Seen beside terracotta, the coastal village loses nostalgia and gains grit. The stone walls and clay pots in the picture start talking to the real materials in your room, so it reads as a place rather than a postcard. Hung up, a flat wall gains depth and warmth: the gold light lifts dull corners and the blue bay cools everything down again. It works above a sofa, a sideboard or a bed, and it holds a hallway on its own. Pair it with linen, pale plaster walls, cane and warm wood. Keep glossy chrome, cold grey walls and loud pattern away from it, and don’t crowd it with other busy scenes. As a canvas it takes on a softer, more painterly surface that suits the loose washes.