Back in the 1950s, this flamingo painting belonged to another kind of home. Put it up and a plain wall stops being background. The checkerboard does the heavy lifting from across the room, then the flamingo pulls you closer. It suits a hallway, a kitchen wall or the gap above a low sideboard, hung at eye level so the long leg reads properly. Pair it with painted timber, cane, glazed pots and checked cotton in soft pink or blue. Keep the wall colour quiet chalky off-white or a pale pink works. What not to do: crowd it with other patterned pieces, or hang it next to busy wallpaper. It needs a bit of clear wall around it to be fun rather than noisy. As a canvas the painted surface reads softer and slightly warmer.