Master Bedroom Makeover: Week Two Progress – DIY Gallery Wall & Thrifted Treasures

Welcome back to the thrilling journey of our Master Bedroom One Room Challenge (ORC)! Week two found me in a delightful frenzy, balancing the daily demands of life with the exciting pressure of transforming our bedroom. The ORC truly serves as a much-needed catalyst, pushing me to finally tackle those long-held decorating ideas that often get sidetracked by birthday dinners, out-of-town trips, and unexpected guests – all of which happened to converge into one busy weekend! But when the decorating gauntlet has been thrown, there’s no turning back. This week, I’m excited to share two significant steps forward in achieving the cozy, personalized sanctuary we envision.

Crafting a Unique Gallery Wall with Thrift Store Finds

For months, a collection of four beautiful thrift store oil paintings had been patiently waiting for their moment, leaning against the wall on our bedroom floor. This ORC became the perfect motivation to finally bring them to life! I decided to begin by composing a gallery wall, using these two large floral pieces and two serene water landscapes as my anchors. The process began quite simply: laying them out on the floor, experimenting with different arrangements until a pleasing visual flow started to emerge. This initial layout is crucial for visualizing the final result and making adjustments before any nails hit the wall.

Once the foundation was set, I embarked on a treasure hunt around our home, seeking smaller pieces to fill in the gaps and create a cohesive, layered look above and below the main paintings. The goal was to build a rich narrative on the wall, reflecting our personal style and the cherished items we’ve collected over time. This approach not only saves money but also ensures the decor feels genuinely “us.”

My search yielded another charming landscape and a couple of sweet, round floral pieces, adding more depth to the composition. However, despite these additions, I still found myself with a few empty spaces that needed attention. Instead of making an extra trip to a thrift store – which would defeat the purpose of using what I already had and potentially lead to acquiring more items I didn’t *really* need – I turned to my trusty craft stash. This is where creativity truly shines! From this collection of forgotten treasures, I pulled out three antique-looking gold keys, which I strung together with a piece of natural jute and hung from one of my vintage-jewelry thumbtacks. The keys added a lovely touch of rustic charm and a hint of intrigue.

Another unique addition was a small, intricately carved wooden piece. To integrate it seamlessly into the gallery, I decided to paint it a soft, neutral shade, then carefully glued it onto a piece of textured burlap. This entire assembly was then attached to an old, repurposed frame, giving it a new lease on life and a distinct handcrafted appeal. The combination of varied textures and materials instantly elevated the wall’s character, moving beyond just framed art.

Embracing Eclectic Style: Mixing & Matching Art

Initially, I had a preconceived notion that all the paintings on the wall should strictly adhere to one theme, either all florals or all landscapes. However, as often happens in DIY projects, the reality of my existing collection necessitated a different approach. I simply didn’t have enough pieces of one specific type to create a uniform look. It was then that I realized the unifying element could simply be that they are all original oil paintings – a collection united by medium rather than subject. And you know what? I absolutely love how it turned out! This eclectic mix feels more personal, more lived-in, and tells a richer story than a perfectly matched set ever could.

Looking at the completed gallery wall in photographs always brings a fresh perspective. While the photo might make the spacing between the center painting and the pieces on either side appear uneven, I assure you, it’s an optical illusion due to the angle I had to take the shot from to capture the most natural light in our rather dim room. In person, the widths are perfectly balanced – I measured meticulously!

That said, photography can also spark new ideas. I’ve been pondering if the painted wood carving would benefit from a darker gold finish, perhaps to better coordinate with the round frames and the gold keys. Or, would that make it blend too much into the burlap background, losing its distinct charm? These are the delightful dilemmas of home decor, where small adjustments can significantly impact the overall aesthetic. It’s a process of constant evaluation and refinement.

The most ironic part of this entire gallery wall project? The minimal time it actually took to complete! I spent approximately 20 minutes scouting for suitable items around the house, another 10 minutes on the “crafty” elements like painting and gluing, and a mere 10 minutes to meticulously hang everything. That’s less than an hour of actual work! It truly makes me wonder why these beautiful pieces languished on the floor for so long. Sometimes, all it takes is a challenge like the ORC to light a fire under those dormant decor ideas!

Solving a Common Problem: The Perfect Nightstand Basket

Another crucial item on my master bedroom to-do list was finding a functional and aesthetically pleasing basket to sit beneath the antique sewing machine that currently serves as my bedside table. For ages, the exposed outlet and the tangle of cords from the lamp and my phone charger have been an eyesore, subtly disrupting the room’s serenity. I knew a basket was the ideal solution to neatly conceal this unsightly clutter while adding a touch of warmth and texture to the space.

During a quick stop at a Portland thrift store over the weekend, fate intervened! As soon as I spotted this basket, I knew it was ‘the one.’ At just $3.99, it was an absolute steal. I didn’t even stop to measure, confident that its great size would either fit perfectly or, if not, could easily find a home elsewhere in our cottage. The joy of a successful thrift store hunt is unparalleled, and my optimism was rewarded. Upon returning home, I did a literal happy dance when it slid perfectly into place under the sewing machine – a rare and wonderful occurrence in the world of home projects!

However, once it was in position, I immediately noticed a slight visual discord. The basket’s original white color, while perfectly fine on its own, didn’t quite harmonize with the rich wood and dark iron of the vintage sewing cabinet. It stood out too starkly. Fortunately, this is a common decor dilemma with a simple, budget-friendly fix: a little bit of brown spray paint.

A quick trip to the garage and a few careful coats of a warm brown spray paint completely transformed the basket. The new color instantly created a much more cohesive and integrated look, allowing the basket to blend seamlessly with the antique cabinet. It now feels like an intentional part of the design, rather than a stand-alone accessory.

Even with the perfectly matched basket, I noticed a tiny sliver of the outlet was still peeking through. To completely obscure it and add another layer of visual interest, I draped a lovely vintage wool throw with subtle coral stripes over the side. This proved to be a fantastic bonus! Not only did it effectively hide the remaining cords, but it also introduced another delightful “pop” of the coral color I’m eager to incorporate into the room’s palette. Sometimes, the best design elements emerge from spontaneous problem-solving!

We’re just going to collectively ignore that empty phone jack on the right side of the nightstand, okay? It’s a relic of a bygone era. You’re not supposed to know that the vintage phone sitting on the table is now purely for decorative purposes – we gracefully parted ways with our home phone service several years ago! Shhh… what phone jack?

Master Bedroom To-Do List:

1. Add a fun plate wall over the bed in shades of white, green, and coral.
2. Repaint lamp bases.
3. Add interesting texture to lamp shades or stencil them.
4. Make a decorative pillow with a graphic coral fabric for the bed.
5. Create an art wall with the original art we’ve collected through the years at thrift stores (remember when Brian made this funny video about his thrifted ‘bad art’ collection?)
6. Make or buy a new duvet.
7. Find a basket to fit under the antique sewing machine/nightstand.
8. Add a coral pillow to the chair.
9. Edit the dresser to be less cluttery.
10. Purchase bamboo blinds? Or attempt to clean roman shades?
11. Paint or just remove lamp in corner {I don’t really use it}.
12. Rehang the mirror on our door.
13. Replace the dusty, years-old dried flowers from the backyard with something –anything – else.

So, there you have it: week two recap! With the art wall and the nightstand basket successfully checked off, we’re now 2 items down with 11 exciting projects yet to conquer. The momentum is building, and I’m feeling incredibly motivated to continue transforming this space. Stay tuned for more updates as we delve deeper into making our master bedroom the perfect retreat!