I have fond memories of My Little Ponies—I probably owned around six as a kid—and that nostalgic, playful feeling led to a recent decision to finally fill the empty wall spaces flanking the sink nook in our bedroom.
After months of hemming and hawing, John and I had several long conversations about what should hang opposite the bed. We agreed we wanted bold, somewhat moody photographs: beautiful and sophisticated, with contrast rather than soft, pastel prettiness. Since our chandelier leans playful and our duvet is bright and lively, we wanted artwork that would bring the room back toward a grown-up, balanced aesthetic instead of a playroom or dorm vibe.
The subject that won was horses. I’ve always loved animals of all kinds, and I’d been coveting large horse photography ever since spotting sweeping equine images in glossy magazines. A recent house feature that included oversized horse art pushed me over the edge, so I began browsing online print shops and marketplaces. I found a range of options—from racing thoroughbreds and peaceful farm scenes to dynamic running ponies and a serene horseback rider on a moody shoreline. The two images that most appealed to me were a pair of moody, atmospheric horse photos by Jan Lakey: one depicting horses in motion across a barren field and another showing a rider on the tide. Those images struck the right tone—moody, cinematic, and sophisticated without being overly decorative.
John is decisive about art, and he emphasized that bedroom pieces should feel calming and scenic. With that in mind, I worried the motion-blurred horses might read too energetic for him. To make the decision easier, I mocked up the two prints digitally in a photograph of our bedroom so John could visualize how they would look together in the space. The mock-up helped show how the prints would add contrast and depth while still feeling restful and cohesive with the rest of the room.
Both of us agreed the room needed a bold counterpoint to the playful fixture and colorful bedding. We were looking for work that felt a little chic, with subtle gold undertones to pick up the bedding and curtain accents without being obviously matchy-matchy. The mock-up convinced us: the prints read as a curated pair rather than a matched set, which added interest and kept the arrangement from feeling too predictable. John responded the way I hoped—he immediately liked one, paused on the other, and then said he liked them both. Photoshop saved us what might have been a drawn-out debate and turned the choice into a two-minute “let’s do it” conversation.
Art is deeply personal, and these horse prints won’t be everyone’s taste, but they work for us. Choosing pieces that speak strongly to you can free your home from trying to please everyone who walks through the door. Letting go of that pressure creates a space that feels more authentic, unique, and reflective of the people who live there.
Cost was part of the equation. Large prints—ours are about 40″ x 30″—often cost well over $100 each, but I found both of these for $49 apiece. After applying a coupon for 22% off, I bought both prints for about $78 total and paid just under $6 for shipping, bringing the pair to roughly $84. That’s a strong value for more than six feet of large-format photography; printing similar images locally would likely have been more expensive.
Framing is the other major expense, so we planned to avoid pricey frames by mounting the prints on 40″ x 30″ canvases purchased on clearance from Michael’s. I’d taped off the wall beforehand to confirm the size, and the canvases were an excellent deal—about $23 each after stacked discounts. That meant our total cost per finished piece, including the canvas and the print, will be around $64. That’s far more affordable than comparable ready-made canvas prints sold by many home-decor retailers.
The plan is to spray-mount or otherwise adhere each print to its canvas and then seal the surface, possibly with matte Mod Podge, to create a dimensionally printed-canvas look. I’ll share the final details and technique once the prints arrive and I assemble them—fingers crossed it goes smoothly, because I’m invested in making these look great.
On a side note, John and I watched an intense documentary recently that kept us talking—it made us think about how well we really know people we meet online. It’s stayed on our minds, and we’ve been discussing it ever since.