Seaside Cottage

Above a long, curving bay sits a small whitewashed cottage with a grey slate roof and two chimneys. It has a bright blue front door and a matching blue gate in a low stone wall. A sandy path winds down past dune grass to a shingle beach, where white waves roll in from a deep blue sea. Far off, the coast curls round under a sky of light cloud, with a few birds overhead.

The style is a vintage travel poster: bold shapes, crisp outlines and strong flat colour. Azure, sand and white carry the whole picture, with touches of green and rust in the grass. It is a happy choice for anyone who grew up by the sea, spends every holiday there, or has just moved to the coast. It suits a bathroom, a bright kitchen or a spare room, anywhere you want a breath of sea air.

The tall original has a lot of sky. The wider formats drop most of it and keep the cottage, the path and the sweep of the shore, which still reads well on a metal print. The mug and the framed poster show the full scene. See the whole set on our house paintings page.