As you will quickly notice, Restoration Hardware is my favorite home store. Fortunately for me, it also fits Gabriel's design aesthetic, so we are able to slowly transform our single day pieces into a cohesive RH inspired whole (example: the chandelier I DIY'ed here). One of the earliest RH inspired pieces I made was a 9-panel wall map, based on Restoration Hardware's 1720's L'Isle Word Map.
Priced at $2495, it was more than we wanted to spend. So, I spent some time on google, and found a circa1690's map by L'Isle here. At $55, it was a steal, so I ordered it.
I went to Michaels, and found some fantastic 16x20, simple black frames for $7 each thanks to coupons on top of sale prices, so my frames came in at $63. I didn't feel confident cutting the map myself, so I had the guys in the custom framing department at Michaels cut my picture for me. The cutting cost was $15, so for a total of $150 (including shipping on the map and sales tax), I had everything I needed to assemble my panels and hang my map! I used the Command Picture Hanging Strips because they are re-positionable and make it so much easier to get things right without nail holes everywhere! We love the finished product:
There you have it! And, no, Reader, I did not forget that I promised you a DIY art installation from my bedroom. It was just finished last week, so you can expect pictures and a how-to post next week! Cross my heart ;-)
