How to Style a Gallery Wall in a Coastal Home: A Room-by-Room Guide

A gallery wall done well is one of those things that just makes a room. Done badly, it looks like a jumble of frames that don't belong together. I've had a lot of customers ask me how to pull one off in a coastal home, and I've spent enough time thinking about this, both as a photographer and as someone who genuinely cares about how my prints end up looking on people's walls, that I think I can actually help.

This guide goes room by room. Whether you're decorating a holiday rental, a first home, or you've just moved a piece of furniture and now you've got a big blank wall staring at you, here's how to make it work.

Living Room: Go Big and Anchor It

The living room is where most people want their gallery wall, and it's also where people make the most mistakes. The biggest one? Going too small.

In a living room, you want at least one print doing the heavy lifting. I'd suggest starting with an L or XL as your anchor piece, then building outward with smaller prints. An XL print is 84.1x118.9cm, which is a serious presence on a wall without being overwhelming. If you've got a large open wall, the EPIC size (100x150cm, which is 1.5 metres wide) makes a real statement as the centroid of a collection.

For the print itself, something with visual depth works well as an anchor. My Point Addis Art Print I is my top-selling print for a reason. Shot from above with my drone on a clear morning, it gives you a perspective of the coastline that you just don't get from standing on the beach. It draws people in and holds their attention, which is exactly what an anchor piece should do.

If you want to read more about choosing the right size for your living room, I wrote a full guide here: Wall Art for Living Rooms Australia: How to Choose the Right Coastal Print for Your Space.

Hallway: Think Vertical and Keep It Cohesive

Hallways are long and narrow, which means a horizontal row of prints rarely works. Instead, stack two or three prints vertically, or run a row of same-sized prints at eye height from end to end.

Cohesion matters more here than anywhere else. If you've got three prints in a tight hallway corridor, they should feel like they belong together. That might mean same-location prints, prints with similar colour palettes, or prints in the same frame style and colour.

A floating frame canvas is a great option for hallways. There's no glass, which means zero reflections regardless of how the light hits it. It uses museum quality 400gsm Hahnemuhle Daguerre stretched canvas and hangs beautifully without the weight of a framed print with glass. Customers have told me it gives off great coastal energy in a hallway, and I'd agree.

Bedroom: Keep It Personal

In a bedroom, a gallery wall should feel personal rather than decorative. This is the room where you wake up and go to sleep, so the prints should mean something to you.

My suggestion: two to three medium prints (42x59.4cm) arranged in a gentle arc or loose cluster above the bed. Not too symmetrical, not too chaotic. Think of it less like hanging art and more like telling a little story about places you love.

If you've got a favourite beach, that's where to start. Something like the Point Roadknight Art Print II has that slightly artistic quality that works really well in a bedroom. It's one of my most gifted prints too, which tells me people feel a real connection to it.

Home Office: One Strong Piece Works Better Than a Cluster

The home office is a case where I'd actually lean away from a full gallery wall and toward one or two really strong prints. You want something that gives you a moment of calm when you look up from your screen, not something so busy it competes with your focus.

A coastal print at desk height, directly in your eyeline, is surprisingly effective. Customers have told me that having a favourite beach on the wall lifts their mood throughout the day. That's the whole point of beach prints australia style. It's about having that connection to a place you love, even when you're stuck inside working.

Holiday Rental: Local Art, Ready to Hang

If you're fitting out a coastal holiday rental, a gallery wall of local prints is one of the best things you can do. Guests notice it, they comment on it, and it makes the space feel like it belongs somewhere specific rather than looking like generic holiday accommodation.

Keep the frames consistent, black or white classic frames work well across different interiors, and choose prints that reflect the actual location. A few prints from the same stretch of coastline grouped together instantly gives a rental that "this place gets it" feeling.

For more on this, see my post on Best Wall Art for a Holiday Rental: How to Choose Coastal Prints Guests Will Love.

Bring the Coast Home

Every print I sell is shot by me personally at real Australian beaches I know well. No stock images, no generic scenes. Whether you're building a gallery wall around a favourite surf break or decorating a holiday rental on the Bellarine Peninsula, there's a print here that fits.

All prints start from $89, are printed to order in Victoria, and ship free anywhere in Australia. Ready to hang, every time.

Browse the full range of coastal wall art australia or explore prints by location to find the one that stops you in your tracks.

FAQ

How many prints should I use for a gallery wall in a living room?

Three to five prints is the sweet spot for most living rooms. Start with one larger anchor piece, such as an L or XL print, then add two to four smaller prints around it. Odd numbers tend to look more natural than even groupings, and leaving some breathing room between frames keeps it from feeling cluttered.

What frame colour works best for a coastal gallery wall?

Black and white frames are both strong choices for coastal homes and work well mixed together if the prints share a similar colour palette. Oak frames add warmth and suit timber-heavy or rattan-styled interiors. The most important thing is keeping your frame colours consistent across a gallery wall so the prints feel like a collection rather than a random mix.

What size prints should I use in a hallway gallery wall?

For a hallway, medium prints (42x59.4cm) are usually the right call. They're large enough to make an impression without overwhelming a narrow space. If your hallway is on the longer side, a row of three to four same-sized prints at eye height creates a clean, intentional look that works really well in coastal homes.

Should all the prints in a gallery wall be from the same location?

They don't have to be, but grouping prints by region gives a gallery wall a stronger sense of place. Mixing prints from the same stretch of coastline, such as a few Surf Coast locations or a handful of Bellarine Peninsula beaches, creates cohesion without being too rigid. If you're mixing locations, keeping the frame style and colour consistent is what holds it all together.

Got questions about which prints might work for your space? Feel free to reach out. I'm always happy to help you find the right fit.