My Map Quest

Lately I've been looking through lots of inspiration pictures that I've saved online or flagged in old decor magazines.  It's fun to see how my taste has changed from a few years ago when I only had to cater to my own tastes, to now that I have to decorate a space for me and N and two dogs.

One dilemma that I continue to struggle with is achieving a unisexual space without much of a budget for art (right now), and I came across a series of images that make me want to start looking around for vintage maps:

 I repinned all the above images to my pinterest board - sources are linked there

I especially love the last photo, where the glamorous chairs and bright centerpiece offset the intricate lines on the map.  I also love really rich, colorful maps with saturated tones like these:

All of the maps I just pictured are from the Bananastrudel shop on Etsy, which has the best prices I've ever seen for vintage maps.  Some are almost 120 years old and hand colored, but all are under $200!  Plus, there are maps from cities all over the world, which would be a great way to commemorate a vacation or honeymoon.  I think I hear a London map calling my name!

What is your opinion on decorating with maps?  Too common?  Too childish?  Or foolproof?