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DIY: Map Wallpaper

By Haskell Harris | January 5, 2009 | Design

I love pattern. The bigger the better. The bolder the better. The more color saturation the better. BUT, I like it in small doses and in unexpected places. Sort of like the way a bespoke designer might line a beautiful jacket with a silk print…it's a really luxe, unexpected surprise. An old trick, yes, but one that always works.

In my Birmingham cottage, I papered an odd hallway that needed a little love (see below).

This particular print (an antique map of Italy in chalky greens, pinks, grays, blacks, and blues) was also incredibly affordable. It's actually wrapping paper!

All you have to do is tear the paper in strips, dip them in a mixture of Elmer's glue and water (it should have enough glue in it to stay thick), and apply them directly to the wall and ceilings.

One thing to keep in mind: this particular wrapping paper was relatively thick, so it stood up to the glue and water mixture without losing its texture. If you try it at home, be sure to pick one that feels sturdy and experiment with a small patch before you tackle a whole wall.

This idea is also really fun for closets, small bathrooms, and the backs of bookshelves or dining cabinets.

Happy pasting!

(9)

Haskell,

You can use clear wallpaper paste also. dry mix that you can mix as thick as you like or thin. I have papered entire rooms with it using like gas station paper towels or brown butcher paper. It can be wrinkled and even painted to give an over done texture. I have a room papered and painted at our salon in Montgomery, oliviaasalon.com Stop by and check it out. We are on Taylor Road down from Eastchase. Rick

By Rick Koch | July 13, 2009 at 06:57 | report | Reply

Good Morning Haskell:
I recently found your wonderful article about your home in Birmingham. It is great to read the explanation of the wallpaper I could see above the door going into a bathroom. I am actually writing to see if you can give me the dimensions of your wonderful display piece above your off white sofa in the living room. My husband is a custom cabinet maker and said he love to make one of these for our home. If you don't mind, could you forward the length, heighth, depth and spacing of the shelves. It is a wonderful way to display photographs and treasures without a lot of holes in the wall. It looks like it might be made of pine - what thickness is the material. Do you know who made yours? Thank you so much for helping me with this information. I will spend some time going over your other blog messages ASAP.
Hope to hear from you soon. Kay Alexander 919 219-1177

By Kay Alexander | April 23, 2009 at 01:52 | report | Reply

Genius idea... As an antique map collector myself I think this is a particularly genius idea for the WC or nook & cranny in my new home! I once saw a similiar idea in Marie Clarie Idee where they decopaged a loo with sheets of vintage music paper and recently in a Michelin starred restaraunt in Holland (Tante Koosje in Loenen) saw a bathroom decopaged with botanical prints torn from an antique book. Of all the ideas... this map idea is my favorite! Caspari has a nice Paris map that would be simply parfait!
By the way, I found your site via Style Court. Wonderful discovery... I'll be back!
Best,
The Antiques Diva