Buying a print is the easy part. Knowing where to put it, how to frame it, and how to make it actually work in your space — that’s where most people get stuck. Here’s what we’ve learned, both as designers and as people who have definitely hung things slightly crooked at least once.
Framing: it changes everything
A good frame can elevate a print. A bad one can kill it. The good news is you don’t need to spend a fortune — you need to make a few intentional choices.
Go for simple over decorative. Thin black, white, natural wood, or aluminium frames let the artwork breathe. Aluminium in particular has a clean, modern edge that works especially well with graphic or typographic prints — and it tends to be more affordable than wood without looking cheap. Ornate frames tend to compete with the print rather than complement it. When in doubt, keep it minimal.
Use a mat (passe-partout) — it’s the single biggest upgrade you can make. A mat instantly elevates any print, full stop. It creates visual breathing room between the artwork and the frame, adds a sense of depth, and gives the whole thing a gallery-quality feel. An A4 print in an A3 frame with a white mat looks a hundred times more intentional than the same print crammed edge-to-edge. White or off-white mats work with almost anything and never go out of style. If you’re on a budget, skip the expensive frame and invest in a good mat instead — the difference is immediately visible.
Watch out for reflections. Standard glass can create annoying glare depending on your lighting. Anti-reflective glass or acrylic is worth it if the print is going somewhere with natural light or a lamp nearby.
Match the frame to the room, not just the print. A sleek black frame that looks great in a minimalist living room might feel cold in a warm, cozy bedroom. Think about the overall atmosphere you’re going for.
Hanging: the details that make a difference
Eye level is your baseline. The center of the print should sit roughly at eye level — around 145–150 cm from the floor. It sounds obvious, but most people hang things too high.
Above furniture, leave a gap. If you’re hanging a print above a sofa, desk, or bed, leave about 15–20 cm between the top of the furniture and the bottom of the frame. Close enough to feel connected, not so close it looks accidental.
Use the right hardware. Command strips work for lighter frames and save your walls. For heavier frames, go for proper wall anchors — nothing ruins a print like watching it slowly slide down the wall six months later.
Building a gallery wall
A gallery wall done well looks effortless. Done badly, it looks like a storage problem. Here’s how to get it right.
Start on the floor. Lay everything out on the ground first. Shuffle things around until the arrangement feels balanced before committing a single nail to the wall. Take a photo of the final layout so you have a reference.
Find a common thread. Gallery walls work best when there’s something tying the pieces together — a consistent color palette, a shared mood, or a unified frame style. You don’t need everything to match, but you need a reason for it all to be together.
Mix sizes intentionally. A gallery wall with all the same size frames can feel flat. Mix a larger anchor piece with smaller prints around it. Use the larger piece as your starting point and build outward.
Keep spacing consistent. 5–8 cm between frames is a good rule of thumb. Consistent gaps make even an eclectic mix feel deliberate.
Don’t overcrowd. White space is part of the composition. Resist the urge to fill every gap — the breathing room is what makes each piece visible.
A note on print style
Before you think about frames or layouts, it helps to know what kind of energy you want in the room. A bold graphic print with heavy typography reads very differently from a delicate illustrative piece. Neither is better — they just ask for different things from the space around them.
At Studio Ninette, most of our prints sit somewhere between graphic and emotional — they’re designed to hold their own on a wall without dominating it. If you’re not sure where to start, browsing the shop with your room in mind is a good first step. Sometimes you just know when something fits.
— Studio Ninette, designed in Belgium.