Vintage Maps: A Design Inspiration

 If you've been following my blog you know that many of my posts deal with advice on what's hot to shop for when thrifting, and ways to incorporate your finds into your decor. One of my favorite design experiments had to do with educational pull down classroom maps.  They're also called posters and vintage teaching charts. 

The classroom teaching charts that I always look for have a science/nature-related theme.  In my sun room I have a reference map for shells.  It's one of my favorite things in my home.

You can see that it has been well-used.

The map became my stepping off point for the design in the room.  The wall color and the fabric pick up the brown in the map.  The coral prints in mirrored frames added the glam, the accent color,
and repeat the shell theme.

Again notice the repetition of the the shell theme with the shells in the vase and the colors brown and coral.

I recently found this smaller map version with mollusks.  I'm noticing that many of these educational maps are from Germany.  I haven't decided if I'll use this one in my home or sell it.

This next image is more of a science poster.  It's definitely shabby, but I really liked the subject matter

and the illustrations.

This last image isn't even vintage, but I loved the art and the gold leaf.  I have plans for this one.

As you can see,  the science-related maps have greater appeal to me.  I love them for their subject matter but also for their vibrant colors and design. Their large size really makes a statement.

Here are some other examples of nature-related pull down maps

 that will surely make you want to own and display some in your decor.

Source for the vintage teaching charts' images that are not from my home here.

Put these maps on your decor trend shopping list. You can find them readily on e-bay under the pull down map category.  Here are some (fuzzy) images of some I recently saw for less than $150 on e-bay. I'm also seeing them more and more in antiques shops too.

Let me know what you find and how you used it.

What are you hot to shop for?

Kathy

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Question Answered

So many of you have been asking about the branches in the vase that was featured on The Nate Berkus Show that I thought I'd do a post about them too.

The branches are from a shrub called Harry Lauder's Walking stick.  It's actually selected as a planting for its gnarled branches, not its foliage.  Here's what it looks like.  It's homely and interesting at the same time.

  It's super easy to copy this idea, even if you don't have a Harry Lauder bush.  Any twisty branches will work.  I filled the bottom of the jar with sand.  I then added shells a little past the halfway mark; then placed the branches and filled up to the top of the jar with shells to support the branches.

Initially, I created this as a display for the store.  I was selling Christmas ornaments made from shells covered in glitter.  The jar filled with shells and sand and the gnarled branches were my "shell Christmas tree."  Only after the holidays as I was packing up did I think about using it in the sun room.  If you look at the pictures of that room you'll see that the vintage classroom shell reference map and the coral prints in mirrored frames on the window inspired the room decor.

I placed the vase and branches on the mirrored table and decided to paint the branches Chinese Red too. 

I think the color really makes them pop.  

Give it a try.  It's easy and dramatic.

  Let me know how yours turns out.

Kathy