Even the plaster in here starts looking expensive next to deep red-brown. That’s what this heron does to a room: it turns a plain wall into the thing people comment on. The hand-painted checks bring warmth and pattern without any fuss, and the grey-blue bird keeps it calm rather than loud. Hang it in a hallway, above a kitchen counter or on a dining wall where people pass close and get to see the brushwork. Pair it with cream or deep green cabinets, dark wood, stoneware and a bit of cane. Don’t put it above a heavily patterned rug or beside busy wallpaper the checks want a quiet wall around them. As a canvas it looks like a painting on the wall, with no glare from the side.