A great piece of wall art does two things: it looks good in the room, and it means something to the person who lives there. For most wall art, you're lucky if you get one. City prints, done right, can give you both - but only if you choose well.
Here's what to think about before you order.
Start with the story, not the aesthetic
The most common mistake people make when buying wall art is starting with aesthetics. They think about color palettes and frame finishes before they think about what the piece actually says. With city prints, that's backwards.
The most powerful city prints are the ones that mean something. Think about which cities have actually mattered to your life:
- Where did you grow up?
- Where did you move for the first time - alone, or with someone?
- Is there a city you've always wanted to live in but never did?
- A place where something important happened?
The right answer isn't always your current city. Sometimes it's the one you left. Sometimes it's the one you still miss. The print that will mean the most in ten years is the one that holds a real memory, not just a nice skyline.
Consider the room's scale
Scale matters more than most people expect. A print that looks beautiful in a photograph can feel undersized on a real wall, or overwhelming in a small room. Before you decide on a size, do a simple test: tape a piece of paper to the wall in the rough dimensions of what you're considering. Live with it for a day.
As a general guide:
- 12×18" prints work well in smaller spaces - a home office, a bedroom, a hallway
- 24×36" prints make a statement in living rooms, dining rooms, or anywhere with a wall that needs a focal point
- Larger prints also reward closer inspection - at 24×36", you can read individual buildings
For dense, intricate cities like Manhattan or Chicago, a larger print lets the detail breathe. For smaller cities where the urban fabric is less dense, even a 12×18" can capture the essential character of the place.
Horizontal or vertical?
Orientation is mostly about the shape of your wall - horizontal prints work well above sofas, consoles, and beds; vertical prints are better for narrow walls, hallways, and spaces where you want to draw the eye upward. But orientation also affects how you read the city.
A horizontal print emphasizes spread - the way a city extends across a landscape. A vertical print emphasizes density - the sense of buildings packed tightly together. For cities built on a peninsula or island (Manhattan, San Francisco, Boston), vertical often feels more natural. For cities that sprawl across a flat plain, horizontal can convey that expansiveness beautifully.
Think about the room's color palette
Building footprint prints work in high contrast: dark buildings on a light ground, or light buildings on dark. Both approaches can work in most rooms, but the choice affects mood significantly.
Dark backgrounds feel more dramatic and moody - they read more like fine art and draw attention in a room with otherwise light surfaces. Light backgrounds feel quieter and more architectural - they integrate more naturally into a room and draw the eye through extended looking rather than immediate visual impact.
The right print doesn't just fill a wall - it makes the wall worth looking at.
Don't overthink the frame
Black frames are the safest choice for building footprint prints, and for good reason: they're minimal, they don't compete with the image, and they work with almost any room. Natural wood frames can be beautiful in more casual or warm-toned spaces. Avoid ornate frames - the print itself has all the complexity it needs.
If you're hanging multiple prints together, keep the frames consistent. A gallery wall of different cities in matching frames can be extraordinary - a visual record of the places that have shaped a life.
The easiest test
When you're choosing a city, ask yourself: if a guest noticed this print on your wall and said, "Tell me about this city" - would you have something to say? If yes, it's probably the right choice. If the honest answer is "I just liked how it looked," you might want to think a little longer.
The best home decor is the kind that starts conversations. A city print that carries a real story is one you'll never regret.