Housewarming gifts in Ireland: choosing art for someone else's home
By Amy Byrne · · 5 min read
Art is a risky housewarming gift — unless you follow a few rules. Subjects that suit any home, sizes that fit a new house, and the escape hatch if you are unsure.
Wall art is either the best housewarming gift someone gets or the one quietly stored in the spare room. The difference comes down to a few decisions.
Rule one: landscape over portrait subject
A photograph of the Irish countryside asks nothing of the person receiving it. A close portrait of a specific animal is a stronger statement — lovely if you know them well, risky if you do not. Start in the Irish countryside collection.
Rule two: local beats generic
A print of the landscape they actually live in, or moved away from, is a genuinely personal gift. New house in Wicklow? Wicklow hills. Emigrating? A country road at sunrise does a lot of work on a wall in London or Boston.
Rule three: size to the room
New homes have empty walls and no plan yet, so err slightly larger than feels safe:
- Hallway — 8×10″. First thing seen, small wall.
- Living room — 16×24″. One proper piece beats three small ones.
- Kitchen — 5×5″, propped on a shelf rather than hung.
- Bedroom — 12×16″, above the bed or a chest of drawers.
More detail in the print size guide.
Rule four: frame it
A housewarming gift should not become a task. Framing is €15 on any size, and a ready-to-hang oak frame means it is on the wall the same week rather than leaning behind a door until Easter. See framed or unframed.
Rule five: if in doubt, black and white
Monochrome does not clash with a paint colour you have not seen. Any print can be made as a black-and-white edition at no extra cost.
Budget guide
| Budget | What it buys |
|---|---|
| €10–€20 | A 5×5″ or 8×10″ unframed print |
| €30–€40 | An 8×10″ framed print, ready to hang |
| €50–€70 | A 12×16″ or 16×24″ framed statement piece |
Prices exclude postage, calculated at checkout by destination. Browse everything in the shop, or ask for a recommendation through the contact page.
Frequently asked
- Is wall art a good housewarming gift?
- Yes, if you play it safe on subject. Landscape photography suits almost any home, while a specific animal portrait is better only when you know the person's taste well.
- What size print makes a good housewarming gift?
- An 8×10″ framed print at €38 is the reliable choice. Go to 12×16″ or 16×24″ if it is for a living room or a significant occasion.
- Should a gift print be framed?
- Framing is worth the €15. A ready-to-hang oak frame means the gift goes on the wall straight away instead of waiting for the recipient to organise framing.
- How much should you spend on a housewarming gift in Ireland?
- Most people spend €20–€50. That covers an unframed 12×16″ print or a framed 8×10″ here, both excluding postage.
More guides
- Wall art room by room: nursery, home office and hallway
Which prints suit a nursery, a home office and a hallway — sizes, subjects, heights and colours for the three rooms people leave until last.
- How to photograph your dog (and get one worth framing)
Practical dog photography tips — get down low, use the right light, freeze movement, keep their attention, and how to tell if a phone photo will print well.
- Irish landscape photography: chasing light in a country with none
How to photograph the Irish landscape in bad light — golden hour, the twenty minutes after rain, blue hour, and which conditions actually print well.