Wave Art

For a beach house, go with ocean wave art that captures natural light and movement. Pieces showing cresting waves, whitewash, or aerial ocean views in turquoise and seafoam tones fit the setting perfectly. Avoid overly dramatic storm scenes unless that's your vibe. Pair your wave piece with something from our Coastal Decor collection to round out the look.

Japanese wave art draws from the ukiyo-e tradition, most famously Hokusai's Great Wave. The style uses bold lines, dramatic curves, and a limited color palette. It works beautifully in modern interiors because of its graphic, almost illustrative quality. The strong composition reads as contemporary even though the style is centuries old. Pair it with clean furniture and plenty of negative space on the wall.

White and off-white walls are the safest bet for wave paintings since they let the blues and greens in the artwork come forward. Light gray works well too. Sandy beige can give it a warmer, beachy feel. Avoid blue walls since they'll blend into the art and flatten everything. If you want more blue-toned pieces to compare, our Blue Wall Art and Ocean Blues collections are worth a look.

Your wave wall art should be about two-thirds the width of your sofa. So if your couch is 84 inches wide, aim for a canvas around 48 to 60 inches. Anything smaller will look like an afterthought. Hang it 6 to 8 inches above the back of the sofa. Wave art with horizontal composition naturally suits the space above long furniture.

Wave art is a natural match for bathrooms. The water theme ties directly into the space, and the blues and whites common in ocean wave art complement most bathroom palettes. Canvas prints hold up well in humidity (better than framed paper). Pick a smaller piece for tight walls, or a vertical format for narrow spaces between fixtures. Our Coastal Decor collection has bathroom-friendly sizes.