Origins & Inspirations
Why we are who we are at Bank & Surf….
I come from a competitive swimming background which started with my mother’s father in Scotland. My uncles & then brothers and I swam for sport, for our schools, for fun and as part a family tradition that goes back to the late 1800s. In addition, that same grandfather loved the beach and ‘the sea’… and saw to it that his family – including my mother – were beach people to their cores. Whether for annual Easter trips to Florida or post-season summer vacations to Ocean City, NJ – being at the pool & beach defined who we were as a family, even where summer jobs were concerned. I then married into a family who has deep roots in competitive rowing – also with European roots that date back to the turn of the last century. My wife, a successful former rower & crew coach, grew up in a beach town in New York where rowing, sailing and being at the beach was her way of life. Today, our own children have the best of our combined backgrounds where competitive swimming, sailing, and being at the beach is who we are.
As a family, we are lucky enough to take Florida Spring vacations each year and give our children the same Long Island Sound summers had by their mother – with occasional trips to St. John in the USVI. In reflecting and being proud of our ties to sand & sea, we have forged relationships with some amazing coastal destinations and love the memories that we have made there. In having this great, personal tie to tradition, to family time, to coastal beauty and to the magnificence of the ocean, there was an instinctive & logical bridge to creating an art line that celebrates the magic of travel & memory-making through art.
When our son was just a little guy, my wife & I were asked to stay in a friend’s house in Old Naples – a house that he & his wife had just purchased and started to redo. Knowing what I did through my business PALLADIO (interior design & art consulting) they wondered if we would live in the house for a week, experience Naples, see what they were doing with their house… and help them finish it. I had been to Naples a few times growing up, but my wife had not. That trip and our week in Old Naples was the first of many and almost two decades later it has truly become one of our ‘happy places.’ It was from that very first trip that I came up with the idea for a unique map of Old Naples – one that was super cool, decorative and stylish but also one that had our friends’ monogram on it, their address on it, their favorite beach on it, the year of their house on it plus a handful of locally-significant landmarks important to them. I couldn’t find what I had in mind so, owning an art-production & framing company – I made my own… and so was born Bank & Surf.
I created the map to look more like a blueprint so that I could make it a fun, tropical color that was in the fabric that our friend used in her big family room (now called Caribbean Blue) and framed it a rich, dark, burled wood frame that was ‘Tommy Bahama’ in feel. That original map of Naples gave rise to a growing collection of Bank & Surf Custom Maps that has just topped 750 locations.
As we close the door on Winter and look toward Spring, it is natural to look back fondly on great trips of old, start planning a little getaway, or hopefully start a count down! Whether we go away or not, it is always great to celebrate the trips we have had or show town pride for one or more of our own ‘happy places.’ My own dressing room has a series of Bank & Surf Maps that show where our wedding trip was, where my wife grew up & where our children spend their summers, where we go for Spring Break (Naples), where we go for special trips (St. John) and a map of where we live for the rest of the year (home!)
The beauty of these custom maps is that, in addition to being the right colors and sizes to make interior spaces stylish and attractive, they celebrate place. The maps also celebrate family and special memories… and as art, are vehicles of pride, love and all that makes vacations wonderful.
Think about where your travels have taken you and commemorate those special days for either yourself as a gift for someone with whom you share those memories with a unique and fully customized Bank & Surf map… and Bring Paradise Home!
Frequently Asked Questions
Do the maps come framed?
Yes. The maps are produced in 2 sizes and finished with white frames. The small, outside frame dimensions are 20” x 26” and 30” x 36” for the large. Each map is mounted on archival foamboard and protected with conservation glass & its frame.
Are the maps available unframed?
No. Because the maps are printed as giclees, the surface of the maps’ cotton paper has many layers of archival ink that can scratch and stain very easily. In addition, for the longevity of the maps, each is dry-mounted to an archival foam board to keep it flat and, with the protection of conservation glass, clean, bright and resistant to fading.
Because we are a custom framing business at heart, we can offer a wide variety of framing options as an alternative to the white frames; depending on the frame selected, there may be an upcharge.
Are there any other color choices for the maps?
Yes. After thousands of maps sales, ‘NAVY’ is the absolute color of choice. However, there are 11 additional colors in the Bank & Surf Palette. Simply call the retail store at 215 247-1012 for more details or send an e-mail request the color information or inquire about custom colors.
If the map is a gift, will the price or a gift card be included?
The maps do not arrive with a receipt or payment/price information; all pricing & payment information is handled at the time of the order via website and e-mail communication. All maps arrive wrapped in black paper with a large Bank & Surf label on which we hand-write the name of the map. Using a white chalk pencil, we are happy to hand-write a gift message to make the gift presentation that much better! Simply give us the message on the order page and we will do the rest.
B&S Shipping FAQ’s
How long does it take to receive a map?
Orders for maps that have no customizations typically ship within 2 weeks. For custom orders, once the PROOF has been approved by the customer, the map ships within 2 weeks.
How are the maps shipped?
The maps are sent by UPS Ground.
Returns & Exchanges
May I return or exchange my map?
Typically, No. Because the maps are made to order they are unique, especially those that have been customized. If you have received a map as a gift and feel it needs to be returned or exchanged, please give us a call to discuss at 215 247-1012.