By evening, the peonies stop looking decorative and start working. The cream blooms catch low lamplight and the smoky leaves quietly hold the rest of the room together.

A wall that felt flat in the daytime gets depth. The soft beige background pulls colour out of pale woods and linen, and the single coral bud gives the eye somewhere to land.

Best above a low sideboard, a console in a hallway, or behind a bed where the headboard is plain. Wants a calm wall — chalky off-white, warm plaster, or a pale clay tone.

Pair it with oak or walnut, linen upholstery, cream stoneware and a touch of brass. Old ceramics and a quiet table lamp do more than another picture would.

Keep the surrounding wall uncluttered. Stretched over a wooden frame and ready to hang, with framed canvas options if you want a sharper edge.