Here’s the trick: let the kingfisher cut through all that linen. Rooms built on oatmeal sofas, pale timber and plain cushions go quiet very quickly, and this is the piece that breaks the spell. The bright blue back and orange chest do the heavy lifting, and the pink checked background keeps it cheerful rather than serious. Hang it in a hallway where you pass it several times a day, above a chest of drawers, or on a narrow bit of wall between two doors. Pair it with deep green velvet, warm brown wood, cane and a few glossy ceramics. Don’t hang it beside small-patterned wallpaper or another busy print it needs plain wall around it to land. As a canvas the painterly surface reads as a real painting from across the room.