The Travel Gallery Wall Trend: How to Create a Meaningful Collection of Custom Maps
Agallery wall can do much more than fill an empty space. When the artwork represents places, people, and experiences that matter to you, it can become a visual collection of your life’s journey.
For travelers, custom maps offer a unique way to create a gallery wall filled with meaning. Instead of choosing unrelated artwork simply because it matches a room, you can bring together maps of destinations that each represent a different chapter, adventure, or memory.
Turn Your Travel Stories Into a Gallery Wall
Every destination has a story. One map might represent the city where you grew up. Another could celebrate a favorite beach vacation, while a third might mark the destination where you got married or took an unforgettable family trip. Displayed together, these maps create something more than a collection of decorative pieces. They become a visual timeline of places that have shaped your life.
Choose Places That Mean Something to You
The best travel gallery walls don't necessarily feature the most famous destinations. They feature the places that have personal meaning. Think about the hometown you still call special, the vacation destination your family returns to every year, the location of your first home, or the place where an important life milestone happened. Choosing maps based on your own experiences gives the gallery wall a personal story that visitors can discover over time.
Create Cohesion With Custom Artwork
When displaying several pieces together, consistency can help the collection feel intentional. Custom maps can be selected or personalized to complement one another through similar framing, sizes, colors, or artistic styles. This creates a cohesive look while allowing every map to represent a different place. The result can feel curated without losing the individuality of each destination.
Make Each Map Part of the Story
A collection becomes even more meaningful when every piece has its own details. Personal initials, monograms, special dates, addresses, and favorite landmarks can help distinguish one map from another. These small details can turn a collection of beautiful maps into a visual record of the people, places, and moments that matter most. Someone looking at the wall may see artwork. You will see the stories behind it.
From One Favorite Map to a Lifetime Collection
You don't have to create an entire gallery wall at once. Start with one destination that means something to you. Over time, another map can be added for a special trip, a new home, a family milestone, or another memorable location. As the collection grows, so does the story. This makes custom map art particularly interesting for people who love to travel — because the gallery wall can evolve alongside their adventures.
Bring Your Journey Into Your Home
A travel gallery wall can transform an ordinary room into a reflection of the life you've lived and the places you've loved. It can add personality to a living room, create a focal point in a hallway, or bring character to a vacation home or office. Most importantly, it allows your travels to become part of your surroundings rather than memories tucked away in a phone.
Create a Wall That Tells Your Story
At Bank & Surf, custom maps are created to celebrate the destinations and experiences that make each journey unique. Whether you start with one meaningful location or build a collection over time, each map can become part of a larger story.
Ready to turn your favorite places into art? Explore Bank & Surf’s custom maps and start creating a travel gallery wall that is uniquely yours.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I create a travel gallery wall with custom maps?
Start by choosing destinations that have personal meaning, such as hometowns, favorite vacation spots, or important life milestones. Then consider how the maps will work together through framing, size, colors, and placement. Adding personalized details can make each piece distinct while keeping the overall collection cohesive.
How many pieces should I have on a travel gallery wall?
There is no fixed number of pieces needed for a travel gallery wall. You can begin with two or three meaningful maps and expand the collection as you travel and create new memories. The size of your wall and the arrangement you prefer can help determine how many pieces work best.
What places should I include in a custom map collection?
Choose places that tell an important part of your story. These could include your hometown, childhood home, favorite vacation destination, wedding location, honeymoon spot, family getaway, or a place connected to an important milestone. The most meaningful collection is one based on your personal experiences.
How can I make multiple custom maps look good together?
Using a consistent visual element can help multiple custom maps feel like one collection. Similar frames, complementary sizes, related colors, or a consistent artistic style can create cohesion. You can still personalize each map with different locations, dates, initials, addresses, or landmarks.
Can I add to my custom map collection over time?
Yes. A custom map collection can grow as your life and travels evolve. You can begin with one or two meaningful destinations and add new maps to commemorate future vacations, family milestones, special places, or other memorable experiences. This can make the collection an evolving record of your journey.
Are the maps available unframed?
No. Because the maps are printed as giclees, the surface of the maps’ cotton paper has many layers of archival ink that can scratch and stain very easily. In addition, for the longevity of the maps, each is dry-mounted to an archival foam board to keep it flat and, with the protection of conservation glass, clean, bright and resistant to fading.
Because we are a custom framing business at heart, we can offer a wide variety of framing options as an alternative to the white frames; depending on the frame selected, there may be an upcharge.
Are there any other color choices for the maps?
Yes. After thousands of maps sales, ‘NAVY’ is the absolute color of choice. However, there are 11 additional colors in the Bank & Surf Palette. Simply call the retail store at 215 247-1012 for more details or send an e-mail request the color information or inquire about custom colors.
If the map is a gift, will the price or a gift card be included?
The maps do not arrive with a receipt or payment/price information; all pricing & payment information is handled at the time of the order via website and e-mail communication. All maps arrive wrapped in black paper with a large Bank & Surf label on which we hand-write the name of the map. Using a white chalk pencil, we are happy to hand-write a gift message to make the gift presentation that much better! Simply give us the message on the order page and we will do the rest.
B&S Shipping FAQ’s
How long does it take to receive a map?
Orders for maps that have no customizations typically ship within 2 weeks. For custom orders, once the PROOF has been approved by the customer, the map ships within 2 weeks.
How are the maps shipped?
The maps are sent by UPS Ground.
Returns & Exchanges
May I return or exchange my map?
Typically, No. Because the maps are made to order they are unique, especially those that have been customized. If you have received a map as a gift and feel it needs to be returned or exchanged, please give us a call to discuss at 215 247-1012.