Test it this way: if the kitchen feels safe, size up. Three loose watercolour chillies on a soft blue gingham check bring colour into a room that’s gone a bit beige.

What changes: a flat run of cabinets stops looking like storage and starts looking like a room. The red and orange lift, the blue cools, and the cream ground keeps it from shouting.

Where to hang it: above a kitchen counter, on a narrow strip beside a window, or in a breakfast nook where you actually sit down. Eye-level beats high-and-forgotten.

What to pair with it: pale oak, painted shaker fronts, linen, stoneware, a bit of brass. Nothing too polished.

What not to do: don’t bury it in a busy gallery wall this one likes a bit of breathing room. Ready to hang, stretched over a wooden frame.