The Future Mapping Company

I've been a fan of The Future Mapping Company for a number of years, we even got out own monochrome magnetic map when we moved house back in 2011.

Their maps are available in paper, plastic and magnetic format and come in a specific size for their format. Although they offer an insane service where you can order their maps as wallpaper to cover any size wall.

We went for the magnetic version because we wanted to mark destinations we'd visited. A fun thing to do, and something that will evolve over the years but an added bonus of the magnetic and plastic maps is that you can use board markers to draw on them and then wipe them down later. Even if you've not had the chance to go as far as you've wanted yet, it's one of the best ways I could think of to help you plan that special holiday.

We've found ours to be a real centre piece, and a talking point for new visitors. It sits in our hallway and it always gets noticed. I personally love the monochrome look, but there are a tone of themes and colour schemes available.

My current favourite is their star map:

The night skies as seen from the northern and southern hemispheres, brought to life with original 17th century illustrations.

Our latest venture takes us to new heights as we explore The Heavens. This functional map shows every star directly observable by the naked eye indicated by magnitude and brightness. Also mapped are the nebulae, star clusters and galaxies visible from Earth.

Original 17th century illustrations by Polish astronomer Johannes Hevelius depict the creatures and characters that inspired ancient astronomers to identify the constellations - we’ve included both Latin and English names.

Just look at the detail, it's a beautiful looking map that would be perfect for a budding astronaut.

Maps start at £35 and go up depending on the finish and framing. We got ours framed by a specialist which was cheaper, back when they only had a metal frame option, now there's plenty of choice for any budget.

You can find out more about The Future Mapping Company on their website or on Instagram or Twitter.