Laundry Room Makeover: Painted Picture Frame Gallery Wall

I’m sharing a sneak peek of my laundry room makeover. The room isn’t finished yet and progress has been slow, but one wall is coming together and I couldn’t wait to show it. I’ve been working through ideas slowly and deliberately, and this painted picture frame gallery is the first part that feels complete.

Photography in the laundry room has been a challenge because there’s no natural light. I plan to invest in a small interior lighting kit for better photos of the finished space. For now, please forgive the dim pictures—the colors and texture read much better in person.

My gallery wall idea came from a thrifted frames project I admired by Tatertots and Jello. I loved the concept of repainting thrifted frames to create a cohesive wall, though I adapted the palette to fit my laundry room, which leans toward orange, turquoise and navy. Rather than buying frames individually, I made one trip to Goodwill and came home with a large assortment of sizes. I paid around $30 for the lot; it wasn’t the absolute cheapest option, but it saved time and provided a varied mix of shapes that work well together once painted.

I removed the backs and the glass from each frame before painting. I kept the glass so I can reuse it later for other DIY frame projects using reclaimed wood and pallet boards. Removing hardware made the painting and finishing much easier and gave the frames a cleaner, more intentional look on the wall.

Painting the frames took longer than expected. I hit a creative stall a few times—what I call DIY Derail—where I would stop mid-project because something didn’t feel right. Often I’ll try a solution that doesn’t work and then step away until I can see a better direction. Once I landed on the right color combination, momentum returned quickly and the rest fell into place.

One of the early lessons came from a bright orange I tried first. I used a spray paint that produced a bold, glossy orange—almost collegiate in intensity—and it clashed with the rest of the room. I experimented with a homemade glaze to tone it down, but mixing craft paint with water over glossy spray paint didn’t produce a pleasing finish. After letting the pieces sit while I considered options, I finally found the color that made everything click.

The turning point was when I saw an image of coral-painted frames that perfectly matched the feel I wanted. I bought a sample pot of Sherwin-Williams “Rejuvenate” and repainted the frames. The new tone warmed the grouping without feeling too pink, and it balanced the turquoise and navy in the room beautifully. That moment of clarity re-energized the project and led to repainting much of the room—multiple surfaces ended up getting at least two coats of different colors until the palette felt right.

With the frames repainted, I arranged them on the wall and filled them with beach photos to support a coastal vibe. For now the gallery acts as a small vacation escape while I do laundry—beach shots from various trips make the space feel lighter and more pleasant. I plan to swap the prints seasonally or whenever I want a fresh look.

To add texture, I affixed decorative starfish to the wall with hot glue. They’re intended as semi-permanent accents; I don’t expect to remove them any time soon, so hot glue felt like a practical choice. When (or if) they come down, I’ll be careful to avoid damage to the paint and drywall.

You may also notice a board-and-batten treatment and a row of hooks on the same wall. That element is still in progress and will be part of the full room reveal later, along with details like the door paint color—Hale Navy on the garage door to match the front door and tie the space together.

Overall, the painted frame gallery accomplished exactly what I wanted: it brought color, personality and a little coastal charm to a functional space. The process taught me the value of pausing when something doesn’t feel right and being willing to repaint until the palette works. Has this happened to you—painting something and then going back to repaint? I’d love to hear about your own painter’s remorse moments and how you resolved them.