On bringing a little California sunshine, old-fashioned glamour, and the romance of faraway places into the rooms we call home.
There is something wonderfully optimistic about a vintage travel poster.
Perhaps it’s the promise of somewhere beautiful. A turquoise swimming pool beneath a perfectly blue sky. A winding coastal highway disappearing around a magnificent cliff. A palm-lined boulevard where every afternoon appears to be golden hour.
These are not simply pictures of places.
They’re invitations.
An invitation to remember a favorite vacation, imagine an extraordinary adventure, or simply pretend for a moment that the view outside your window is considerably more glamorous than it actually is.
And fortunately, you don’t need a plane ticket to enjoy the experience.
Sometimes all you need is a beautiful print and the right place to hang it.
Welcome to the rather delightful art of decorating with vintage travel posters.
A Little Escapism Looks Good on the Walls
Long before travel inspiration arrived through social media, destinations advertised themselves with spectacular illustrated posters.
Beautiful hotels, glamorous resorts, railway companies, and tourism boards commissioned artists to capture the irresistible appeal of places near and far.
The results were often more romantic than reality.
The skies were bluer. The swimming pools more inviting. The coastlines impossibly dramatic.
And everyone, it seemed, was having a marvelous time.
That sense of optimism is precisely what makes vintage-inspired travel art so appealing today.
Unlike an ordinary photograph, an illustrated poster can capture not only what a destination looks like, but what it feels like.
The leisurely glamour of Palm Springs.
The romance of California’s coastal highways.
The polished elegance of Beverly Hills.
A good travel poster doesn’t merely decorate a room.
It gives the room somewhere to go.
First Things First: The Frame
A beautiful poster deserves a frame that understands its personality.
And fortunately, framing vintage travel art doesn’t require an extravagant investment.
The secret is choosing something that complements the illustration without competing for attention.
For colorful midcentury-inspired artwork, a simple natural wood frame can be particularly charming. It introduces warmth and lets the colors remain the center of attention.
A slim gold frame adds a little old-Hollywood sophistication, especially when paired with glamorous resort imagery.
Black frames offer a cleaner, more contemporary interpretation, while white or ivory frames create a light, relaxed appearance.
There’s no universal rule.
A vintage California travel poster might look wonderful in an understated oak frame in one home and an ornate brass frame in another.
The best choice is the one that makes the artwork feel as though it belongs.
A little framing advice: Match the frame to the artwork’s proportions rather than stretching or cropping the image to fit an unrelated size.
For example, a 12 × 16-inch poster fits a 12 × 16-inch frame without a mat. An 18 × 24-inch poster can be displayed the same way.
If you prefer a decorative mat surrounding the artwork, choose a larger frame and have the mat opening cut to fit your print.
A little breathing room can make even an inexpensive poster look surprisingly distinguished.
The Beautiful Business of Matting
There is something rather elegant about a generous border surrounding a colorful print.
A mat gives the artwork space to shine and creates a more finished, gallery-like appearance.
Cream and warm white are classic choices, particularly for vintage-inspired posters.
They complement nostalgic colors without introducing unnecessary competition.
But a carefully chosen colored mat can be beautiful, too.
Imagine a soft sage mat surrounding a botanical California illustration, or a warm ivory border framing a sun-drenched coastal scene.
The trick is restraint.
If the artwork already has a decorative printed border, it may look better without an additional mat.
And if you’re framing an original antique poster rather than a modern reproduction, use acid-free materials and reversible mounting methods to help preserve it.
After all, something that has survived decades deserves a little consideration.
Finding the Perfect Spot
Not every piece of art needs to hang above the sofa.
In fact, vintage travel posters often look their most charming in slightly unexpected places.
A Palm Springs print might bring sunshine to a breakfast nook.
A dramatic coastal illustration could transform a quiet reading corner.
An elegant Beverly Hills poster might look wonderfully at home above a vanity, beside a dressing table, or in a hallway that could use a little personality.
Even a small guest bathroom can become considerably more interesting with an appropriately glamorous piece of travel art.
For a traditional gallery-style arrangement, try positioning the center of the artwork approximately 57 to 60 inches from the floor, adjusting for furniture and the proportions of the room.
If the print hangs above a console or sofa, consider keeping its lower edge roughly 6 to 8 inches above the furniture.
These are starting points, not commandments.
Sometimes the correct height is simply the one that looks right when you walk into the room.
One practical consideration: avoid hanging prints in prolonged direct sunlight or damp conditions, which can damage or fade artwork over time.
A beautiful poster should be enjoyed for years, not merely one very sunny summer.
Three Destinations, One Beautiful Wall
Of course, one travel poster is lovely.
Three can be even better.
A coordinated collection creates the feeling of a carefully assembled gallery, especially when the artwork shares a similar illustration style, color palette, or nostalgic theme.
The key is visual harmony rather than perfect uniformity.
Consider a California-inspired trio.
Palm Springs brings the sunshine and desert glamour.
Big Sur introduces sweeping coastal scenery and a sense of adventure.
Beverly Hills supplies a little pink-and-green Hollywood sophistication.
Together, they tell a story of California that feels varied but connected.
For a clean arrangement, hang three equally sized prints in a horizontal row, leaving approximately 2 to 3 inches between frames.
Prefer something less formal?
Combine different frame sizes in an asymmetrical grouping, using consistent colors or finishes to create a sense of unity.
You can even incorporate other meaningful objects: a framed postcard, an old vacation photograph, or a small piece of art collected during your travels.
The most interesting gallery walls are often the ones that look as though they were assembled gradually, with affection.
A Little Vintage Goes a Long Way
One of the pleasures of decorating with travel art is how easily it pairs with things you already own.
A colorful poster can look especially charming alongside vintage glassware, old books, ceramics, wicker furniture, or a beautifully worn wooden cabinet.
But there’s no need to turn the entire room into a period recreation.
In fact, a little contrast is often what makes the arrangement interesting.
A vibrant retro illustration above a modern console.
A glamorous resort poster beside a contemporary lamp.
A framed travel print adding personality to an otherwise restrained bedroom.
The combination feels collected rather than coordinated.
And that is precisely the appeal.
Your home doesn’t need to look like a hotel lobby from 1962.
Although, admittedly, there are worse ambitions.
Choosing a Place That Means Something
Perhaps the loveliest reason to decorate with travel posters has very little to do with decorating at all.
Sometimes a place simply means something to you.
Perhaps it’s where you spent a wonderful summer.
A destination you’ve visited a dozen times and still haven’t grown tired of.
A city you’ve always loved from afar.
Or somewhere you haven’t been yet, but fully intend to see one day.
A framed travel poster becomes a small reminder of that connection.
It might inspire an adventure.
It might bring back a favorite memory.
Or it might simply make you happy every time you pass it on your way to the kitchen.
And really, isn’t that one of the best reasons to bring anything into your home?
Somewhere Wonderful, Without Leaving Home
Good decorating isn’t always about following a trend, matching a color scheme, or creating a room that looks perfectly styled in photographs.
Sometimes it’s about surrounding yourself with things that make ordinary life a little more interesting.
A beautiful print.
A favorite destination.
An impossibly blue swimming pool beneath the desert sun.
The winding road you hope to travel someday.
Vintage travel posters remind us that a little imagination can carry us surprisingly far.
And that sometimes the best view in the house isn’t through a window at all.
It’s the one you’ve chosen to hang on the wall.
For the travelers, the dreamers, and everyone who believes a little escapism belongs at home.
Sunshine Confidential
Discover Places We Love
Inspired by the romance of vintage California, our Places We Love collection at The Sun Shoppe features original travel art celebrating Palm Springs, Beverly Hills, and Big Sur.
Three destinations. Three distinct personalities. And a little California sunshine for wherever you call home.