Why Your Bedroom Deserves Better Wall Art
Your bedroom is the first thing you see when you wake up and the last thing you look at before you sleep. That's a lot of time spent staring at blank walls. I've been shooting coastal photography for years now, and one of the things I hear most from customers is how much it changes a room when they finally put something meaningful on the wall. Not just something pretty. Something that actually means something to them.
That's the idea behind everything I shoot. Real beaches. Real light. Real places people love. So if you're thinking about adding some coastal wall art to your bedroom, here's how to actually do it well.
Start With One Strong Hero Print
The bedroom doesn't need a gallery wall. It needs one great print above the bed, and that's usually enough. A single strong image hung centred above the bedhead becomes the focal point of the whole room. It draws the eye, anchors the space, and sets the mood before you've even picked a pillow colour.
For a standard queen or king bedhead, I'd recommend at least a Large (59.4x84.1cm) print. If you've got high ceilings or a wide feature wall, an XL (84.1x118.9cm) is even better. The space above a bed can handle a bolder print than most people expect, so don't go too small and get lost in all that wall.
My Point Addis Art Print I is my top seller, and it works brilliantly in a bedroom. Shot from above with my drone on a still morning, it shows the sweeping arc of the Point Addis coastline with that deep blue water against the golden cliffs. It's a print people stop and look at, every single time.
Think About the Light in Your Room
This is the bit most people skip, and it matters more than you'd think. If your bedroom gets a lot of natural light, especially in the morning, you want to think about glare on glass.
My floating frame canvas is a great option for bright rooms. It uses a museum quality 400gsm Hahnemuhle Daguerre stretched canvas with no glass at all, so there are zero reflections, no matter how much sunlight hits it. The colours come through clean and bold all day long.
For bedrooms with less natural light, the standard shadow box frame is my most popular choice. The glass sits 20mm off the print, which gives a subtle depth effect that looks great even in lower light. It's a premium product that gives the print real presence on the wall.
If you've got a particularly bright south-facing room or light bouncing off water outside, the premium shadow box with Tru Vue Museum Glass is worth considering. It's got 99% UV protection and virtually eliminates glare, which makes a real difference in the right situation. You can read more about it in this post on whether the premium shadow box is worth it.
Pick a Print That Means Something to You
The best bedroom art isn't the trendiest print or the most expensive frame. It's the one that actually connects to a place you love. A beach you've been to every summer since you were a kid. A surf spot you drove past on a road trip you still think about. A view you'd move back to tomorrow if you could.
That's why beach prints for bedrooms work so well. You wake up, you see it, and for a second you're back there. I've had customers tell me it lifts their mood before they've even had their coffee. One customer told me the print she picked "evokes a strong sense of nostalgia, bringing memories of one of our favourite holiday places to life each time we look at it." That's exactly what I'm going for.
If the Surf Coast is your thing, my Bells Beach Art Print I is a strong choice. It's a location that means a lot to a lot of people, and it looks incredible at a larger size on a bedroom wall. If you're more of a Bellarine Peninsula person, the Point Lonsdale Art Print IV is a fan favourite with real warmth to it.
Keep It Simple Around the Print
Once you've got a great print up, resist the urge to clutter around it. A single large print above the bed works better with breathing room. You don't need matching prints on every wall. Let the one piece do the work.
Frame colour is worth thinking about too. Black frames are bold and graphic. White frames feel lighter and more relaxed. Oak frames work with natural timber tones in the room. All my frames are FSC certified solid timber, so they're built to last and look good doing it.
For more ideas on how to place art in different rooms, my guide to choosing wall art for a coastal living room covers sizing and framing in detail.
Take the Coast Home
All prints are made to order and shipped free anywhere in Australia from Victoria. They arrive ready to hang, with everything you need. No hunting for a frame. No trips to a framing shop. Just unbox it, hang it, and wake up to something you actually love looking at.
Browse my full range of beach prints for Australia's favourite coastal locations, starting from $89, at localbreaks.com.au.
Frequently Asked Questions
What size coastal wall art should I get for above a bed?
For a queen or king bed, a Large print (59.4x84.1cm) is a solid starting point. An XL (84.1x118.9cm) works even better if you have high ceilings or a wide wall. Going too small is the most common mistake because art above a bed needs to hold its own against the width of the bedhead.
What is the best frame type for bedroom wall art?
The standard shadow box frame is the most popular choice for bedrooms because it gives the print real depth and presence. The glass sits 20mm off the print for a subtle floating effect, and it comes in black, white or oak timber. If your bedroom gets a lot of direct morning light, the floating frame canvas (no glass) is worth considering for a glare-free finish.
Can I buy beach prints in Australia with free shipping?
Yes. All Local Breaks prints ship free anywhere in Australia. Every print is made to order and shipped from Victoria, already framed and ready to hang. There's no pickup option, but the free shipping covers the full country.
What coastal wall art works best in a bedroom?
A single strong print of a place you genuinely love works better in a bedroom than generic coastal decor. People consistently say the best art for a bedroom is something that connects to a real memory, a favourite beach, a holiday spot, or a place they'd go back to in a heartbeat. A meaningful print above the bed is the one you'll still love looking at ten years from now.
Wake up somewhere better. Start at Point Addis Art Print I or browse the full collection at localbreaks.com.au.
