Quick picture frame makeover

So, after owning our lovely home for over a year, I have the itch to start making some changes. Some are grand and take a lot of planning and $$, and others are a quick fix to make a small change until I get the time, resources, and funds to tackle something larger. This is one of those quick fixes. Our dining room is blue - 2 different blues which I am already starting to dislike (hopefully this summer we will be doing some crown molding work and I will then paint the entire room the same dark blue).

Anyway, I have had these old photos for several years now. Some very cool photos taken by a great uncle in WWII when he was stationed in the South Pacific (that's him on the left in the photo). He and I being the only two sailors in the family, I was the lucky one to inherit his photos. When I first got the photos, my mom found a matching set of frames at a flea market - with mats - and they looked great. They have graced the walls of several of my homes, and now have found a resting place on the wall of our dining room - strategically placed around the thermostat our previous owners felt the need to place smack-dab in the middle of a main wall in the room. However, the color of the frames were a light oak wood color, where the dining room furniture is mahogany and cherry, and it just doesn't go.

So with a can of spray paint I took the frames into the basement, and gave them a new look. I started by giving them a coat with some flat black spray paint (because I didn't have spray primer and I figured that should cover all the oak color, and the flat will be a good base - it worked!)

I also picked up some fresh new mats from Michael's and gave them a great makeover! They connect with the rest of the room and I am pleased with the end result!