Transform Your Space with Illustrated Posters

Why Illustrated Posters Specifically?

Before we get into the how, a quick word on the why. Illustrated posters occupy a unique position in the world of wall art. They are not generic stock photography. They are not mass-produced prints of sunsets and motivational quotes. And they are not so precious or expensive that you feel anxious putting them up.

A well-illustrated poster is original art in an accessible format. It has a point of view. It references something — a film, a dish, a city, a cultural moment — that means something to the person who chose it. That specificity is the whole point. Anyone can hang a neutral abstract print. Only you hang a Pulp Fiction poster because you have watched it six times and it still gets better. The best walls are self-portraits. Illustrated posters are one of the most direct ways to build one.

The Four Approaches to Poster Styling

There is no single right way to hang a poster. But there are four approaches that work consistently well, regardless of the room, the space, or the aesthetic you are going for.

1. The Statement Single

One large poster. One wall. Maximum impact. This is the most underrated approach. People assume they need to fill a wall entirely, when often the boldest thing you can do is hang one oversized piece and let it breathe. An A1 or A0 illustrated poster above a sofa, a bed, or a dining table creates immediate visual authority. It tells the room what it is about.

The key is scale. Go bigger than feels comfortable. The most common mistake people make is buying a poster that is too small for the wall and hanging it too high. Rule of thumb: your poster should occupy roughly two-thirds of the width of the furniture beneath it, and the centre of the image should sit at eye level — roughly 145cm from the floor.

Works best for: Living rooms, bedrooms, dining rooms, home offices.

Recommended sizes: A1 (594 x 841mm), A0 (841 x 1189mm) or B1 for serious wall presence.

2. The Considered Pair

Two posters, side by side. This is where things get interesting, because it forces a conversation between images. Pairs work on two principles: contrast or harmony. Contrast means choosing two posters that are visually different but thematically linked — a Breaking Bad print next to a Wolf of Wall Street print, for example. Both are character studies of dangerous ambition. The contrast in colour palette creates tension; the thematic link creates meaning.

Harmony means choosing posters that feel like they belong to the same world — same colour palette, same visual weight, same series. Three London city posters hung together in a row is harmony. It feels considered, like a collection rather than a coincidence.

Works best for: Hallways, above beds, kitchen walls, stairwells.

Recommended sizes: Matching A3s or A2s for a clean look. Mixed sizes can work but keep them within one size bracket of each other.

3. The Curated Trio

Three posters. This is where a wall starts to feel like a gallery. The simplest version: three posters of the same size, evenly spaced in a horizontal line. Clean, symmetrical, satisfying. The more interesting version: a large centre piece flanked by two smaller prints, creating a hierarchy that draws the eye inward.

With a trio, the story matters more than with a single poster. Think about what the three prints say together. Three city posters — London, Istanbul, Berlin — tell the story of someone who has lived. Three food posters — Ramen, Shakshuka, Paella — tell the story of someone who eats well and knows it. That narrative is what makes a wall memorable rather than merely decorated.

Works best for: Feature walls, above sofas, dining rooms, open plan spaces.

Recommended sizes: Three A3s, or one A2 flanked by two A3s for the asymmetric version.

4. The Gallery Wall

Multiple posters, multiple sizes, one wall. This is the most ambitious approach and the one most people get wrong. The mistake is treating a gallery wall like a puzzle — trying to fit as many pieces as possible into the available space. The result is visual noise. A gallery wall should feel collected, not crammed.

The rules that actually work:

• Start with your largest piece and anchor it slightly left or right of centre. Everything else builds around it.

• Keep gaps consistent — 8 to 10cm between each piece looks intentional. Irregular spacing looks accidental.

• Mix sizes but keep orientations mostly consistent. All portrait, or all landscape. Mixing both creates restlessness.

• Lay it out on the floor before touching a single nail. Live with the arrangement for a day. Change your mind at least once. Then hang it.

• Odd numbers feel more natural than even. Five works better than four. Seven works better than six.

  
  

Works best for: Living rooms, stairwells, studio spaces, large feature walls.

Recommended: Mix A4, A3 and A2 sizes. Include at least one A2 as an anchor piece.

Room by Room: Which Posters Work Where

Living Room

Your most public space and the one that gets the most wall. This is where your largest, most confident pieces live. Go bold — an A1 or A0 illustrated movie poster above the sofa, or a curated gallery wall that tells the story of your taste. The living room should make an immediate impression. Do not play it safe here.

Kitchen and Dining Room

The most underrated poster location in the house. A kitchen with illustrated food posters is an entirely different room from one without. Shakshuka above the hob. Paella on the dining room wall. A cocktail recipe print above the drinks shelf. These are not decorative choices — they are personality choices. They say something about how seriously you take the pleasures of eating and drinking.

Bedroom

The one room where you can be most personal. This is where the film posters you would not necessarily put in a shared space get to live. The thing you love most, the film that made you think differently, the artwork from ArtRoom that nobody else would get but makes perfect sense to you. Keep the scale generous — a large single piece above the headboard almost always works.

Home Office or Studio

Walls that inspire rather than decorate. Typography and ArtRoom pieces work particularly well here — bold statements, visual provocation, things that make you think while you work. The Unnecessary Data poster. The Game Over print. Eat More Art above the desk. A wall that talks back.

Hallway

The first impression and the last. A strong hallway poster sets the tone for the entire home. Keep it simple — one strong piece or a clean vertical line of two or three matching prints. The hallway is not the place for a gallery wall. It is the place for a statement.

The Framing Question

All Poster Shop Boys prints are sold unframed — because framing is a matter of personal taste and we respect yours. But since you will be asked, here is an honest take on the options.

Thin black frame: The safe choice that almost always works. Clean, contemporary, lets the artwork speak. Works with everything from modern Scandi interiors to dark maximalist spaces.

Natural wood or oak frame: Warmer and more relaxed. Works especially well with food and city posters. Adds a slightly editorial, gallery feel.

White frame: Best for bold, graphic ArtRoom pieces where you want a clean gallery-on-white-wall effect. Can feel sterile with detailed illustration if the room is already light.

No frame: Poster clips or a simple washi tape corner mount. Casual, considered, the way studios and creative offices hang things. Works best with ArtRoom and typographic pieces. Slightly vulnerable to wear so better for less-handled spaces. All our standard sizes fit frames widely available from IKEA, Desenio and most major homeware retailers. No hunting required.

One Last Thing

The most important rule about styling your walls is also the most obvious one, so obvious that people forget it entirely: hang things you actually love. Not things that match the sofa. Not things that the algorithm showed you seventeen times. Not things that looked good in someone else's flat. Things that mean something to you — films that changed how you see the world, cities you left a piece of yourself in, dishes that exist as sense memories, artwork that makes you feel something you cannot quite name.

Walls styled with genuine feeling look better than walls styled with perfect technique. Every time. That is what Poster Shop Boys is for. Original illustrated art for people who know what they love.

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