This project is a bit out there but it has a narrative I would like to share. I believe that of any place in a house, the one where you can be a bit crackers with the decor, is the downstairs toilet.
Inspired by my friend's use of old sheet music pasted to her dining room walls, I decided I would like to do something similar at the farm.
This copy of the Times Atlas was my Great Grand Fathers. There is not a date in it but it would be from the late 1800's. Unfortunately it has seen better days and is beyond repair, somewhere along its loft life it has been gnawed at by mice.
I decided to remove my favourite plates, from different continents, and use them as a wall covering in the downstairs toilet. Obviously any men visiting the toilet will get the most out of this project!
One sheet in particular drew my attention because there was a little pencil circle around Bombay, now Mumbai. My dad worked there throughout the 1980's and this is where he must have shown his father where he had been on business. Remember, this was before the internet so the only way my dad could show his father was to get out 'his' fathers atlas and point it out for him. I love that they used the family atlas to share information.
Anyway, I chose some other pages, drew the wall dimensions on the floor and made a mock up collage. When the sizes were right, I pasted them to the wall with wallpaper paste.
The grey quarry tiles on the floor were in the field which my dad or grandad must have collected. Another week later, I found two boxes of white tiles in the shed and hey presto! free tiles for the toilet. It felt very luxurious to buy the full toilet unit but it fits exactly on the end wall and means the door can open freely.
It turned out just how we wanted it to. Jo xxx
Memento ~ an object kept as a reminder of a person or event.
That's great. Our son and daughter-in-law have done the same with their downstairs loo, but used OS maps of places where they had been, such as son's visit to Mingulay in the Outer Hebrides with Church Stretton School, his stays in Mulhouse, France, and Zurich while at university plus their holiday destinations. All the walls are covered so ladies as well as gents can peruse the maps.
ReplyDeleteSounds great. You are not far from me hey?
DeleteThis is brilliant. I love map decor. I bought some oil cloth yesterday to protect my dining table when the Grandkids are crafting... the design is a map of the world! I now want to have a map downstairs loo in our new house!
ReplyDeleteI can't tell you how much I love your map wall. I absolutely love old maps and the pencil circle around Bombay is a wonderful memento. Beautifully done. And no doubt people will be in there for ages looking at them.
ReplyDeleteA brilliant way to use old maps with a personal family past.You have made a stunning little room here,just perfect x
ReplyDeleteThis is such a fabulous idea. x
ReplyDeleteOh I love your downstairs loo!!! Love that you used an old family atlas, and the little circle round Bombay. Just lovely XXX
ReplyDeleteIt has all come together really well, I think the use of the atlas is very clever. x
ReplyDeleteI love it, inspirational.
ReplyDeleteUnanimous, Jo! Brilliant decorating with a story worth telling...and men might especially admire :) xx
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