Are You Gonna Go My Way? Creative Uses for Old Maps

If you've ever had a subscription to National Geographic magazine you'll know exactly what I am talking about... map overload! 



But stop right there. Don't you dare throw away those old maps and atlases. Instead, why not give them a new purpose by upcycling them into something new and unique, like one of the creative examples shown here.





letter press on atlas page via amyriceart on

this week on etsy...maps

1. vintage map sailboat  2. nautical map backpack 3. handmade cufflinks 4. archival USA map 5. watercolor world map 6. vintage map lampshade 7. vintage map envelopes  8. decoupaged map bracelet 9. personalized watercolor wedding maps

Interiors: Going Global with Maps

Despite a constantly changing global landscape, with boundary lines moving and nations renaming themselves, globes are a classroom staple that have changed very little over the years. Even when barely legible from the effects of time (such as the one above that I sold on Etsy), they are a reminder of where we've been and where we're going. Grouped together, they beckon like toys and few can resist setting them spinning.

Old maps or pages from atlases are a graphic way to remember a favorite place or to earmark a destination yet to be visited. Considering the effort required of the cartographers who charted them, they are works of art worthy of framing and hanging in a prominent location. Yellowed pages from atlases are a subtle way of adding interest to everything from furniture to lighting.

One large map is all that's needed to bring

 color to this white dining room.

Atlas pages paper the panes of a soft blue wardrobe.

Neighboring atlases form a base to this modern

 coffee table from Family of Sam.

Taking a page from globe lamps, 

maps are made translucent as lampshades.

A vintage globe is upcycled into a 

light pendant from Anecdote Design.

Silk Aviatop Map Cushions from Atelier 688.

Decorative letters from Little White Dog.

Images: Inside Out Magazine Jan-Feb 2009 issue, Christmas 2007 issue, Jan-Feb 2008 issue, May-June 2009 issue; Apartment: Stylish Solutions for Apartment Living by Alan Powers, photography by Chris Everard, published by Ryland Peters & Small, 2001.

Interiors: Going Global with Maps

Despite a constantly changing global landscape, with boundary lines moving and nations renaming themselves, globes are a classroom staple that have changed very little over the years. Even when barely legible from the effects of time (such as the one above that I sold on Etsy), they are a reminder of where we've been and where we're going. Grouped together, they beckon like toys and few can resist setting them spinning.

Old maps or pages from atlases are a graphic way to remember a favorite place or to earmark a destination yet to be visited. Considering the effort required of the cartographers who charted them, they are works of art worthy of framing and hanging in a prominent location. Yellowed pages from atlases are a subtle way of adding interest to everything from furniture to lighting.

One large map is all that's needed to bring

 color to this white dining room.

Atlas pages paper the panes of a soft blue wardrobe.

Neighboring atlases form a base to this modern

 coffee table from Family of Sam.

Taking a page from globe lamps, 

maps are made translucent as lampshades.

A vintage globe is upcycled into a 

light pendant from Anecdote Design.

Silk Aviatop Map Cushions from Atelier 688.

Decorative letters from Little White Dog.

Images: Inside Out Magazine Jan-Feb 2009 issue, Christmas 2007 issue, Jan-Feb 2008 issue, May-June 2009 issue; Apartment: Stylish Solutions for Apartment Living by Alan Powers, photography by Chris Everard, published by Ryland Peters & Small, 2001.