Home Style: A Magnificent Map Wallpaper Mural for our Little Travel Lover

A Magnificent Map Wallpaper Mural

Our Wallpaper Mural Experience: We moved into our ‘forever’ home two-year ago this month, and although there is still lots to do to get it into the shape we want, we’re happy to say the progress may be slow but it’s progress all the same. Anyway it’s actually worth the time to get a real feel of your home before jumping into decisions with regard to decor, furniture and lighting.

After we moved in the first room to be redecorated in our home was our son Smith’s room. Smith is two years old, and full of adventure and questions. He has a brilliant imagination and a love for stories, both hearing and telling them. He also has a love for travel, something that most definitely has been influenced by Patrick and me. It’s a quality that will add so much to his character and his life as he grows.


Home Style A Magnificent Map Wallpaper Mural for our Little Travel Loverimage source: muralswallpaper.co.uk


So when the opportunity came along to collaborate with Murals Wallpaper.co.uk for our next home styling project, it was a no brainer for us as to what mural to choose. The easiest home styling decision yet was to replace the world map poster that already adorned Smith’s wall, with a world map mural. The mural we chose was the Graph Paper Blue Map Wall Mural, and we chose it not only for its style but also for the design features that we knew would educate him and create fun game opportunities for playtime.


Home Style A Magnificent Map Wallpaper Mural for our Little Travel Lover


Ordering was simple. We measured the space on the wall we wanted to cover. We decided we wanted the mural to cover the middle of the wall as opposed to the full wall length and width. For these measurements we measured our wall and subtracted 40cm on each side, and from the top and bottom (meaning we measured the wall length and subtracted 80cm, and measured the height of the wall and subtracted 80cm). Next we contacted Murals Wallpaper.co.uk with our choice and measurements. Within days we received our mural, safely delivered by courier in a strong cardboard tube along with instructions.

Preparing the wall for the mural didn’t take us long. We removed a shelving unit that was nailed to the wall for safety and relocated it to another wall in Smith’s room. Then we filled the hole left by the screw and sanded it to create a smooth surface. After that we wiped the wall clean.


Home Style A Magnificent Map Wallpaper Mural for our Little Travel Lover


Equipment needed to apply the mural include a good scissors, pre-mixed wallpaper paste, a brush to apply the paste, a sponge and water to dampen the mural, a soft brush for smoothing, a sharp blade for trimming, a spirit level for measuring and aligning, and a pencil for markings. A good tip is to read the instructions thoroughly before you begin.


Home Style A Magnificent Map Wallpaper Mural for our Little Travel Lover


The first thing we did was mark on the wall where the mural would be applied. The simplest way to do this is to create markings directly on the wall using the spirit level and a pencil. Include the midpoint as a guide to where the first piece of your wallpaper mural will end.


Home Style A Magnificent Map Wallpaper Mural for our Little Travel Lover


The mural comes in a roll and the drops were joined together and so after our marking guidelines were complete, we carefully separated the two pieces of our map.


Home Style A Magnificent Map Wallpaper Mural for our Little Travel Lover


If you’re covering a larger area, you will have more than two drops.


Home Style A Magnificent Map Wallpaper Mural for our Little Travel Lover


The instructions will also advise you to cut away the extra paper (allowed for damage during transit) on both the left and right hand sides.


Home Style A Magnificent Map Wallpaper Mural for our Little Travel Lover


A tip to share with you is to use paper weights to keep your wallpaper from curling.


Home Style A Magnificent Map Wallpaper Mural for our Little Travel Lover


Another tip is to lightly draw with a pencil the line in which you need to follow, if the natural design line is white and hard to distinguish. For example above the Antarctica area was the same colour as the extra paper that needed to be removed, so I drew a light line as a guideline.


Home Style A Magnificent Map Wallpaper Mural for our Little Travel Lover


Next we created enough floor space to layout the mural side by side as it was to appear on the wall. It’s important to do this and match the design, inspecting it for inconsistencies. After this we turned it over and using the sponge and water we dampened the mural, allowing it to soak for 10 minutes and giving us enough time to apply the paste to the wall.


Home Style A Magnificent Map Wallpaper Mural for our Little Travel Lover


After the ten minutes were up and with the paste applied, it was time to hang the first drop of the mural. We found the best way to apply the mural was to match up the top of the mural with the pencilled markings. Then let the paper naturally drop before pressing to the wall. Using the soft brush we brushed away any lumps and air bubbles. Getting the first drop up straight is the ticket to getting your mural applied.


Home Style A Magnificent Map Wallpaper Mural for our Little Travel Lover


The second drop or in our case the right side of the map was applied including the 20mm overlap. This overlap was a little daunting at first but once it’s lined up correctly then there is very little to worry about. We trimmed the top and bottom of the mural using our blade and then cut down the middle of the overlap, creating a perfectly smooth and matched up map. Perfect!


Home Style A Magnificent Map Wallpaper Mural for our Little Travel Lover


But you know what was even more perfect? It was Smith’s face when he saw his very own map of the world. Priceless. And we just know Smith’s little seven month old brother Cassidy will be joining him in the fun very soon. Lucky boys.



Patrick and I were complete novices when it came to wallpapering, not alone applying a wallpaper mural to the middle of a wall but we did it with no heartache. In actual fact we’re talking about the next one! So watch this space.

*Please note that these photos were taken under artificial light as our two little boys napped so hence the colour variations.

For a full listing of gorgeous child themed Wall Murals visit: hovia.com (muralswallpaper.com)


For more articles, reviews and news on Home Style and Interiors visit: The Life of Stuff HOME STYLE.


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Home Style: A Magnificent Map Wallpaper Mural for our Little Travel Lover


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