The fact that it’s various whites, including dingy whites and yellowed whites, to me makes it feel like I’m in some sort of ancient Roman villa (complete with refrigerator ha ha) and also if something gets a speck of dirt or yellowing here and there it doesn’t stand out inordinately.
That said, this room is extremely easy to keep clean! I love white tile floors and little scattered rugs that are easy to shake outside. The floor of this common area gets swept all the time, and mopped with nontoxic homemade cleaner, usually some mixture of water and vinegar and a few drops of a citrus or cedar oil.
The big maps are in here because this is the room that has the most wall space as well. It’s a nice place to sit and work, or read a book, or watch a movie or an educational talk on phone.