odd little nook.
That’s the long-term plan. New additions often prompt quick tweaks: the twig & berry art made us replace the old printed duvet cover, and the striped pillows motivated an art shuffle on the opposite wall. After adding matching framed botanicals and wall plaques by the bed, the horse art above the dresser began to feel overly symmetrical—everything was starting to come in pairs and the arrangement felt too mirrored.
Wanting less symmetry while keeping some balance, we experimented with items already on hand. We removed the horse prints above the dresser and moved them to the playroom for now. Then we grabbed two different-sized Ikea frames that had been waiting for months and hung them in an asymmetrical arrangement.
The mismatched frame finishes—one reddish-brown, one white—didn’t appeal, so I popped out the art and glass and sprayed the frames with leftover oil-rubbed bronze. I wanted them to tuck into the room more naturally and relate to the other darker accents. Once bronzed, they looked much better.
Next I needed artwork for the frames. I pulled a small green dandelion print from Ikea that we’d used near our front door in our previous house. I also made a simple “paint chip” piece with old Ralph Lauren paint swatches I keep in a basket (I don’t throw swatches away). I selected tones that reappear in the room—browns, grays, blue-grays, greeny-yellows, sand tones, creams, and whites—and arranged them in a gradient from darkest to lightest. I mounted the chips on cardstock taped together to create a 16 x 20″ background to fit the frame, securing each swatch with small loops of scotch tape on the back.
The paint chip piece reads like a pixelated photo and the dandelion print adds a subtle neutral touch, so both layer well without competing with the botanicals and the remaining horse photograph over the leather chair. We like the slightly imperfect balance of the new arrangement. It feels less rigid, more lived-in, and will only improve with the tweaks we have planned.
One corner I particularly love features a white mirror that relates to the window trim, neutral curtains, the dark leather chair, and the horse art in the background. The mirror reflects a lot of natural light and the chandelier floating above makes that corner a favorite spot. We’re big fans of trial and error—things rarely come together perfectly on the first try, and that’s okay. This playful, iterative approach keeps the room evolving.
It’s surprising how two inexpensive pillows and a quick, free art swap can reduce overly rigid symmetry and add visual interest. Have you picked up any cheap pillows lately? Do you swap out art as you add pieces and slowly build a room? We’re definitely learning as we go and enjoying the process—no breaks, no damage, just steady improvements.