After many years decorating beach houses, I’ve learned that Driftwood Wall Art Decor is a simple yet elegant way to bring natural, coastal vibes into any space.

In this Nousdecor article, I’ll share coastal wall decor ideas using beautiful DIY driftwood branches, sculptures, mirrors, and more to liven up your living room, kitchen, or any room.

Takeaways

  • Driftwood wall art adds a natural, coastal texture to any space.
  • There are endless possibilities – branches, sculptures, signs, panels, mirrors, and more!
  • Hand-select driftwood with interesting shapes and textures for visual appeal.
  • Incorporate additional beach elements like shells, sea glass, etc for a complete look.
  • Distress and age new driftwood using sanding and stones to give it an authentic timeworn appearance.
  • Look to coastal decor retailers like Pottery Barn for inspiration or create your own DIY projects.
  • Consider lighting and optimal placement in your living room, kitchen, bedroom, or hallway.

Into Driftwood Wall Art Decor

Decorating with driftwood allows you to connect to the calming essence of the beach no matter where you live. The irregular shapes, textures, and natural warmth of driftwood furniture, branches, hearts, and panels add organic interest to walls.

There’s something magical about decor made from wood washed ashore, each item shaped by the sea and the hand of nature. The results are decorative wall art pieces as unique as you.

The Driftwood material as wall art

Types of Driftwood Wall Decor

There are many ways to incorporate driftwood into your wall decor:

  • Driftwood branches – Gather 3-5 various-sized branches and wire or tie them together to create a coastal wall hanging.
  • DIY driftwood wall sign – Use pieces of wood to spell out a meaningful word or saying like “Hope”, “Love”, or “Home”.
  • Driftwood sculpture – Sculpt found driftwood into whale tails, sea turtles, sailboats, etc for artsy coastal decor.
  • Driftwood mirror – Glue smaller driftwood pieces in a fun pattern onto a circular or rectangular mirror for a decorative focal point.
  • Driftwood panel – Tack your favorite beach finds like shells, sea glass, and stones onto a large piece of driftwood for unique wall art.
  • Large driftwood heart – Craft a romantic focal piece by wiring sticks and branches into a rustic heart shape.

Best Places to Display Driftwood Wall Decor

Driftwood art adds warmth and texture to any room:

Driftwood art mixing with a beach photo

Living Room

A driftwood furniture piece above your sofa makes for a striking living room accent. Or try a driftwood panel or heart over the mantel.

Kitchen

Add personality to your kitchen with a decorative wall art for kitchen piece made from small driftwood branches or a wood sign with an inspiring quote.

Bedroom

Dream of ocean waves with a driftwood sculpture or cluster of small driftwood pieces above your bed.

Bathroom

Bring the spa or beach house vibe home with a decorative mirror wall art piece crafted out of weathered gray driftwood sticks.

Hallway

Line the hallway with smaller coastal decor like starfish on driftwood or a collection of sea-glass filled jars attached to planks.

Driftwood Wall Decor Tips

Looking to try driftwood wall art for the first time? Here are my top tips:

  • Shop for authentic driftwood if you don’t live near the coast. Many coastal decor retailers like Pottery Barn sell ready-made driftwood art online.
  • Create your own arrangements with DIY projects – it’s inexpensive and you can customize sizes and shapes.
  • Hand-select wood with interesting knots, holes, or textures for added visual interest.
  • Mix weathered gray and bleached white driftwood for contrast.
  • Incorporate additional coastal elements like seashells, ropes, oars, etc.
  • Use varying lengths and sizes for dimension.
  • Add pops of color with painted driftwood or colorful accent pieces.
  • Distress newer wood by sanding edges or rubbing with stones to age it.
  • Consider lighting – try hanging driftwood in front of a window or adding battery-operated string lights.

Driftwood Wall Art Inspiration

Need a spark of inspiration for your coastal driftwood wall decor? Here are some of my favorite looks that are sure to impress guests:

  • Statement Mirror – A rectangular mirror framed with alternating size sticks of weathered gray and whitewashed driftwood makes for simple yet striking wall art over a console table or mantel.
  • Sculptural Panels – Three tall rectangular panels made from overlapping pieces of assorted driftwood nailed to the backing create textured, dimensional art perfect for a large living room wall.
  • Dreamy Display – Dozens of small-collected driftwood pieces in white, gray, and natural wood tones arranged in an abstract collage by color above a bed.
  • Salvaged Signage – Funky Wall Art Decor is made from broken pieces of old wood salvaged from the beach carved and sanded down to spell out words like “Hope”, “Joy”, or “Grace”.
  • Organic Heart – A large heart shape craftily created out of versatile driftwood branches and sticks of varying sizes and dripped in white paint adds a touch of romance.
  • Seaside Silhouette – A navy shadowbox frames a white sand dollar attached to a bleached piece of driftwood and accented with a starfish for a clean coastal look.
  • Geometric Joy – Triangular cut-outs made from small squared driftwood pieces are organized into a modern geometric design for artsy, non-traditional coastal decor.
  • Bountiful Branches – Five or six large branches twisted together with rope or twine creates sculptural wall art reminiscent of driftwood washed ashore.
A classic piece of driftwood art

Frequently Asked Questions

Some top options are handmade driftwood signs, clusters of branches, carved sculptures like turtles or whales, mirrors with glued-on pieces in a design, and wall panels with layered driftwood.

Check craft stores, home goods retailers like Pottery Barn, and Etsy for handmade pieces, or shops in coastal towns. If you live near the ocean, forage for your own!

Smaller pieces can be purchased affordably, but large statement-making driftwood art pieces are an investment. If you can gather your own materials, DIY projects cost little.

Small pieces can be glued or nailed onto the backing. Use strong adhesive, brackets, or wire to affix larger wood pieces securely to the wall. Some people also just lean assembled pieces against the wall.

Select driftwood that has been dried properly. Seal all sides with polyurethane or spray with hairspray to prevent moisture and minimize potential warping or cracking over time.

Conclusion

Decorating with driftwood allows you to bring a natural beach vibe into any living space. Whether you choose to make a football-themed wall decor piece, display a collection of found objects or opt for a ready-made large driftwood heart from a coastal décor shop, this organic material makes for beautiful wall art.

Curating driftwood sculptures, panels, mirrors and more create a calming atmosphere and the significance of wall art in home decoration together can’t be understated. The coastal essence, texture, and unique shapes of driftwood accessories evoke feelings of harmony with nature.

So give your walls a breath of ocean air with rustic, timeless driftwood wall art in your next decorating project. It’s sure to make your home feel like a beach house, no matter where you live.

Interior Designer

Australian-born Mark Cutler helms one of the Robb Report’s “Top 40” firms in the country and is a leading proponent of interior design as a form of portraiture. His collaborative approach and context-driven studio, Mark Cutler Design, masterfully blends the fundamentals of architecture and interior design to bring to life personal and elegant reflections of his clients both residential and commercial.

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