Friday, May 11, 2012

Office Project: Map Wall

When last we visited my front-room-turned-office project (seen here), I left you with a little teaser of the wall treatment for the desk wall:

map mural wall

Yeah, I’m kind of ornery that way!

I really wasn’t particularly planning on doing something special that wall, except maybe painting it a to-be-determined accent color.

But there I was, minding my own business, and my latest Pottery Barn catalog arrived…and there was this picture:

image

Oh, I fell…and I fell hard!

Oh, how I love the look of that map-covered wall.  The problem?  The Pottery Barn decals are $129 each, and to completely cover my wall, I would need…four

Yeah, that’s a little out of my budget!

I will spare you the details of my long and exhaustive search for a reasonably-priced alternative, and just share the good news…

I found one!

Target carries a map wall mural for about $89.  With an on-line coupon code and free shipping, I was able to get it for about $80—and it’s 8’8” x 13’!!  (It’s also easily trimmable.)

Can I get a woo-hoo??

So I ordered it.  And here I am “testing it out” by holding pieces of it to the wall with painter’s tape!

Target map mural wall

I think…I like it.

Here’s the kicker…the wall mural comes in 8 sections.  They are NOT pre-pasted, although the mural does come with some mix-it-up-yourself paste.  I have put up a fair amount of wallpaper in my time, but pasting your own is a MAJOR PAIN.  After a panel or two, I discovered it was better to paste the panel AND the wall, but it was still really, really tricky to get everything to line up.

Since the desk is going on this wall, I am counting on it to cover my flaws!

Here are the first two panels in place:

house projects 011

And here’s a peek at the completed wall!

map mural wall Pottery Barn knock-off

I think it’s an improvement over what I started with, don’t you?? 

house projects 010

And here’s a peek at the adjacent wall…more on that to come!

  (hint:  no matter what the picture looks like, it really isn’t just painted white!)

map mural wall Target Pottery Barn knock-off

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This project was featured at Simply Klassic Sunday.

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Linking up here:

Coastal Charm’s Nifty Thrifty Tuesday Elizabeth & Co.
Mod Vintage Life No Minimalist Here’s Open House Thursday
Friday Remodelaholic 2805
My Simple Home Life’s Simple Creations Friday Miss Mustard Seed’s Furniture Feature Friday
Funky Junk’s Saturday Night Special The DIY Show Off
Primitive & Proper Thrifty Décor Chick
Decorating Insanity My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
Perfectly Imperfect {Primp}
Simply Klassic Sundays My Repurposed Life
From My Front Porch to Yours It’s So Very Cheri
Common Ground {aka} design

31 comments:

Kathy @ Creative Home Expressions said...

I love it, Korrie! That makes such a great focal wall. I can't wait to see the rest. I am already loving that big clock!

Amy Kinser said...

I love it! I would love to have one of those old pull down wall maps like I had in my elementary school class room. Boy, I sure didn't see beauty in it way back when.

Pollyanna said...

It looks great, can't wait to see the finished room.

Jennifer @ Town and Country Living said...

Love it!!! The clock is fabulous too!

Liz Vickerman said...

love it, looks fantastic!!

Susan said...

Yay for finding more affordable alternatives to PB stuff! Love it. I can not WAIT to see the completed room! :)

Sharon @ Elizabeth & Co. said...

Love your map wall Korrie! Kuddos for finding a thrifty option! Now I want to see more!

Special 'K' said...

I too love it! I have always been a little partial to this style. Thanks for sharing. Cheers SpecialK XoXo

Homeroad said...

Korrie I love that wall! It looks soooo beautiful!
Great job!
Susan

Darci said...

Love it! It goes great with your suitcase wall- weren't they in the entry?? Will they be staying?

Erika said...

The best option on a budget, what a great turn out, I like the Map and how it looks in the wall, It gives a nice vibrant color and enhances the room. Thanks for sharing.

Mimi@blueroofcabin said...

very cool, lovin the map! I cannot wait to see the finished office. that clock is amazing you have a great start!

From G2B said...

Wow! This was great Korrie! I can't wait to see the completed room! I'm actually working on a super-sized map project right now too- Great minds think alike and all that jazz!
xoxo Becca

Gayle said...

Very cool! My friend recently covered some cupboard doors in her studio with vintage maps she found at an antique store in Ogden, and that looked cool too! I can tell it was a lot of work for you!

Linda said...

We put a wall map in our recreation room in a house we used to live in and entertained a lot. It was a great ice breaker for people who did not know each other and friends alike. I think maps are intriging to all people. I am still trying to find a wall in my house to put a map. Love yours.

Cassie Bustamante said...

so awesome! i love the graphic and the bright color of your map.

Anita at Cedar Hill said...

Look at you!! That is impressive and what a find at Target no less. Can't wait to see the whole room.

SImple and Serene Living said...

I love it Korrie. You did a great job. Of course. The room is looking so good :)

Ali Richardson said...

SOOOOOOOo awesome! This looks amazing! Jealous!

Unknown said...

Such a great idea! Looking forward to seeing more of the room too.

Eclectically Vintage said...

You had me at map! What a fabulous focal point and you scored at Target!
Kelly

KC Coake said...

That looks great!

Bliss said...

Woohoo!

~Bliss~

foreverdecorating said...

This is a great look and I appreciate you sharing how you were able to accomplish this on such a low budget!

Full Circle Creations said...

Love it! I have a really huge old map...maybe I should do something with it....Can't wait to see your finished room!

Holly

Kristine @ Lovely Again by Kris said...

OhMyGosh how awesome! I LOVE it! I cannot wait to see it finished!

Rachel said...

Now that is cool! In my bedroom growing up, the wallpaper was maps and ships. It was Howard's room. My mom wanted to make it more feminine. I wouldn't let her. :) I loved the nautical paper.

Oklahomaredhead said...

Love your map wall. I've been wanting to do that in my bedroom/office to one wall, but I was going to try to get maps of each state in the US and make one that way. COOL WALL!

Little Bit said...

Oh my gosh! I love it! I got that PB catalogue and drooled over that same page... Wow what a good buy from Target. Little Bit

Roeshel said...

WOW! I love it, Korrie!

Unknown said...

Wonderful project, and I love the black dresser redo with numbered drawers on your blog too! Your latest follower, Tanya :)