With a painted garden scene, scale decides whether the living room wakes up. Go a size up from your instinct the loose brushwork only sings when there is room to breathe.

Hang it and the wall settles. The deep greens calm the room, the dusky purples add weight without going dark, and the warm villa pulls everything together. It reads as old, but never stuffy.

Works above a sofa, console or low sideboard, and earns its keep in a bedroom or quiet hallway. Eye-level on a plain wall is where it looks best.

Pairs well with oak or walnut timber, linen and boucl, aged brass, and stoneware in earth tones. Chalky off-white or soft sage walls give it room.

What to avoid: a busy gallery wall around it. The canvas softens the painted edges and reads even closer to the original brushwork.