Tips For Displaying Vintage Posters

Vintage posters can have aesthetic appeal as well as monetary value. The best way to enjoy your vintage finds is to hang them right on your wall. Learning how to best hang and arrange them is key to making a great presentation.

You have a fabulous old theater poster that you know would look wonderful in the kitchen. So now you have it at home and you hammer a nail into the wall behind the table and place the old theater poster on. Instant Décor!

Pleased with your purchase you stand back. You tilt your head from one side to the other and back again. Then you do a double take and stare at the poster. Something’s not right about it, but what?

If this has happened to you – you hang something and you cant figure out why it doesnt look right, you are not the only one. Most people make little mistakes while hanging decorations – things the eye tells you dont look right but the brain cant figure out why. Below are some tips to keep in mind when hanging wall art on a wall:

Hanging Large Posters:

The larger posters should be an area of focus so it needs to go in the appropriate spot. Where do larger pieces look the best? Try over a couch, behind the dining set, over a fireplace or on a feature wall. A feature wall is where the placement of furniture or the layout of the home naturally guides the eye to a wall - a great place to feature colorful posters.

Hanging Small Posters:

Try to group small pieces if possible. Use a common theme like, color, framing or style to pull them together. Otherwise anchor the small piece visually by hanging it low and close to furnishings so it doesn^t appear to be floating on the wall.

Hanging Posters In Groups:

You can create an interesting display by grouping like items together. The key to getting it to look right is the spacing. Try to have them spaced approximately 3 inches apart. But how to you figure out which piece to put where? Try laying them out on the floor first – that way you can arrange and re-arrange until you get the perfect setup, without making a lot of holes in the wall.

HEIGHT:

Posters should be hung with the very center level with your eyes. That means the center should be about 60 to 66 inches from the floor. If you've visited a gallery you will see that the frames are not lined up by their top or bottom edges but that the pictures are all centered at the same height.

If your poster will be viewed from a sitting position – like from the couch or dining table, you should hang at the eye level of the sitter.

Anything hung behind the couch should be placed no more than 8 or 10 inches above the back of the couch.

These easy tips will have you creating a designer look in every room in your house!