There's a reason so many Chicago apartments have a skyline on the wall. When you live here, the view is part of daily life: the drive in on Lake Shore, the river from a bridge on your way to work, the lake on the first warm day of the year. When you move away, it's the thing you miss.
Our Chicago wall art is built around those moments. Each canvas is a ChiTown Threads original, made to order in the USA and shipped free. Landmark and lakefront canvases start at $79.99. Here's a short guide to what's in the collection and how to choose.
The lakefront
For a lot of people, the lake is Chicago. These pieces bring some of that light and space indoors.
- Lake Shore Drive at dusk. The skyline as you see it from the Drive, just as the lights come on. If you only buy one Chicago skyline canvas, this is a strong pick.
- North Avenue Beach. A summer view of the beach with the skyline behind it. Bright and warm, good for a room that needs some colour.
- Oak Street Beach. The Gold Coast at golden hour, where the city runs right down to the sand.
- Navy Pier at blue hour. The Ferris wheel lit up against a deep blue sky. Calm, with a little sparkle.
The river and downtown
- Willis Tower, river morning. Early light on the river with the tower above it. A quiet, clean piece for an office or bedroom.
- Wrigley Building and the Chicago River. One of the city's most recognizable buildings, framed by the river. This one is a vertical canvas, so it works well in narrow spaces.
- Riverwalk at night. The river lights reflected in the water. A good fit for a dining room or a space that gets used mostly in the evening.
- L train, Loop tracks at dusk. The elevated tracks downtown at the end of the day. For anyone whose commute is part of their Chicago story.
You can see the skyline, lakefront and river pieces together in our Chicago skyline canvas collection.
Landmarks
- Union Station Great Hall. Sunlight pouring into the hall. A good choice for someone who loves architecture or travel.
- The Water Tower. Michigan Avenue in autumn, around one of the buildings that survived the Great Chicago Fire.
- Art Institute Lion. One of the bronze lions that guard the museum steps on Michigan Avenue.
- State Street marquee. A rainy night in the Loop under the famous sign.
More landmark pieces live in our Chicago skylines and landmarks collection.
The ballpark paintings
We also make two ballpark paintings: a North Side ballpark on a rainy night and a South Side ballpark under fireworks. Hang them side by side in a house divided, or let each person claim their own. They start at $89.99 and come in larger sizes too. Find them in our Chicago ballpark paintings collection.
How to pick a size
Most of our landmark and lakefront canvases come in five horizontal sizes: 20x16, 24x16, 30x20, 30x24 and 36x24 inches, priced from $79.99 to $104.99. The Wrigley Building piece is vertical, in 16x20 or 24x30. The ballpark paintings run from 24x16 up to 48x32. Each of these canvases has a 1.25-inch depth, so it looks finished on the wall without a frame.
A simple rule of thumb that designers use: art over a piece of furniture looks best when it's about two-thirds the width of that furniture. A few examples:
- Over a sofa or bed: go big. 36x24 is usually the right call, or a ballpark painting at 48x32 for a large wall.
- Over a desk, dresser or console table: 30x20 or 30x24.
- Hallway, entry or a narrow wall: 20x16 or 24x16 horizontal, or the vertical Wrigley Building at 16x20.
- A gallery wall: mix two or three smaller sizes and keep the spacing between them even.
Hang the centre of the canvas at roughly eye level, a common starting point being about 57 inches from the floor, and adjust from there for your space.
Which piece for which room
- Living room: Lake Shore Drive at dusk or Navy Pier at blue hour. Big views for a big wall.
- Bedroom: Willis Tower river morning or Oak Street Beach. Softer light, calmer feel.
- Kitchen or dining room: Riverwalk at night or the State Street marquee.
- Home office: Union Station or the L train. A little architecture, a little motion.
- Basement or den: the ballpark paintings.
- A first apartment: North Avenue Beach. It's hard to be in a bad mood looking at it.
A few notes before you order
Every canvas is made to order, so give yourself some time before a housewarming or the holidays. Shipping is free on every US order. If you're buying a gift and don't know their walls, a medium size like 30x20 is the safest choice.
Bring a little of the city home with our Chicago skyline canvas collection, shipped free in the US.
