The safest wall art for housewarming gift ideas is a calm print that suits any home: line art, a botanical, or a city print of their new town or where they grew up. Stick to A4 to 30 x 40 cm so it fits any wall or shelf, choose a neutral frame, and add a short handwritten gift note.
Why is wall art a good housewarming gift?
A new home has bare walls, and most people take months to get round to filling them. A print helps with that straight away. It's also more personal than a candle or a bottle of wine, it lasts, and it doesn't need cupboard space in a house that's still full of boxes.
The catch is that you're choosing for a home you may not have seen properly yet. So the trick is to pick something that will sit happily in almost any room, at a size that doesn't ask them to plan a wall around it.
Which wall art styles suit any home?
Line art
Fine black line drawings on a cream or white background are about as safe as wall art gets. They work with modern, traditional, Scandi or cottage interiors, and they don't fight with whatever colour the walls end up. The minimalist line art landscape, a black ink drawing of trees and a small house, is a sweet choice for a new home without being too literal.
Botanical prints
Plant drawings and soft florals bring a bit of life into a room and sit well next to real plants. Look for muted greens, creams and sepia rather than bright tropical colours, which are harder to place. The botanical flora drawing or the painterly white daisy print are both easy to live with.
A city print of their new town, or where they're from
This is the one that gets the biggest reaction. A print of the town they've just moved to marks the move. A print of the place they grew up, or where they met, reminds them of home in their new house. Retro travel posters like the Manchester skyline poster, the London red phone box poster or the softer Edinburgh watercolour look good in a hallway or kitchen. I've written more about place prints in travel posters as souvenirs.
Simple typography
A word or short line in clean black lettering can work, as long as it's not cheesy. The Home typography print, laid out like a dictionary definition, is a nice nod to the occasion and suits a hallway or entrance.
What size should a housewarming print be?
Keep it between A4 and 30 x 40 cm. Here's why each size works.
| Size | Dimensions | Where it'll end up |
|---|---|---|
| A4 | 21 x 29.7 cm | Leaning on a shelf, mantelpiece or kitchen worktop, or hung in a downstairs loo |
| 30 x 40 cm | 30 x 40 cm | Hallway, landing, beside a door or above a small table |
| A3 | 29.7 x 42 cm | Kitchen wall, study, the space above a radiator |
Anything bigger, such as 50 x 70 cm, needs a particular wall and someone who's ready to commit to it. Unless you know the room well, leave the big pieces to them. Small prints can also lean, which matters if they're renting and can't put holes in the wall. There's more on that in abstract art for rented flats you can't paint.
Housewarming print ideas by type of move
A first flat
First flats are often small, rented and furnished in a hurry. An A4 print that leans on a shelf or a windowsill is ideal, because they may not be allowed to drill. Something fresh and simple, like a single botanical stem, makes a plain rental feel lived in.
A couple's first house
This is where a city print really lands, especially of the town where they met or the place one of them is from. A 30 x 40 cm print fits a hallway, which is often the first wall people tackle in a new house.
A family home or a downsize
People moving into a bigger family home usually have lots of walls and furniture they already love, so go for something that fits in quietly, such as a muted floral or a line drawing. People who are downsizing are often editing their belongings hard, so give one small, meaningful print rather than anything big. The wildflower line art print is light, pretty and takes up almost no space.
Should a housewarming print be framed?
Yes, if you can. A framed print is ready to hang or lean the day they unwrap it, and in the chaos of a move that's what gets it onto a wall. Many Spade22 prints come framed in black, white, wood or dark wood. If you have no idea about their style, light wood is the most forgiving; black is a safe second.
How do I choose without seeing their house?
Use this quick checklist before you buy.
- Think about what you know about their taste. Look at their clothes, their old flat, their social media. Are they colourful or neutral, modern or vintage?
- Choose a subject with a link to them: the new town, their home town, a plant they love, a hobby.
- Pick a quiet colour palette. Black, cream, sage, sand and soft blue suit most rooms.
- Keep it A4 to 30 x 40 cm.
- Choose a neutral frame.
- Add a gift note that explains why you chose it.
What should I write in a housewarming gift note?
A gift note turns a nice print into a thoughtful one. Keep it short, mention the house, and say why you chose the print. A few examples:
- For a city print of their new town: Welcome to your new neighbourhood. Here's a bit of it for the wall.
- For a print of where they're from: So you always have a piece of home in your new home.
- For a botanical: One plant you'll never forget to water.
- For line art or typography: For the first nail in the wall. Congratulations on the new place.
Write it by hand on a card and tuck it inside the wrapping, or tape it to the back of the frame so it stays with the print.
Shop the look
For more ideas, browse the line art prints collection, the botanical prints collection and the travel posters collection. Prints start at £9.99.
Quick answers
Is wall art a good housewarming gift?
Yes. New homes usually have bare walls, and a small framed print is personal, lasting and easy to place, as long as you keep the style simple.
What size print should I give as a housewarming present?
Between A4 and 30 x 40 cm. That size fits a shelf, hallway or kitchen wall without needing any planning.
What wall art suits any home?
Line drawings, muted botanicals and simple black and white typography suit almost any style of interior.
Is a city print a good housewarming gift?
Yes. A print of their new town marks the move, and a print of where they grew up gives them a reminder of home.
What do you write on a housewarming card with a gift?
Congratulate them on the new place and add one line about why you picked the print, such as a link to the town or to them.
