Guides & tips

Two of a kind: how to pair posters that belong together

Two posters side by side is one of the easiest ways to make a wall look finished. It fills the space above a sofa, a bed or a sideboard, it’s simpler to plan than a gallery wall – and it’s easy to get right once you know what makes two posters belong together. Here are four ways to pair them, the sizes that fit your furniture and a few pairs we already love.

Muted Organic Flow I and II, two abstract prints with curved shapes in olive green and pink, in oak frames above a beige sofa

Tokyo and Sorrento, two colorful travel posters in oak frames hung at different heights above a white lounge chair

In short

2 × 19.7x27.6 inthe most common pair on our inspiration walls
2–3 inbetween the frames, so the two read as one
2/3of the width of the sofa, bed or sideboard below
4 waysto pair: a series, a theme, a color or a contrast

Why two is easier than one

One poster can look a little lost on a big wall, and a gallery wall takes planning. A pair sits right in between: it fills the wall and still feels calm, and you only have two things to get right – how the posters relate to each other, and how they hang.

The first part is the fun one. The posters don’t need to match, but they should have something in common, and something that sets them apart. Every pair below comes from our inspiration walls, where you can shop both posters with the frames and sizes in the picture.

1. Two from the same series

The safest pair of all. Many of our posters come in series – two or more motifs made to hang together, with the same colors and the same hand behind them. Hang them side by side in the same size and frame, and the wall looks calm and deliberate.

It’s also the easiest way to choose: find one poster you love, and see if it has a sibling. Curved Abstracts and Fluid Organic Forms are two of our favorites.

Curved Abstracts I and II, two abstract prints in burgundy and peach, in oak frames beside a chrome chair with a beige cushion

Fluid Organic Forms I and II, two soft abstract prints in oak frames on the wall of a bright bedroom with a desk and a black chair

2. One theme, two motifs

Keep the subject, change the motif. A line drawing of noodles next to a ramen guide, a coffee guide next to nine shades of coffee: the theme ties the two together, and the difference between them keeps the wall interesting.

It works especially well in the kitchen and around the dining table, where food and drink are the obvious theme. More ideas in our kitchen guide.

Ramen and Ramen Noodle, a line drawing of noodles and a pink ramen guide, in oak frames above a dining table

Coffee Guide and Shades of Coffee in black frames above a wooden table with a black jug and a cup

3. Shared colors

Two posters don’t need to share a subject if they share a palette. Look for a color that appears in both – the soft yellow and blue of Yellow Study and Soft Rise, or the black and white of two photographs – and the pair will feel like it belongs together, even if the motifs are worlds apart.

A simple test: put the two next to each other on your screen and squint. If the colors blend into one picture, they’ll work on the wall.

Yellow Study and Soft Rise, two prints of soft yellow and blue gradients, in oak frames above a beige sofa

Black Sand Beach and Floral Noir, two black-and-white photographs in black frames above a wooden table

4. Opposites that attract

The bolder option: two posters that are clearly different. A line drawing next to a golden painting, a graphic shape next to an illustrated scene. Contrast works best when something else stays the same – the size, the frame or the height they hang at. Then the difference looks intentional.

Not sure? Let one of the two be calm. A quiet poster next to a loud one is easier to live with than two that both want attention.

Peace Dove by Leo Gestel and The Kiss by Gustav Klimt in oak frames, hung at different heights above a white lounge chair

Shape Green and By the Pool in a Prada Hat in a dark oak frame and a blue frame above a woven daybed with patterned cushions

One big, one small

A pair doesn’t have to be two of the same size. A 19.7x27.6 in next to an 11.8x15.7 in or a 15.7x19.7 in feels more relaxed – a little like the start of a gallery wall. There are two ways to make it look right: let the two share a center line, or let their bottom edges sit on the same line. Keep the gap the same as for a matching pair, 2–3 in.

It’s also a good way to mix a portrait poster with a landscape one, or two different frames.

Yellow Leaf and Orange Knot, a large and a small print in oak frames on a beige wall above a cream armchair and a tall paper lamp

Petite Lune du Matin in a pastel blue frame and Se Recentrer in an oak frame above a wooden table with books, an orange and sunglasses

Green Cloud and Wave, a large and a small abstract print in oak frames above a bedside table with a lamp, beside an unmade bed

Sizes that fit your furniture

Measure a pair as one piece: two frames plus the gap between them. Aim for about two thirds of the width of the sofa, bed or sideboard below. Here’s what that looks like, drawn to scale. For a single poster, our poster size guide has the rest.

Above a sofa

Two 27.6x39.4 in, about 57 in wide – the right size for a 79 in sofa.

Above a bed

Two 19.7x27.6 in, about 42 in wide – lovely above a 63 in bed, with a lamp on each side.

One big, one small

A 19.7x27.6 in and an 11.8x15.7 in on a shared center line, about 34 in wide – for a 47 in sideboard.

On a narrow wall

Two 11.8x15.7 in stacked, about 34 in tall – beside a window or above a small side table.

Before you hang

Keep 2–3 in between the frames. Close enough to read as one piece, far enough to breathe.
Hang the pair, not the frames. Bottom edges on the same line, 8–12 in above the back of a sofa or 6–10 in above a headboard. On an empty wall, the middle of the pair goes at 57–59 in from the floor.
Measure from the first frame. Hang one, then measure the gap from its edge. Walls and ceilings are rarely as straight as they look.
Try it with paper first. Cut two pieces of paper to the size of the frames and tape them up. It’s the quickest way to check the height and the gap.

More tips in our guide to hanging wall art.

Should both posters be the same size?

They don’t have to be. Two of the same size feel calm and balanced; one big and one small feel more relaxed. If the sizes differ, give the two a shared center line or let their bottom edges sit on the same line.

Should I use the same frame for both?

Usually, yes – the same frame ties two different motifs together. Different frames work too, as long as the two posters still share something, like a color.

How far apart should the frames be?

2–3 in. Closer, and the two read as one piece; much further apart, and they start to look like two separate pictures.

Can I mix a portrait and a landscape poster?

Yes. Hang them on a shared center line and keep the frames alike, so the pair still looks planned.

How high should a pair hang above a sofa or bed?

About 8–12 in above the back of the sofa and 6–10 in above the headboard. On an empty wall, the middle of the pair goes at 57–59 in from the floor.

Shop by size

Posters8.3x11.8 11.8x15.7 15.7x15.7 15.7x19.7 19.7x19.7 19.7x27.6 27.6x27.6 27.6x39.4 39.4x39.4 39.4x55.1

Frames8.3x11.8 11.8x15.7 15.7x19.7 19.7x19.7 19.7x27.6 27.6x27.6 27.6x39.4 39.4x39.4 39.4x55.1

Bestsellers – several of them come in pairs