If you're contemplating dressing up your walls, consider posters. They impart a casual comfort to your home, while being friendlier to your wallet! Here are Discern's ideas and tips on poster art.

Theophile Steinlen’s famous poster of The Black Cat (Le Chat Noir in French) from the 1890's has decorated the home of many a young traveller wanting to bring a Parisian feel into their dorm rooms or homes. Likewise, the Absinthe poster by J Edward Pernot is a prized possession for anyone who wants to showcase 20th-century European artistry in their home.



The Black Cat (Le Chat Noir)

A great way to make your home complete is by remembering to decorate the walls, just as you would fill the rest of your home. Traditional art, such as Modern Masters (M.F. Husain or Jamini Roy for example) is extremely expensive. While you work towards the goal of one day owning an iconic masterpiece, until then you can create a warm and welcoming atmosphere with poster art. If your apartment doesn't have much wall space, don't fret: use available surfaces such as consoles, the tops of low bookshelves, or side tables, on which you can place this art (ensure the pieces are framed and have easel backs, so they can sit on the surfaces easily).

If you’ve just moved into a new house, chances are you won't be immediately filling it with every last bit of furniture and decor on your wish list - after all, moving and decorating is pricey! Augment the existing pieces instead with poster art that will add both colour and character without too much effort.

How to arrange posters

Theme: Always, always have a theme. Just like you have a decor theme for your home, have one for posters as well, ensuring they fit into the overall personality you’ve created for your home. Depending on your taste in art, films, music, sports and travel, you could thematically collect and display poster art. If you love all of the above, you can display them all in a way that conveys a cohesion in the collection.

Match - or contrast - your decor style: While matching your poster art to the theme or color scheme of your home is a foolproof choice, contrasting can be even more fun. Choosing vintage posters for your sleek, modern home will both emphasize the two distinct styles - modern and vintage - while creating a boldly interesting contrast.

Color scheme: Don’t we like to match clothes and accessories? Wall decor is not different from fashion. Decorate your walls with monochrome ink-based posters, or posters featuring calligraphy, hung above a bright red sofa in your living room, or even a graphic print on a textured wall.

Frames: Hostel days are over, and so are the days of sticking poster prints on your walls! Posters may seem like a casual approach to art, but they can look infinitely better when mounted and framed well.

Shelves and corners: If you are in a rental where you don’t have the freedom to hang anything on walls, a good way to display art would be to adorn your bookshelves or a wall cabinet with framed art prints, in smaller sizes.



Coming back to theme, the type of posters you bring home is a reflection of who you are and what you like — if you are a film buff, you may want to display posters of film classics in your living room. In your study, posters depicting great moments from classic novels or quotes from your favourite authors may work best.

Discern shares some of the poster art we are currently crushing on, based on different themes and tastes. There is something for everyone!

StormtrooperStormtrooper Star Wars Wall Art

This poster art depicts an artist’s take on the Stormtrooper Corps from the Star Wars movies. Movie fans will love this representation of the military vibe in this classic poster. Hang this in a room that otherwise features neutral shades - both the colours and the design will make the space pop.

Animal lovers will love this hipster animal art series. You can custom-order these posters in specific sizes.

Hipster Smoking Tiger Dachshund Poster Bunny Girl Poster French Bulldog Poster

These prints are available individually, but you have the opportunity to exhibit them in a series as well. The artist has taken a creative leap in his sketches of these animals, in a style attuned to the modern, fashionable and eclectic eye.

Cooking with Love Poster

If you love food and cooking and want to stay motivated in the kitchen, having graphic prints of food art or food quotes in your kitchen area is a good way to start. It helps brighten up an otherwise utilitarian space with some eye-catching art.





Dipped in colour

So what if you couldn’t make it to the Kumbh Mela this year? You can bring home this funky yogi of peace and happiness, painted in colours that will do wonders for your peace of mind.



Modern Insights

A juxtaposition of traditional and modern in this art print will add meaning to your wall and ignite in-depth conversations whenever guests visit.

For those who love monochromes, shop for these quirky art pieces that showcase typography. In this series, the artist has represented in black and white the Indian tradition of worshipping animals considered holy in Hindu mythology. A pair could fit quite beautifully on any wall of your home.





Whether you incorporate vintage posters into your design scheme or those that depict countryside cheer, how you choose and display poster art should add charm and character to your space.