Here’s the trick: let the portrait cut through all that plaster. In a room of quiet walls and matching wood, this one figure gives you somewhere to look. The warm brown background keeps things calm, then the soft pink sleeves, dark green waistcoat and mustard counter do the talking. Hang it above a sideboard, in a dining corner, or on the narrow wall beside a drinks trolley where it reads like a small bar scene of its own. Pair it with rust and pink textiles, walnut or cane furniture, smoked glass and stoneware. Don’t crowd it with other faces or busy pattern prints one figurative piece per wall is plenty. On canvas the soft edges feel more like a painting on the wall.