Wanderlust décor

Travel-themed accessories can help satiate the travel bug in you, writes Neha Arora N

Have you been dreaming of travel during the lockdown, but can’t go anywhere due to the restrictions? Here are some décor ideas to quench your
wanderlust:

Old vintage suitcases

Since you can’t pack your suitcases and take off on an adventure in Covid-19 times, don’t let anyone stop you from unleashing your imagination and having fun recycling old suitcases. Dig out grandma’s vintage trunks or some of your antique travel suitcases. Stack them on top of each other and use them as a display table, or keep them open and showcase your travel maps, souvenirs etc., or you could even repurpose them as funky wall shelves. Not only will they ease those travel bug symptoms, but they will also personalise your home with your travel stories.

Hypnotic vintage maps

A map is a traveller’s best friend. Gather some maps — muted maritime maps, global maps, travel maps, road maps or children’s school maps. Roll them up and place them on a rug, or simply half-tuck them in an open vintage suitcase. You can even frame them for some serious statement art or decoupage them on some furniture pieces — bed headboard, decorative drawer fronts, windowpanes or coasters. If you want some history rolled into one, get a replica of the Imago Mundi, a 6th century BCE Babylonian map, considered to be the oldest map of the planet. But, if its real beauty that you desire, get the Mappe Monde Map by Jean Baptiste Nolin, one of the most beautiful maps in the world.

Spin-it-around globes

Yes, globes have spun back into vogue and can truly be a show-stopper in your décor theme. From four inches to 20 inches, there are classic blue ocean educational globes to wooden globes, black globes, gold or brass globes, chalkboard globes and even glass-blown globes by Columbus. You even get some beautiful illuminated light-up globes. You can use these orbs in many ways. Cluster them together, and perch them on a mantel or table or hang them as ceiling lights. Take one giant globe and make it a statement piece, or simply place an antique piece and let heads turn. The best part is you can spend hours spinning them around and exploring your next travel destination.

Travel-inspired poster art

Travel posters add charm and elegance to any travel décor. They come in all styles — quotes, paintings, vintage, pop-art, line drawings, colourful graphics, maps, etc. and can be found on Etsy, Amazon, Shutterstock and various online art galleries. You can nail them up on the walls, or simply tilt and place them alongside your travel décor. They get you in the mood to travel and give a lovely accent to your space.

Interactive globetrotting trackers

Whether you are a seasoned or novice traveller, you know that every destination you visit is like a conquest that you’re proud of. So, instead of keeping those conquests hidden in your passports, get yourself some interactive travel trackers to display at home.

You can get scratch-off world maps, magnetic wall maps, world wall decals, even scratch-off globes and cork globes that help you mark the places you’ve travelled to. You might not be Marco Polo or Christopher Columbus, but you’ll surely feel like one.

Travel coffee table books

These beautiful coffee table books, with their glossy pages and large enthralling pictures, not only make your space look luxurious, they let you travel to faraway places without leaving your seat.

Destinations of a Lifetime by National Geographic, Ultimate Travelist by Lonely Planet, The Bucket List; Wanderlust, etc., are few of the many books that take you on a spellbinding, photographic tour of the world, while you snuggle in your couch and sip some hot cocoa.

Eclectic paraphernalia

No travel décor is complete without travel accessories. Forgotten vintage cameras, model aeroplanes, antique brass compasses, engraved leather cases, time-worn clocks, dated binoculars, telescopes, hot air balloon and heritage ship scale models transport you to dream destinations far, far away.

Throwback precious photographs

When you can’t create new memories, dig out the old ones. Those treasured moments that sit, forgotten in your camera, hard drive or cloud, need to be displayed. Create a photo wall with framed pictures of places you have visited. Make a photo collage of all your epic adventures, or hang them on a clothespin board. You can take it up a notch and create your very own travel coffee table book to tell your unique story.

Stowed away memorabilia

There ’s no better way to relive your travels, than taking out your dusty souvenirs and turning them into art. Shadow boxes, wall-mounted cubbies, scrapbooks, memory jars, labelled keepsake boxes, are all creative ways to not only take you down memory lane but also make your collectables, décor head-turners.

(The author is an interior designer)