Thursday, September 25

Going Global.

Maybe because I listen to NPR all day long while blogging, and global issues are at the forefront of the news. Or, perhaps because my trip to Thailand is coming up in a few weeks and I've been scouring travel guide books, but I find myself reminded that decorating with maps is a favorite of mine. I love old vintage school maps and I adore globes. They just hold such a strong fascination for me - I am intrigued by all the tiny streets, meandering roadways, dots of lakes, those big old continents and tiny little islands. It amazes me still, how people put them all together on a single sheet of paper.

Little globes all in neat rows, from amyla174, and from melt.

Maps and globes add a nice splash of color to decor, too - my favorites are the faded pastel ones in washed out yellows, blues, greens and pinks. You can usually find them at the flea market, or eBay, or if you're lucky, a local etsy vintage shop like some of these. Let's take a trip, shall we?

Fabulousness from girlhula.

The big bad world from Green Wellies, and Poetic Home.

1960's Black Globe from UncommonEye;
and Art Deco Globe from White Elephant Vintage.

Pretty pastel globes from A Touch of Vintage;
and Vintage 3-D Terrain School Globe from The Lovelys.


*Top photo courtesy of abbytriesagain.

21 comments:

Keeping up with the Joneses said...

ahhh travel! if you can't go might as well fantasize with these lovelies. just discovered your blog. helps me keep in touch with sfbayarea. moved to austin coupla years ago and so miss cali. thanks for the westcoast perspective.

Unknown said...

I totally love globes. Don't know why. Always have. Great post!

Bueller

mayaluna said...

Your timing is always perfect! I'm getting ready for a room re-do for my son. Maps and globes are the on the list...thanks for all the inspiration!

Anonymous said...

One of my prized possesions is a large globe with a danish modern floor stand. I found it at a auction, and when the bidding passed my price, my dad actually kept bidding and I didn't even realize! Thought it was the guy behind us. What's great is that it lights up and has this great warm glow that seeps through the old paper. It also has a inscription plaque to a couple (Toby and Addilee, thanks for passing it on!).It appears that it was an anniversary gift!

Anonymous said...

How exciting Victoria!! I wonder what amazing treasures and scenes you will find in Thailand!

I have an affinity for globes and maps too...I recently scored an old Europe driving guide from the 1940s that is filled with hand-illustrated local maps...they are just waiting for a decor project.

Thank you so much Victoria for featuring my globe photo too! :D

c r a f t r a b b i t said...

I love globes and maps too...if you are in seattle go to http://www.metskers.com/ it's a map extravaganza.

Dottie said...

i found this great globe sitting in an alley last winter. it has an antiqued brass stand & the globe has a great warm color palette. it was waiting to be snagged.

Sarah Cowen said...

I listen to NPR while working all day too! I love, love, love decorating with maps. Great post! I've actually always wanted a globe that opens to reveal a bar inside. Tacky? Maybe. But genius all the way...

http://sarahheartsdesign.blogspot.com/

tyler said...

ditto, an npr junkie and wanderlust at heart. will eagerly await your posting on thailand. sigh...home with a toddler has its limitations. love these globes. i have a map thing myself and have memorized the layout of cities i fell in love with years ago. safe travels.

Laura @ the shorehouse. said...

This makes me so happy for the $3 yard sale globe I just bought (and blogged about how I wasn't quite sure *why* I bought it!). Yay, me! ;-) Thanks for the inspiration.

Boxcar Goods said...

i'm am so loving your blog...i let folks who read my blog know about two cool ideas you featured recently:

www.thesalerack.blogspot.com

i've been looking for a cool affordable globe for a few months now...

Courtney said...

I love maps and globes; they have always fascinated me!

72 and sunny said...

we used to have this educational globe that was HUGE. when we moved from boston to l.a.(and downsized to a quarter of what we had) we left it curb side for a lucky dumpster diver.

Liv said...

I've been longing for a globe for a while now.

I saw one in a thrift store, but it was like the black background one you posted and I didn't like it as much as the more traditional blue globes.

*sigh*

BUT I never thought to look on etsy for one. Duh. Going to check that out right now! Thanks for the idea!

Rose said...

Check out "Mapgirl" and the rest of the "Old School" show that is on at Uppercase Gallery.

http://shop.uppercasegallery.ca/collections/old-school-artwork?page=4

http://www.uppercasegallery.ca

Enjoy the show
Rose

Anonymous said...

I love old globes too! My mum has one I've been eying up every time I visit. In fact, last time I was visiting, I took an old Penguin map book from the 50's I had when I was a kid. It's too nice to pull apart to use for pictures though.

Emma said...

Aren't they the best? I remember seeing in a pottery barn catalogue, about 12 globes on top of a bookcase and have been collecting ever since - the scrubbier the better xx

Anonymous said...

This post made me smile because yesterday while cruising down the Pennsylvania Turnpike I saw the best sign ever. (Even though I didn't manage to snap a picture, I found someone on flickr who had.)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/thrujenseyes/472366697/

Love this globe! Very cool.

Sean Saulsbury said...

If your Thailand travel plans allow, get yourself up to Chiang Mai. It feels like a different country compared to Bangkok. It's beautiful, the food is like nothing you've ever had, and every person we met was so amazingly friendly.

Anonymous said...

sharilyn from lovely design also has a beautiful collection of vintage globes. you can see them in random posts throughout her blog: http://lovelydesign.blogspot.com/2007/10/my-worlds.html

your fan,
leslie

Anonymous said...

Since I'm usually living in my own little world, I completely missed this post! Thank you for including my globe collection, I'm honored to be in such good company! (amyla174 on Flickr)