5 Prints That’ll Make Your Space Feel Like a Holiday

If you have ever come home from a trip and wished you could bottle that feeling, the good news is that wall art comes remarkably close. 

The right print can shift the mood of a room in seconds, bringing in the calm of a botanical garden, the warmth of sun on pale stone, or the quiet wildness of the Scottish Highlands. 

Here are five styles of print that do exactly that, and how to make them work in your home.

Why does certain wall art make a room feel like a getaway?

It comes down to what the image asks your brain to do. Holiday feelings are mostly sensory memories: light, colour, openness, the absence of clutter. A well-chosen print recreates those cues without you having to think about it.

Soft watercolour washes, loose botanical line drawings, wide open landscapes, and warm earthy palettes all signal “somewhere else” in a way that a bare wall simply cannot. The effect is strongest when the print is large enough to hold your eye for a moment.

Watercolour botanicals: the feeling of a slow afternoon in a garden

There is something about a light, hand-painted leaf or bloom that makes a room feel instantly unhurried. Watercolour botanical prints work in almost any space because they bring colour without noise. A pale rose art above a shelf feels like a farmhouse in Provence. A set of three tropical leaves in a bathroom nudges it somewhere warmer.

Our watercolour botanical prints are painted with enough variation and softness that they avoid the flat, mass-produced look. That looseness is what gives them holiday energy rather than office-waiting-room energy.

Works best in: Kitchens, bathrooms, sunrooms, hallways.
Pair with: Natural wood, rattan, linen textures.

Highland cow prints: the romance of wild, open landscape

Before you scroll past thinking “that’s not for me”, hear this out. Highland cow prints have stayed one of our most loved ranges for years, and the reason is novelty.

A good highland cow print carries a very particular kind of holiday feeling: the long drive through Scotland, the mist on the hills, the feeling that the rest of the world has gone quiet.

In a living room or hallway, a framed highland cow print brings that mood in without any effort. Our highland cow prints come in sizes that work as a single statement or as part of a gallery wall, and they sit well in both modern interiors and more traditional ones.

Works best in: Living rooms, hallways, home offices.
Pair with: Warm neutrals, dark greens, aged brass or matte black frames.

Minimalist coastal prints: the clarity of an empty beach

You do not need a painted wave to call out the sea. Some of the most effective coastal prints are almost abstract: a single horizon line, a loose ink sketch of a boat, a quiet palette of sand, stone and pale houses. These prints carry the feeling of a beach walk without the seagull-and-lighthouse cliché.

The minimalist approach works especially well in bedrooms and bathrooms, where you want calm rather than busyness. Keep the frame simple (a natural wood or white frame tends to suit) and give the print room to breathe on the wall rather than crowding it with neighbours.

Works best in: Bedrooms, bathrooms, open-plan living spaces.
Pair with: White linens, pale wood, soft greys.

Animal watercolours: personality and a touch of the wild

A well-drawn animal print does something slightly different to a landscape. It brings warmth and character into a room, the feeling of being somewhere alive.

A painted fox cub carries the same charm as spotting something in the hedgerow. A robin brings out lovely memories most of us hold dear. These are not children’s room prints (though they work brilliantly there too). They suit any space where you want texture and personality without pattern overload.

Our watercolour animal prints sit naturally in living rooms and reading corners. If you are building a gallery wall and want something that holds interest up close, an animal watercolour is usually the piece that does it.

Works best in: Living rooms, reading corners, nurseries, kitchens.
Pair with: Warm neutrals, earthy terracottas, natural frames.

Personalised pet portraits: your own holiday companion, on the wall

This one is slightly different. A personalised pet portrait is not taking us somewhere else; it is capturing the one who makes home feel like the best place to be.

Our customers often tell us that a portrait of their dog or cat is the first thing they look at when they come downstairs, and the last thing they see before they leave the house. That kind of daily joy is its own version of a holiday feeling.

If you have a pet, or are buying a gift for someone who does, a personalised pet portrait is the way to go.

You send us a photo, and we turn it into a watercolour portrait printed on 300GSM gallery-quality paper. The result is something that could not be bought off a shelf anywhere else!

Works best in: Anywhere the owner wants it. Living rooms and hallways are most popular.
Pair with: Anything. The portrait is the statement.

How to make holiday prints actually work in a room

Getting the print right is half the job. Here is what to do with it once it arrives.

• Go bigger than you think. The most common thing our customers say after hanging a print is that they wish they had gone one size up. A print needs to hold its own against the furniture around it.
• Frame it properly. Our prints come in solid wood frames, and the difference a good frame makes is significant. It lifts the print from poster to artwork.
• Give it space. A print surrounded by too many other things loses its atmosphere. If the goal is calm and openness, keep the wall around it relatively quiet.
• Hang it at eye level. The centre of the print should sit at roughly 145 to 150cm from the floor. Higher than that and it starts to feel disconnected from the room.
• Let the light in. Natural light makes watercolour prints come alive. If a room is north-facing, choose warmer-toned prints to compensate. Our post on choosing art for north-facing rooms has specific advice on this.

Your turn: Find the print that takes you somewhere

All of the prints above start from just under £16, include free UK delivery on orders over £30, and are printed on 300GSM gallery-quality paper, made in the UK.

We offer 30-day returns and have over 3,000 reviews averaging 4.9 stars, so if it does not feel right on your wall, we will sort it. Browse our full wall art collection

Happy decorating,

Ben,
Happy Art Prints

Frequently asked questions

1. What type of wall art makes a room feel calm and relaxed?
Watercolour botanicals, soft coastal prints, and loose animal illustrations tend to have the strongest calming effect. The key qualities are soft edges, a limited palette, and some sense of natural space or light in the image.

2. What size print should I choose to make an impact?
Bigger than you think is almost always the right call. For a wall above a sofa or bed, aim for a print that fills at least half the width of the furniture below it. As a rough guide, A2 (42 x 59cm) works for most medium walls, and A1 (59 x 84cm) makes a real statement.

3. Do highland cow prints only suit traditional interiors?
Not at all. In darker, moodier tones they suit contemporary and Scandi-influenced interiors well. The trick is choosing the right frame: a matte black or dark wood frame modernises them quickly.

4. How do I hang a print so it looks right in the room?
Hang the centre of the print at approximately 145 to 150cm from the floor, which is roughly average eye level for a standing adult. In a dining room or above a sofa, you can go slightly lower so the art relates to the seated view.

5. Can I get a personalised print as a gift?
Yes. Personalised pet portraits are one of our most popular gift choices, particularly for birthdays, Christmas and new-home occasions. You send a clear photo of the pet, and we produce a watercolour portrait printed on gallery-quality paper. Allow a little extra time for personalised orders.

6. What paper and frames do Happy Art Prints use?
All prints are on 300GSM gallery-quality paper. Frames are solid wood. Everything is made in the UK.