Beach houses are a bit of a different beast when it comes to wall art. You want something that feels right at home with salty air and sandy floors, but also holds up month after month, whether it's summer holidays or a quiet mid-winter weekend. I've had a lot of people ask me about beach house wall art Australia-wide, and the honest answer is: it's less about following rules and more about knowing your rooms. So here's my room-by-room take on how to choose coastal prints for a holiday home (or your own place by the sea).
The Living Room: Go Big and Go Bold
The living room is where everyone gathers, so this is your moment to make a statement. A single large print on the main wall does more than a cluster of small ones. I'm talking an L (59.4x84.1cm) or an XL (84.1x118.9cm) that you can actually see from the couch.
My Point Addis Art Print I is my top seller for a reason. It's an aerial shot taken on a still morning, and the colours really fill a room. People regularly tell me it becomes the centrepiece of their living area and that guests always comment on it. If you want something with that kind of presence, this is the one to start with.
For framing in a living room, I'd lean toward the floating frame canvas. There's no glass, so you get zero reflections no matter where the light is coming from. The canvas itself is museum quality 400gsm Hahnemuhle Daguerre, so the colour stays rich and the detail holds up.
If you want to go big, the EPIC size (100x150cm, that's 1.5 metres wide) is genuinely jaw-dropping in a large living room. Not for the faint-hearted, but if you've got the wall space, nothing else comes close.
The Hallway: Tall and Narrow Wins
Hallways are awkward. Too narrow for large landscape prints, and too long to leave bare. The trick is going portrait and keeping it simple. A single print in an S (29.7x42cm) or M (42x59.4cm) framed in black or white timber looks clean and intentional without crowding the space.
Customers often tell me their hallway print is the first thing people notice when they walk in, and that it "gives off the best chill coastal vibes". That's exactly what you want from a beach house entry.
The Bedroom: Something You Actually Want to Wake Up To
Bedrooms are personal. This is where I'd pick a print that means something to you specifically, whether it's the beach where you got engaged, where you spent summers as a kid, or just a stretch of coastline you keep going back to.
A classic framed print works beautifully in a bedroom. Solid FSC certified timber frame, 2mm clear glass, and a metal hanger so it's ready to hang straight out of the box. The 10-year warranty doesn't hurt either.
For something a bit more special, the shadow box frame gives the print a floating effect that looks genuinely different from a standard frame. The glass sits 20mm off the print, which creates a subtle depth that people notice without always being able to put their finger on why it looks so good.
My Point Roadknight Art Print II is one of my most consistently loved prints for bedrooms. It's got an artistic quality to it that people describe as more than just a photo, which is exactly the kind of thing you want in a room you spend time in quietly.
The Kitchen and Dining Area: Keep It Light
Kitchens and dining rooms don't need to work as hard as the living room. A smaller print in an XS (21x29.7cm) or S (29.7x42cm) in a classic frame adds a coastal touch without competing with everything else going on in the space.
If your beach house gets a lot of natural light in the kitchen, the floating frame canvas is a good call here too. No glass means no annoying glare when the afternoon sun comes through.
Outdoor-Adjacent Spaces: Durability Matters
If you're hanging art near a sliding door or in a sunroom that gets a lot of UV, it's worth thinking about materials. All my prints use archival giclee inks designed not to fade or yellow over time. But if you want the extra peace of mind, the premium shadow box frame is the top of the range option. It uses Tru Vue Museum Glass with 99% UV protection and virtually zero glare, and the paper is 308gsm Hahnemuhle Rag Mount Smooth printed with 11-colour giclee inks. It's the one to get if you want it to look perfect for decades.
Take the Coast Home
Whether you're fitting out a whole beach house from scratch or just need that one print to finish a room, every piece I make is printed and shipped from Victoria, free anywhere in Australia. No pickup needed, no framing required. It arrives ready to hang.
If you're not sure what size suits your wall, check out the size guide or flick me a message. I'm always happy to help you work it out before you commit.
You can also read more about choosing the right format in my post on Wall Art for Beach Houses: How to Choose Coastal Prints That Work All Year Round, or if you're decorating a holiday rental specifically, the Airbnb and Holiday Rental Wall Art Guide is a good read too.
Frequently Asked Questions
What size wall art should I get for a beach house living room?
For a living room, an L (59.4x84.1cm) or XL (84.1x118.9cm) print is usually the right call. A single large print on the main wall has more impact than several small ones, and it reads well from across the room. If you have a large open-plan space, the EPIC size (100x150cm) is worth considering.
What type of frame works best for a coastal home?
The floating frame canvas is a popular choice for beach houses because there's no glass, which means no reflections in rooms with lots of natural light. If you prefer a framed print, the classic frame in black, white or oak suits most coastal interiors well. For something more premium, the shadow box or premium shadow box frames add a real sense of depth and quality.
Is coastal wall art suitable for holiday rentals?
Absolutely. Location-specific prints are one of the best things you can put in a holiday rental because guests recognise the places and feel an immediate connection. Prints starting from $89 with free shipping Australia-wide make it easy to outfit a whole property without paying gallery prices. Many of my customers have bought multiple pieces for their rental properties for exactly this reason.
How do I choose the right coastal print for each room in my beach house?
Think about the size of the wall first, then the amount of natural light in the room. Living rooms suit large bold prints, hallways suit portrait-orientation smaller prints, and bedrooms work well with something personally meaningful. For rooms with strong sunlight, a floating frame canvas (no glass) or the premium shadow box with UV-protective Tru Vue glass are the smartest choices.
Browse all prints at localbreaks.com.au and find the one that takes you straight back to
