The year is 2011. After a day well spent scrolling through Tumblr, you’re standing in a dark corner of HMV. You flick through the endless selection of posters displaying famous faces from Alex Turner to Lana Del Ray, deciding which one should take pride of place in your room.
Despite your parents' desperate pleas not to damage the wall paint, enthusiastically slicking posters onto the wall is a rite of passage for teenagers.
Whether adorning your room with images of your favourite band or film, posters convey snapshots of personality and reflect the cultural zeitgeist.
We would be lying if we said we didn’t succumb to the slew of boyband prints that emerged during the 2010s. Ask any late Nineties baby who graced their walls and you’ll be bombarded by a slew of names spanning Justin Bieber to Harry Styles, McFly to Busted. The Noughties - what a time to be alive.
Posters also lean into the 90s-to-00s love affair with indie sleaze. Grubby thrift store aesthetics were celebrated by hipster subcultures, who plastered their walls with indie rock bands and worshipped the likes of Kate Moss, Alexa Chung and Pete Doherty.
Poster-clad bedrooms became a significant part of classic teen flick sets. Coming-of-age hits such as 10 Things I Hate About You, Almost Famous, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and Juno featured bedrooms dripping with band merchandise, reflecting the personal tastes and persuasions of protagonists - all of whom were high schoolers.
Posters are a cheap, efficient way to spice up a basic interior, hence why they are also popular among university students in need of a temporary interior fix. Yet, many twenty-something-year-olds like to move away from band memorabilia, instead favouring more timeless cultural designs such as artworks, photographic shots or graphic prints. Don’t get us wrong though, our JLS posters will always remain very dear to our hearts.
Discover the best places to source the perfect poster and showcase your cultural expertise for all to see.
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Etsy
Etsy is our first port of call for posters. The online marketplace has a plethora of picks to choose from, spanning Hollywood productions to indie bands. Individual shops and sellers create their own designs to sell, meaning the choice is truly endless. Want to add a personal touch to your bedroom? Create a customised poster depicting an iconic character saying, quote or lyric to keep yourself or gift to a friend.
Buy now, Etsy
Not On The High Street
If you’re looking to create or personalise your own poster, then head to the Not On The High Street website. The marketplace displays a refined offering of posters and prints, although primarily the latter. If grunge band posters are what you’re after, it’s best to look elsewhere. However, for preppy, colourpop designs, you’ve come to the right place.
Buy now, Not On The High Street
H&M Home
Inexpensive and effortlessly chic, H&M’s poster collection is not to be underestimated. With over 600 products to peruse, shoppers are faced with prints of all shapes, subjects and sizes. Choose from serene photographic shots of the Californian hills, artistic reproductions, minimalistic graphic prints and more.
Buy now, H&M
Anthropologie
Anthropologie predominately stocks wall art and prints, but the occasional poster crops up. When it does, we want it immediately. The eclectic brand champions colourful wall designs, revolving around wildlife and human interactions. Scenes on offer span women enjoying a moment of solitude, jolly painterly labradors and mod-inspired florals.
Buy now, Anthropologie
Urban Outfitters
The beacon of pre-twenties style, Urban Outfitters offers much more than just Y2K clothes. The brand’s homeware department is brimming with goodies from punkish posters to novelty cushions, boho bedding and vintage-inspired rugs. Browse the poster collection which includes disco-ready graphics, cowboy boot prints and botanical designs.
Buy now, Urban Outfitters
Dunelm
Dunelm boasts an array of simple prints with affordable price tags. Showcasing over a thousand posters for shoppers to sift through, there’s sure to be one that takes your fancy. The store also isn’t short on genderless designs, meaning you can curate a neutral home with ease.
Buy now, Dunelm
Amazon
If you’re after a classic, recognisable poster, Amazon is your best bet. Iconic prints of Blondie, Fleetwood Mac, Oasis and fellow music moguls couldn’t be easier to get your hands on. Order with next-day delivery to start revamping your room as soon as possible.
Buy now, Amazon
Royal Academy
Delve into a vibrant artistic archive of prints and posters. The Royal Academy’s online selection includes masterpieces by Monet, Chagall, Hockney and many more notable names. Whether opting for a timeless Degas or Bauhaus aesthetic, the RA has got your wall woes covered.
Buy now, Royal Academy
National Gallery
Transform your home into an eclectic art museum. The National Gallery is replete with famed reproductions, from Van Gogh’s Sunflowers to Monet’s Bathers at La Grenouillère. Lose yourself in Turner’s nostalgic landscapes, marvel at Rembrandt’s portraits and analyse the intricacies of Piero della Francesca's 15th-century works.
Buy now, National Gallery
Desenio
A Gen Z hub for all things preppy and playful, Desenio is saturated with colourful prints. Florals, checkerboard designs and pastels feature heavily, making the website the dream destination for those with a feminine touch.
Buy now, Desenio
Fy!
You won’t leave empty-handed after a brief scroll through Fy. The website is a gargantuan source of escapism. Pepper your walls with posters from around the world and jet off to Barbados, Morocco, Vietnam and Australia while (sadly) remaining in the comfort of your own home.
Buy now, Fy!
