Decorating with Posters – 15 Amazing Ideas
Decorating with posters isn’t just for high school and college days. There are a variety of artful and sophisticated posters out there, from prints of famous works, posters designed by professional artists and designers, or even simpler designs you can get at the department store.
With just a few simple tips your posters can be simply but beautifully dressed up and bring color, whimsy, or other elements to any space in the house – even the bedroom – without looking immature. To help you decide where and how to display them in any room, this poster ideas list will help you achieve chic designs on a budget.
Collage It
Posters aren’t just a great way to decorate on a budget. While you’re saving money on affordable art, you can create art of your own with the way you arrange it. Take several of your favorite posters, frame them, and then arrange them in an artful collage.
Use matching frames to add some unity to the collection and make an accent wall without the hassle of painting or putting up wallpaper. It’s a stunning and vibrant way to display your posters.
Enjoy Art on a Budget
The best part about decorating with posters is that they allow you to highlight your artistic side – even when you can’t afford to put a masterwork in painting on every wall. Many online stores offer a variety of stunning works designed by serious artists in an affordable format. Some even let you purchase and print your own copy of famous works. You don’t have to be royalty to have a gallery wall anymore.
Frame It
This is probably the cardinal rule of decorating with posters. If you want to make your posters look good, you will want to frame them.
Framing is a simple thing, but it instantly adds sophistication and maturity to your posters and your space. Even some of the posters that graced your childhood or first apartment can be quickly elevated and aged up with a few nice-looking frames. Posters can be sophisticated as long as they’re well-dressed.
Match it to the Furniture
When choosing a poster or deciding where to hang it, you’ll want to keep other details in the room in mind. Although you should love what you’re putting up on the walls, you also want to make sure it matches the room.
You can quickly create an attractive space by matching your posters to the furniture, especially if it mirrors an accent color. Both the furniture and your posters will pop, making your space magazine-worthy with almost no effort at all.
Keep it Balanced
When displaying multiple posters on one wall, balance is key. Although you want to create a visually interesting look, you still want to make sure the overall collection is balanced in terms of visual weight.
Size and the amount of attention a poster draws are great aspects to keep in mind. Smaller or less noticeable pieces have less “weight” while larger or more eye-catching pieces are “heavier.” Balance the amount of heavy and light pieces you have on either side, on top, and on bottom and your collage of posters or any other décor will come together in no time.
Have Fun When Displaying Them
While you always want to pay attention to design basics – centering, balancing empty space with filled (decorated) space, etc. – posters offer room for a little playful creativity. Posters are often fun in nature or color, so have some fun yourself when determining where to display them.
Hang festive photography where it will be seen and enjoyed. Bring the subjects of a photo down to eye level, making them part of the room. Hang large posters lower than expected or set smaller posters up just a little higher than eye level to mix things up.
Go Modern with Black and White Photography
Just like other works of fine art, poster prints allow you to bring in high quality photography to your room even if you don’t have the budget for professional prices. For a striking modern look, opt for black and white photography. It’s stunning, timeless, and still offers plenty of variety to fit your mood and style.
Keep it subtle with artistic portraits, quirky with laughing faces, or sharpen that contemporary edge and find the unexpected scene. Add a simple black frame to set it off nicely and your walls will look as chic and crisp as a gallery’s.
Make it Worldly
Posters aren’t just for getting more art on the walls. They can also display your interests, passions, and dreams. Show off your worldly side and inspire yourself with a poster map or two. Find a historical design or play homage to the region you call home by framing a poster of nearby natural attractions – like the lake your hometown was named for.
Hang Them Above the Bed
That’s right, you can hang posters above the bed after high school. As long as your prints are arty or more sophisticated (such as photographic poster prints), you can frame your posters and arrange them neatly above the bed.
More abstract or “arty” posters are a good idea. Opting for two or three which match in mood or style will also create a more sophisticated tableau. Medium to large pieces hung higher up on the wall also help to foster a “gallery” feel. And of course, don’t forget to choose prints which match the rest of the décor!
Change up the Frame
Black is the first choice for most when it comes to framing posters and other artwork, and it’s always a great one. But that doesn’t mean you should never consider another color.
If your space is colorful and dynamic already, feed into that energy by forgoing a more traditional wooden or black frame. Go for red, blue, gold, silver – any accent color you like – and let it pop. There’s no reason classy can’t also be colorful.
It Doesn’t Have to Fit the Frame
A stunning way to incorporate posters, or other flat prints, into any room’s décor. is to not try to contain it all within a single frame. Splitting up a design into three frames creates a sort of triptych, which makes your décor all the more stunning.
There are several works sold in pieces already, but if you’re good with your hands you can often DIY it with a good paper cutter. Just be sure to invest in matching frames to maintain a sense of cohesion. Hang the set in one row for a clean contemporary look or stagger them like a staircase for a more dynamic, bohemian look.
Hang it Where it Will Inspire
It’s not childish to place posters where they will inspire you most. Whether it represents creative growth or a “better life” you’re working toward, place posters where they will bring both cheer and inspiration. If it’s by your work space, a poster can also help the space feel decorated without being too distracting, helping your focus.
Give it Space
Posters are good at commanding attention. Help them do that by giving them enough space to shine. Display your poster like a “real” work of art by giving it plenty of surrounding white space on the wall. Don’t be afraid to play with the placement either and hang it higher or lower than expected. This is also a great way to achieve a more minimalist décor look without leaving your walls barren.
Keep Texture in Mind
Even flat posters can have texture. Posters of paintings in particular can have a lot of implied texture which can still add dynamism to your room. Don’t be afraid to lean into that, playing up any other texture nearby or purposely contrasting. Choppy waves may settle next to a soft, smooth chair or be repeated in the grain of a dresser. Let the surrounding environment dictate where to display your poster.
Use Contrast
When it comes to decorating a wall with posters, ideas can be similar – for good reason. Posters are made to stand out, so good poster placement usually allows it to do so. Let your posters contrast with the space around them to help them pop.
Put colorful posters on blank or light colored walls, place white-heavy posters near color bursts, and don’t forget about texture or design differences to highlight, either.
Final Thoughts
Decorating with posters offers more variety of style and sophistication than you might think. With a few simple things to keep in mind, such as framing your pieces and being thoughtful about where in the room you place them, just about any poster can quickly be elevated to the status of any other work of art.
By displaying posters with the care and attention of a gallery curator, they will add a contemporary or modern feel to a room. Or, with just a few quirky tweaks, you can create a more unconventional or bohemian look. There are few limitations when it comes to decorating your walls with posters. Let the ideas flow!
