Before

I bought these two frames a few years ago at Housing Works, one of my favorite second-hand stores in my old Gramercy neighborhood.  Their frames were clad (ironically) in wood-patterned Contact paper.  But otherwise they were in good shape and well-priced at $25 a piece, and I had to take them.

I stripped them using some wood thinner and good old elbow grease, and repainted the mats a bright white, then ordered two photographs from Etsy.  I gravitated to both of them not just because of their seaside motifs, but because of the red and teal colors.  There’s something nostalgic about them:  a crusty old ferris wheel, an old-fashion lifeguard stand.  . It wasn’t until I was playing around with dark gray paint samples for my bedroom that I found a good shade for the frames:  Days’ End by Benjamin Moore.  The frames are now taking on a new life and pack more punch, hung over my living room mantle.