I'm the Map!

 

"If there is a place you got to go

I am the one you need to know

I'm the Map!

I'm the Map!

I'm the Map!"

 

 

(Sigh).  Too much 'Dora the Explorer' this morning (my little one loves it).  However, that little song (see above) got me thinking about today's blog post - MAPS.

 

Some of my favorite things to frame are maps.  I love them.  Plus, they are a surprisingly functional piece of art.  Wondering how close in latitude Novosibirsk, Russia, and Edmonton, Alberta, are?  Check out a map!  Having an argument over what the capital city of Qatar is?  Look to that gorgeous map on your wall and prove yourself right!  (It is Doha, by the way).  Yeah, yeah, I know you can Google these things, but Google just isn't as pretty as the real deal.

 

 

This is a vintage map of the world that we had framed for our store window.  I love the aged look of the yellow map - up close it looks like an antique piece of parchment.  The frame on this is massive - nice and wide - but its simple profile compliments the map itself with all of its beautiful detail.

 

A standard National Geographic Map of the British Isles.  The texture in this frame echoes the topographical detail of the map itself - pretty neat!  A silver fillet breaks up the map and frame nicely.

 

The following images were featured on Apartment Therapy (one of our absolute favorite webpages here at the shop!), and you can link to these gorgeous pictures here -  http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/always-in-style-decorate-your-117040

 

A map of the world is the perfect compliment to a serene space such as this.  http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/10-fresh-map-decor-ideas-121126

 

I love the idea of cutting the map into three pieces and hanging each one separately - a D.I.Y. triptych!  Bonus points for using this in a nursery - colourful, artistic and educational.  http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/escape-style-maps-from-our-house-tours-173751

 

 

And finally, a massive black and white city map divided into 16 pieces, each one framed.  http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/escape-style-maps-from-our-house-tours-173751

 

You don't even have to frame a map to enjoy it on your walls.  Try one (or all!) of the following;

 

1.)  Drymounting is a great option, particularly if you like to stick pins into the cities you have visited! 

 

2.)  If you have recently been on a Caribbean cruise, grab a map of the Caribbean - using a needle and a piece of red embroidery thread, you can sew your route onto the map, hang it, and use it as a reminder of your vacation. 

 

3.) Finally, you know those old pull-down maps you had in school?  They are easy to source online and would make a great piece for any wall. 

 

Maps are easily available and the sky is the limit to what you can choose - you can even leave Earth entirely and find maps of the Moon, Mars, etc., even maps of the stars....

 

 

This is a star chart I had done in a two-toned silver frame.  I love this frame - so nice and simple.  This piece hangs over my bed and it is massive - the entire width of it - so plexi-glass was used on it instead of regular glass.  Glass is heavy, and this way I don't have to worry about it falling and crushing me in the middle of the night.  The downside is that plexi-glass has a bit more reflection than regular glass does - as you can tell by this picture.  Check out that laundry basket in the corner!  Classy!  Perhaps I should be working on that instead of watching 'Dora the Explorer!' (Though no complaints - it did inspire this post.  See?  Inspiration really is everywhere!)

 

Hope you are all having a wonderful Tuesday.