How to Display Posters in a Chic Way

Go Formal

• Frames preserve fragile posters while adding a formal touch. A dark frame creates a strong perimeter around your poster, while thin black or silver frames surround prints with a discreet and elegant line. To keep a refined look and protect your poster without distracting from a delicate print, use a frame that matches your wall, such as a white frame on a white wall. Some posters look better displayed in a mat, but often a poster stands out with better distinction when left on its own behind the glass.

Go an Artistic Route

• To create an artist's-studio vibe, ditch matching frames and hang your posters more creatively. Scour antique and thrift stores for worn and unusual frames with or without glass. If the frame doesn't have glass, get it inserted at your local art store. Cluster random various-sized posters onto one wall within a few inches of each other, but don't align them in a row. If your posters are within a similar style range, cluster the collection together into a cohesive whole. Skip the frames and wall holes altogether by using electrician's or washi tape to hang your prints.

Consider Space

• The "where" is just as important as the "how" in hanging posters in a chic manner. If you are working with a lone print, find a wall space that allows for several inches of negative space around the frame to help it stand out, but no more than that. A too-small print on a large wall can make it look diminutive and cheap. If you know you want to hang a poster but haven't acquired it yet, consider an over-sized poster spanning several feet. An oversized poster in a simple frame can anchor a room and often provide all of the detail and color a room needs.

Forget the Wall

• If you have posters that have outlived their welcome on a wall or prints that you'd simply like to do something unexpected with, display them in places other than your walls. Cover the surface of a table with your prints and seal the table with a clear laminate finish. Unlike a glass-top table, this process is permanent, so reserve this option if you know you don't want to recirculate the posters again. Or, display them in a glass-topped coffee table. Place them along the back wall of a bookcase as unconventional wallpaper.