I believe a light grey would look nice behind the blue in the map - it needs to be a perfect shade of grey as grey is hard to achieve. Possibly experiment with various colours - I usually paint on board using sample pots first then hold them up in large sheets to see what suits the area... This gives you an indication of where throws of light will capture the actual colour and which shades suite the room without having to paint on the walls. The board base colour generally needs to be as close to your existing wall colour to achieve the closest match.

Her are maps used as window treatments...... I also saw another map VALANCE for a window a while back where just a portion of a map was used to create the valance. The map was cut the width of the window plus a few inches extra for each side return. The top of the map was stapled around the perimeter of a board cut to the window width. The board was attached to the top of the window with "L" brackets. Hemp rope was hot glued to the top to hide the staples and it added a nautical touch. The lower edges of the map were cute in an irregular shape following the lines of continents .... Have I totally confused you? Anyway, it was very creative and attractive.

the back wall panels look like ikea besta doors. the hanging cabinet could also be besta boxes, but with customized doors. the console in front of it, you could get a similar look by using a malm console table and cutting it to height. from there you'd want to use a couple of besta cabinets to create the closed off storage. the low bench could be made with plywood and then stained or painted to match the finish of the malm/besta combo you choose. besta cabinets :: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/departments/living_room/11794/ malm console table :: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/80196480/

I have been struggling as a homeowner who is off on medical leave with watching a 3 day install by one of the 2 big box retailers on 2 59 x 24 vinyl Pella casement windows. I found the 50 foot roll of Pella Smart Flash in the garage after installation then realized they used the cheap red house wrap tape to seal the nailing fins then put the 4 inch cedar trim in and not have the proper caulk (so the cedar is not caulked 5 days after start of install and we have had thunderstorms every day but one it will rain 3 more days). I called em on it and got red tape is fine, then me demanding otherwise to "it was temporary we where going to rip all the 4 inch cedar trim boards we placed around the windows off". Mind you they cut back 12 inch Skirl cedar siding to get at the fins but then why where they going to caulk it if it was temporary. So they put the windows in and nailed em over the OSB not replacing the 4 inches of barrier when they cut thru the felt then placed the red tape over the fins and OSB). I think they should have set the saw shallower not to cut the felt? Do I need them to pull the windows out to put splice in some type of 4" barrier as I told them they should? They agreed pull the 4 inch trim off anyway to replace the "temporary" tape. Should I ask for new cedar trim boards as they will take em off with nail holes and possibly break? What about the rain getting under/in the uncaulked cedar trim(the cuts are tight thank goodness) its going to rain all week is it ok the uncaulked trim boards are getting steady rain for a almost a solid week? They showed up asking if they can use my ladder ok no longer, they did not have caulk asking me if I was going to caulk the second story windows(I am on crutches), having to reorder interior oak they did not have enough, did not have a vacuumn asked to use mine, and here i sit with windows as the rain pours down the west side of my house and windows not caulked waiting for my hip to heal. Thanks for the help! Just really disappointed in the whole job and one window does not even close easy at all I have to jack around with the crank, he said the trim was too tight he will cut it back.