There’s a reason painters kept returning to the flamingo; rooms still respond. Put it up and a plain wall stops being background the soft blue checks cool the space down while the deep red neck gives you one clear point of colour to build from. It earns its keep in a kitchen, a cloakroom or a narrow hallway, hung at eye level where you pass it daily. Pair it with painted cabinets, cane or rattan, warm brown wood and a bit of striped or checked fabric. Don’t crowd it with another patterned piece, and skip a heavy gold frame this one wants a simple edge and a bit of breathing room. As a canvas the checks read like woven fabric.