If you've ever walked into a beach house and felt instantly at ease, there's a good chance the art on the walls had something to do with it. Not in a woo-woo way. Just that the right print of the right place makes a room feel like it belongs where it is. I've had people tell me they bought one of my prints for their holiday rental because they wanted guests to feel that connection the moment they walked in. That makes a lot of sense to me. I shoot these places because I genuinely love them, not because I'm trawling stock libraries for something that looks coastal enough.
So if you're fitting out a beach house, a holiday rental, or just want your home to feel a bit more like a permanent holiday, here's how to pick coastal prints that actually work.
Match the print to the place
This sounds obvious but it's worth saying. If your beach house is at Barwon Heads, hang a print of Barwon Heads. If you holiday on the Surf Coast every summer, put Bells Beach or Point Addis on your wall. Generic ocean prints are fine, but a print of somewhere that actually means something to you, or to your guests, lands differently.
One of my most popular prints for beach house wall art in Australia is the Point Addis Art Print I. I shot it from above on a morning where the light was doing exactly what it does when it hits that stretch of water between the cliffs. An expat in Canada bought it because Point Addis is his favourite beach and he wanted it on his wall year round. That's the whole idea.
Think about your colour palette before you buy
A lot of beach houses lean toward whites, natural timbers, sandy tones, maybe some navy. Bold, saturated prints can fight with that. When a customer in Point Lonsdale was fitting out his holiday rental, he specifically told me he wanted something with muted black, white and beige tones. He didn't want too much blue. He found exactly that in one of my Point Lonsdale prints, and it worked with his decor straight away.
Look at the specific image before you buy, not just the location. My aerial shots tend to read more abstract because you lose the familiar horizon line. They sit well in contemporary coastal spaces without dominating the room.
Choose a size that the wall can actually hold
This is where people second-guess themselves. A small print on a big wall looks like an afterthought. For most living rooms and main bedrooms in a beach house, I'd go with at least a Medium (42x59.4cm) or a Large (59.4x84.1cm). If you've got a long hallway or a feature wall above a couch, the XL or EPIC sizes make a real statement. The EPIC is 100x150cm, so that's 1.5 metres wide. It fills a wall properly.
I have a full size guide at localbreaks.com.au/pages/size-guide-1 if you want to measure up before committing.
Framed or unframed for a rental property
For holiday rental fitouts, I always recommend going framed. It's one less thing for you to organise, it arrives ready to hang, and it looks finished from day one. My frames are FSC certified timber, which means they're sustainably sourced. The classic framed print works well for most spaces. If you want something with a bit more depth and texture, the framed canvas or shadow box options are worth a look at the product guide.
For beach house wall art in Australia, the framed canvas tends to work really well because it has that gallery feel without needing picture hooks or fiddly hanging hardware.
Take the coast home
Whether you're decorating a coastal holiday rental or just want a piece of somewhere you love on your wall, the prints that work best are the ones tied to real places. I shoot every image myself at locations I actually know. The Barwon Heads Art Print I is a good example. I shot that at golden hour on 13th Beach, a couple and their dog casting long shadows across the sand. It's the kind of image that makes you want to go back.
All prints ship free anywhere in Australia. Printed and shipped from Victoria. No pickup needed, and everything arrives ready to hang.
Frequently asked questions
What wall art works best for a beach house or coastal holiday rental?
Location-specific art works best for beach houses and coastal holiday rentals because it gives guests an immediate sense of place. Prints with muted or natural tones tend to work with the timber, white, and sandy palettes common in coastal decor. Framed prints are the practical choice for rental properties because they arrive ready to hang with no extra setup required.
What size print should I get for a beach house living room?
For a living room in a beach house, a Large (59.4x84.1cm) or XL (84.1x118.9cm) print is usually the right call. A print that's too small on a large wall looks like it got lost. If you have a genuine feature wall or a wide open space, the EPIC size at 100x150cm is worth considering.
Is coastal wall art a good idea for Airbnb or short stay rentals in Australia?
Yes, coastal wall art is one of the best investments you can make for an Airbnb or short stay rental in Australia. Art that reflects the local area helps guests feel connected to the destination, which contributes to positive reviews and repeat bookings. Location-specific prints also tend to photograph well in listing images, which helps your property stand out.
Do the prints come ready to hang?
Framed prints from Local Breaks arrive ready to hang straight out of the box. Unframed prints are shipped flat and protected, and you'll need to frame them yourself or take them to a framer. For beach house wall art and holiday rental fitouts, framed options are the easier choice because there's no extra work involved once they arrive.
Browse the full range at localbreaks.com.au and find a print that belongs on your wall.
