The Master Bedroom we won from MyHomeIdeas was simply extraordinary. The deep purple walls were even more luxurious in person. The beds, upholstered furniture, lavish bedding and window treatments were all here when we finally took possession of the home. The artwork, however, had been on loan from the sponsors, and did not convey with the home. So . . . we were thrilled for the opportunity to add our own personal touches to this and other rooms.
The paintings in the room were reproductions of drawings from a 19th century scientist, Albertus Seba. After a little research, I found the artwork could be purchased at around $2000 per piece. Since I wished to maintain the character of this room, but obviously didn't have the budget needed to duplicate it exactly, I opted for a more reasonably priced alternative.
On Amazon, I found a coffee table book featuring the Natural Curiosities Collection. Many of the prints inside the Idea House were inside this book (on a smaller scale than the originals).
I purchased the used copy of the book (I paid about $20), brought it home, then carefully removed the pages from the binding. (A box cutter made this task much easier and preserved the quality of the photos. I cut only the threads attaching the binding, not the pages, at this point.)
I used a paper trimmer to trim the selected photos from the book. . .
Then floated the pictures atop cardboard mounting squares before framing. I found the frames on sale for $5 at Walmart.
Photo: Robert Tobler
Though, I was unable to locate exact replicas of the first prints which graced the walls of the WindMark Master Bedroom, our versions still seemed to maintain the "Old Florida" vibe of the room ~ at a substantial savings.
To view more photos from the WindMark Idea House, visit our vacation rental website: Summer Dream Cottage or MyHomeIdeas -- the website that changed our life, and made this Florida girl's Summer Dream Come True.
