From World Maps to Framed Photos: The Complete Guide
Do you love traveling? Or maybe you’ve always wanted to start but haven’t had the chance to yet? Whatever your experience with travel, you can still show off your wanderlust with travel-themed wall decor.
Decorating your walls with everything from world maps to DIY travel-inspired artwork is a great way to incorporate your passion into your home. In this complete guide to travel-themed wall decor, we’ll cover:
- Why travel decor is so popular
- Travel wall decor ideas
- Different styles of travel decor
- Tips for creating the space of your dreams
Let’s get started!
Why People Love Decorating with Travel Themes
Travel-themed decor became so popular because people love to tell stories with their wall decor. Rather than just filling your walls with pieces that you bought at a store, you can fill your home with your favorite travel memories and dream destinations.
You can decorate with your favorite quotes about travel, or fill your walls with your own travel photography. Decorating with travel doesn’t have to break the bank, either – there are plenty of budget-friendly options to style your space.
Types of Travel Decor for Your Walls
Ready to add some travel inspiration to your home? You can decorate with travel-themed wall art in a variety of ways.
World Maps
World maps are some of the most popular travel wall decor. Whether you print yourself a paper map to frame and hang on your wall, get a scratch-off map, or even decorate with wooden or metal wall maps, they’re great options for any space.
You can even make your map into a conversation starter by decorating with pins that mark where you’ve been and where you’d like to go.
Travel Photos
If you love taking photos while traveling, why not print them and hang them on your walls? Putting together your own gallery wall of travel photos is one of the best ways to decorate with DIY travel decor.
You can hang your photos in frames, clip them to string lights, or even create a grid layout of small prints. If you’re struggling to find photos to display, consider purchasing professional prints of famous destinations and landscapes.
Posters and Prints
Who doesn’t love a good travel poster? Spruce up your walls with vintage-style travel posters of your favorite cities. Other popular travel-inspired wall prints include national parks, city skylines, and minimalist destination prints.
You could even decorate with typography prints that showcase meaningful quotes about travel.
Culture-Inspired Artwork
Decorating with pieces inspired by different cultures is a great way to spice up any space. Hang hand woven tapestries on your walls, decorate with traditional art from other countries, or fill your shelves with cultural masks and carvings.
If you’ve traveled to other countries and brought back decorative items, you can even showcase them on your walls.
Travel Quotes and Typography
As we mentioned before, decorating with typography can be a great way to spice up your walls. Look for travel quotes that inspire you, and use them to create your own wall art.
You can buy wall decals of popular travel quotes, hang them in frame prints, or even paint them directly on your walls.
Souvenirs
Who says souvenirs can only be for drawers and shelves? Take your favorite trinkets that you’ve collected while traveling and turn them into wall decor.
Use shadow boxes to display all of your favorite tickets, postcards, and souvenirs. You can even decorate with stacks of foreign currency by framing them on your wall.
Pick a Decor Style for Your Space
Don’t want your travel-themed walls to look cluttered? Before you go out and start shopping for wall decor, pick a theme that you want to stick to.
Minimalist Decor
If you prefer cleaner lines and symmetrical displays, try decorating with minimalist travel-themed wall art. Use neutral colors and stick to black-and-white photography. You should also limit your decor to only one or two statement pieces.
Bohemian Decor
A bohemian wall decor style is perfect for you if you love layering textures and filling your home with eclectic pieces. Focus on earthly colors and vintage-style furniture.
Decorate with global-inspired textiles and patterns, and don’t be afraid to mix your travel art with fabrics.
Modern Decor
If you prefer a sleek and contemporary space, decorate with modern travel wall art. Hang wooden or metal wall maps, and stick to abstract prints and photos.
You should also decorate with a cohesive color scheme, and don’t be afraid to use straight lines.
Vintage Decor
Spruce up your walls with vintage travel-inspired decor. Hang retro travel posters, antique maps, and decorate with old postcards and stamps.
Vintage travel decor looks great in living room areas and home offices.
Create a Travel Gallery Wall
Gallery walls are the perfect opportunity to showcase all of your favorite travel decor. Follow these steps to make your own travel-inspired gallery wall.
Step 1: Choose your focus
Will you be decorating with photos from your favorite trips? Empty destinations that you want to visit? Or maybe a mix of both?
Decide what you want to focus your gallery wall on and start picking out pieces that match your theme.
Step 2: Plan your layout
Don’t just start hammering nails into your wall. Lay out all of your frames on the ground and see how they look together.
You can also make templates out of paper and tape them to your wall. This is a great way to decide whether you want a symmetrical or asymmetrical gallery wall.
Step 3: Mix different decor
If you only use one type of wall decor, your gallery wall will look dull. Mix up your travel posters with DIY art, quotes, and photos to create a dynamic space.
Step 4: Balance your wall
As you layout your frames, make sure you don’t overcrowd your space. Leave some wallpaper visible between frames, and don’t hang too many things at once.
Try DIY Travel Wall Decor
Interested in creating your own one-of-a-kind travel decor? Here are some DIY ideas to get you started.
Map Art
Grab a world map and start decorating! Use colored pins to mark where you’ve been vs where you want to go. You can even get creative and decorate with notes and quotes.
Photo Collage
Print out some of your favorite travel photos and create your own collage. You can arrange your photos in any shape you want, such as a heart or your initial.
Create a Postcard Wall
Did you know you can decorate with postcards? Once you’ve accumulated enough postcards from your travels, start creating a grid collage on your wall.
Memory Boxes
Fill decorative boxes with all of your favorite souvenirs from trips. You can buy shadow boxes online or at your local craft store.
Decorate Your Room with Travel Themes
Travel decor can work in any room of your house. Here are some ideas for different spaces.
Living Room
Make a statement in your living room with some large pieces of travel wall art. Create a gallery wall over your sofa, or hang a large world map above your TV.
Bedroom
Pair some soft-toned travel photography with motivational travel quotes in your bedroom. Or keep your travel-theme simple with minimalist wall decor.
Home Office
Keep yourself inspired at work by decorating with your travel bucket list. Hang a map that you can pin and track your progress, or fill your space with quotes that inspire you to travel more.
Hallway
You can also decorate your hallway with travel themes. Create a photo collage that documents your travels over the years.
Spruce up your hallway by filling it with framed prints and decor that match.
Tips for Decorating with Travel Inspiration
As you shop for wall decor, keep these tips in mind:
Don’t clutter your space. Remember to leave some wall showing between frames and decor.
Stick with a color scheme. You don’t want your wall looking chaotic – pick two to three colors that you want to incorporate into your wall, and stick with them.
Use lighting to your advantage. Showcase your favorite pieces of travel decor by putting them on display with good lighting.
Switch up your decor. Don’t be afraid to change out your wall decor as you take new trips or when the seasons change.
Mix personal and decorative items. Fill your walls with a mixture of DIY decor that you made and souvenirs from your trips.
Budget-Friendly Wall Decor Ideas
Decorating on a budget? Here are some cheap ways to decorate with travel themes.
Print your own travel photos at home.
Buy inexpensive wall frames, or shop at thrift stores to find unique pieces.
Get creative and make your own travel-inspired art with magazines and maps.
Decorate with souvenirs that you already own, such as coatjamas and luggage.
Shop at local markets when you travel or look online for affordable prints.
Add Your Personal Touches
When you’re decorating with travel-inspired wall art, make sure you incorporate things that speak to you. Travel wall decor is your opportunity to show off your personality and your passion.
Does travel inspire you to relax or seek adventure? Let your walls reflect what travel means to you.
Conclusion
Decorating with travel doesn’t have to be difficult. Use your favorite passions and pastimes to add meaning to your walls.
Whether you fill your home with vintage-inspired travel posters or decorate with DIY map art, there are tons of ways to express your wanderlust. So what are you waiting for? Decorate with your favorite memories and explore your living room.
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