I get asked this question more than any other. You've found a print you love, you're ready to buy, and then you hit the size dropdown and freeze. XS to EPIC. 21cm to 1.5 metres wide. What's too small? What's too big? What actually works?
I've been shooting coastal landscapes around Australia for years now, and I've learned a thing or two about how these images work on walls. Not from design school, but from customers sending me photos of their prints at home, from hanging my own work, and from plenty of trial and error. So let's break this down properly.
Start With Your Wall Space
The most common mistake? Going too small. I see it all the time. Someone buys a Medium print for a big empty wall and it arrives looking lost. Here's my rule of thumb: your print should take up around two-thirds to three-quarters of the width of your furniture or wall space.
Got a three-seater couch that's roughly 2 metres wide? You want a Large (59.4x84.1cm) or XL (84.1x118.9cm) above it. A bedhead? Same deal. A narrow hallway wall? That's where Medium or Small makes sense. And if you've got a huge feature wall with nothing competing for attention, that's EPIC territory. That's 1.5 metres wide, and yeah, it makes an impact.
The other thing to consider is viewing distance. If you're hanging a print in a living room where you'll be sitting back on a couch, you want it big enough to appreciate from 3 or 4 metres away. Bedroom? You're closer to the wall, so you can get away with going slightly smaller. But honestly, I'd still lean larger. Better to fill the space than leave it feeling empty.
Match the Print to the Scene
Not all of my images work the same way at every size. Some are wide, sweeping aerials that need room to breathe. Others are tighter compositions that hold up beautifully even at smaller sizes.
Take Point Addis Art Print I. It's a big, dramatic coastal shot with cliffs, ocean, and sky all doing their thing. That one wants to be Large or bigger. You lose the impact if you shrink it down. On the other hand, something like Bells Beach Art Print I, with the solo dog on the sand, works at Medium because the subject is clear and the composition is simple.
If you're stuck between two sizes, I'd say go bigger. I've never had someone tell me they wished they'd gone smaller. The opposite? That happens.
Consider Your Room and Style
A coastal print in a beach house hits different than the same print in a city apartment. And that's fine. Both work. But the room matters.
If your space is minimal with white walls and not much clutter, a single large print becomes the hero. It anchors the room. If your place is already full of texture, furniture, plants, and other art, you might want to think about how your print fits into the mix. A Medium or Large might sit better in a busy room than an EPIC that fights for attention.
Ceiling height matters too. Standard 2.4m ceilings? Any size works, but keep XL and EPIC prints low enough that you're not craning your neck. High ceilings? Go big. You've got the vertical space to play with.
Take the Coast Home
Every print I sell is something I've shot myself, standing on a beach or hanging out of a helicopter at dawn trying not to drop my camera. These aren't stock images. They're real places I know and love, printed to order right here in Victoria.
All my frames use FSC certified timber, they ship free anywhere in Australia, and they arrive ready to hang. You don't need to measure, drill, or stress. Just pick your size, pick your frame, and I'll take care of the rest.
If you're still not sure what size to go for, check out the size guide. I've got room mockups there that show exactly how each size looks on a wall. It helps.
Frequently Asked Questions
What size wall art should I get for a living room?
For a living room, Large (59.4x84.1cm) or XL (84.1x118.9cm) works best, especially if you're hanging the print above a couch or console. These sizes fill the space without overwhelming it, and they're big enough to appreciate from across the room. If you have a large feature wall with high ceilings, EPIC (100x150cm) makes a serious statement.
How do I know if a print is too big for my wall?
A print is too big if it extends past the edges of the furniture below it or if it feels cramped against the ceiling or adjacent walls. Aim for your print to take up about two-thirds to three-quarters of the available wall width, leaving breathing room on either side. When in doubt, measure your wall space and compare it to the print dimensions before ordering.
What is the most popular print size for bedrooms?
Medium (42x59.4cm) and Large (59.4x84.1cm) are the most popular sizes for bedrooms, particularly above a bedhead. Medium works well in smaller bedrooms or when you want a more intimate feel, while Large suits queen or king beds and makes more of a visual impact. The closer viewing distance in a bedroom means you can go slightly smaller than you would in a living area.
Should I get a framed or unframed print?
Framed prints arrive ready to hang and look polished straight out of the box, which saves you time and the hassle of finding a framer. Unframed prints cost less and give you the freedom to choose your own frame, but you'll need to organise framing separately. Most of my customers go framed because it's easier and the FSC certified timber frames I use suit coastal art really well.
Still tossing up? Send me a message. I'm always happy to help.
