In the spotlight...

Our most popular personalised map gift!

We are really proud of our map Trio range at Bombus. We’ve been making and selling versions of this map artwork for as long as we’ve had Bombus, and we can't quite believe how much you all love it. We love it too, so we thought it deserved its own special shout out.

I mean, we totally understand why you choose it again and again as the perfect personalised map gift for weddings, engagements, or anniversary gifts. Look at it! It's gorgeous, if we do say so ourselves.

Three means you can choose three locations of ANYWHERE in the world, featured in one single frame.

And three really does seem to be the magic number when it comes to a couples gift.

Where they met, where they live, where they married perhaps?

Or why not choose their separate hometowns, and the home they now have together?

Where they were engaged, married, and honeymooned? Everyone's got three special places - right? Oh alright...

I have to choose just three?

If the trio isn't big enough and you're feeling SUPER ambitious - we have our sixteen map artwork.

And this IS perfect for the boundless traveller in your life! Who wouldn’t want to memorialise that trip around the world with this epic piece? (And right now I'm sure I'm not alone in spending a lot of time reminiscing about past holidays!)

A gift in all shapes and sizes...

Our Trio maps can be mounted as hearts (our most popular!), circles, or squares. So if you happen to have a favourite geometric shape - this is the choice you never knew you needed. And we do a super-sized version too, if you've got a big space that needs a big statement.

And we have even extended the range to include two delicate and pretty versions – the bird trio and, my favourite, our butterfly trio.

But how are they made?

Choosing your maps is a special skill that takes a lot of time for our studio artists to learn.

So team members spend, well, MONTHS in our map room to learn where each location is kept, and what the best map version is for each product. It is a seriously tricky job. You can get lost for hours searching for a small island off of Australia.

And yes! We really do have a Map Room! It is full of over 25,000 real maps of locations from all over the world!

For example, Ordenance Survey maps or Atlas? Street map or perhaps an antique tourist map?

Sometimes we have customers who expect us to print out Google Maps (really!) and it is important that we explain that we use real vintage maps. These pieces are works of art! We want to provide our customers with something that looks spectacular. And as important as your location is, it is just as vital that the piece of map we choose is striking enough to be kept by the person you are giving this to, forever.

Cartography is an art!

Scale is something we struggle with too. When we are provided with a precise address, the likelihood of that the house or specific building appearing on the map is slim (unless you're spending quarantine at Windsor Castle...) This is because we are using maps that were made for geographical and directional purposes, not to pinpoint your Aunty Jeans semi in Barking (although there's an idea!)

Also, depending on the size of the location, sometimes the only maps that actually exist in the whole world are zoomed out and won’t necessarily show your little hamlet or village pond.

However, the actual geography (as in the physical spot on the earth) of your special place is always available. It just may be a little bit zoomed out!

Cartography has changed with the modern times, but it still requires a huge amount of artistic flair and skill. And the vintage maps we use (usually printed anytime from pre-1970) were made so that their over all appearance was at the forefront of the design. Some atlases we use (and shockingly cut up for your gifts!) could be hung in the Louvre, they are so beautifully finished.

So there you have it! Our team put a lot of care and attention into each trio, and we work hard to find the perfect solution to the locations that you give to us. And once we search our collection to find your map, we make sure that it goes perfectly with the other two, so that it creates a unified and unique piece.

The personal finishing touches...

We spent a lot of time researching the best frames for out artwork. You won’t find a flimsy bit of wood with a loose backing at Bombus!

We use a sustainable wood frame made specifically for us, to the exact dimensions of our trio. No mounts are needed, these are bespoke works of art.

The frame is available in colours to suit the décor of your home, or whoever you're giving it to. They are neutral, which means you are unlikely to offend anyone’s taste with whichever colour you choose!

Our most popular map gift is the white frame, which gives the maps their best chance to shine with a modern finish. And the natural wood is a good choice for a more classic style, for those whose taste may be a little more traditional.

And there we have it!

The most popular personalised map gift at Bombus.

Made with care, given with love, and received with excitement!