A living room this pared back can take one serious dark green. Matisse’s tretat brings the chalk cliffs and a beached fishing boat into a room without raising the volume sandy beige, soft olive and pale grey do the work. Hang it above a low sofa or a long sideboard where you want a calm focal point. It pairs naturally with linen, oak, aged leather and stoneware in earth tones. Skip glossy, high-shine surfaces nearby this is a brushy, painterly piece and likes to sit against chalky plaster walls or a soft off-white. The canvas edge gives the brushwork a slightly more textural, studio feel.