How To Find Cool, Expensive-Looking Wall Art for Cheap
January 14, 2022We’ve developed a hellfire thirst for new stuff. But not just any stuff; we’re trying to make more regenerative purchases for our home spaces, and the occasional novelty joy of, say, a dog treadmill vetted by 2 Chainz. Case in point: DIY activities that turn our slop life into aesthetic clout (see: spray foam mirrors), tempered with a happy submission to reimagining our living spaces as a place suitable for functional adults and maybe even joining the cult of fancy hand soaps.
Next up, however, is a step we’ve been dreading: wall art. Not because there’s less of it out there, but because it’s usually a pricier investment than a fresh beanie. And unlike a beanie, we can’t squash it into a drawer in good conscience whenever we’re over it. Nor can we outrun it if we hang it, because every spot on a wall is front-and-center of somewhere. Enough! For the love of Michael Shannon, when will we stop framing record covers of Out of Step, or buying those vintage textbook-inspired botanical posters that Gen Z TikTok has aptly called out as the “Keep Calm and Carry On” posters of our time? Time to bury ‘em, alongside our 2013 triangle tattoos and papier-mâché deer heads.
Lest our eyeballs become pickled by the same-old-same-old, we’ve found you a bunch of vibey, affordable wall art that doesn’t cost hundreds of dollars (Society6, for one, is having a big sale right now), and will leave your buds none the wiser. We’ve got cinema-centric pieces to replace our bong-water-soaked Scarface poster; Op-Art lithographs for the adult Deadheads, and artisanal mirrors cool enough to both enhance and distract from our faces—and beyond! Here are our favorite tips, tricks, and finds for jazzing up your personal hamster cage.
You’re a straight male skater with one painted fingernail
…And you probably can’t be bothered with framing. (Honestly, same.) This smiley by Jimmy Raines not only comes pre-matted and framed, ripe for hanging beside your floor-bed, but its wonky face speaks so eloquently, while saying nothing at all, about how fried our brains are RN.
The one that screams, “rare edition”
Well. We were not expecting this flex from Amazon, but here we are, floating past page after page of original and reprinted old-school Japanese movie posters that include, but are most definitely not limited to Taxi Driver, Stand By Me, The Holy Mountain, and Robocop 2. Our end game is obviously to find Zardoz or The Baby Boss, in no particular order. This is the gateway drug to spending hundreds of dollars on a bespoke hand-painted Ghanaian movie poster.
One for your straight-edge hardcore vegan bud
Hot tip: All the classic flash tattoos that could live on your arm can always just chill on your wall (until you know if you’re a forever horseshoe or snake-wrapped skull). There’s a lot of thought packed into this print, which is also made on eco-friendly, 100% cotton-scrap and archival paper.
You identify with one or more characters from Rocko’s Modern Life
A mirror adds visual interest to a wall without asking too much of anyone intellectually, and this 90s-inspired mirror has energy for the days when we just don’t. It’s also handmade out of hemp, foam, and a bunch of other stuff we would've stuffed into a bottle rocket as a pre-teen, so it won’t hang too heavy on your wall.
You used to make zines and no one is going to forget it
You did the best collage work out of everyone in your anarchist food co-op back in the day, but now you’re ready to hand over the snipping work to a profesh like Mitch Meseke, who sure knows how to drape an artistic nude over a mountain. Bonus: His section is currently like 40% off on Society6.
A mirror for an understated statement
This one’s for those who want to fill the void without cluttering their space. Wayfair is having a wumbo President’s Day sale, and amidst the throngs of merch that wants us to live, laugh, and love, there are some seriously good pieces for a fraction of what you’d find at swanky stores. It’s also ready to hang right out of the box.
If you love to start alien conspiracy theories on Reddit
The cool thing about eBay is that it's like online shopping at the biggest thrift store on the planet, and among the trash there are endless treasures at all different price points. This piece also kicks off our smattering of Op-Art, which is selling all over the web, very in-trend, and a forever-key to our sativa hearts. Case in point: the only way we want to start our day is by waking up, and getting our face punched into the sun by a pyramid from 1979. This lithographic, it hugs our favorite end of the retro color spectrum, that brown-gold-honey-dirt dream. It’s also signed by the artist, Grace Alhades Sherman.
Just give your own film some TLC
The year is 2030. Siri has a face, and the Super Bowl is sponsored by SpaceX. “What a simpler time that was,” your friends say as they saunter into your party, admiring a sleek, framed photograph above your tattered Nugget. Little do they know, you just gave one of your digital photos a 35mm-ish finish and blew it up to 16x20 inches on Shutterfly, then threw that thing on your wall—because why can’t you be the artiste?
You have Fela Kuti on repeat
We’re wary about buying posters (what if they’re pixelated?), but this one by the Black-owned shop Don’t Sleep Interiors is of museum quality. Most importantly, it does a bunch of impressive multi-tasking; not only does it pay homage to Afrobeat king Fela Kuti (whose words frame the graphic profile), but it’s evocative of a classic Nigerian barber shop.
Your prefer Scandinavian design
A round mirror is one thing. But one that is inset into concave wood is chef’s kiss the perfect upgrade to your IKEA mirror. No shade; It served you well for a long time. But it doesn’t quite say, “Wanna Criterion Collection and chill?”
West Elm knows what it’s doing
We would totes drop-kick our first born to Rumplestiltskin for a West Elm gift card, because the home decor brand’s designers just know what’s up. The brand’s mirrors and wall art leans on the pricier side, but you know you’re getting great quality and design in everything from mirrors to prints to tapestries.
Now that your walls have art, why not get some for your coffee table?
The Rec Room staff independently selected all of the stuff featured in this story.