Once the soft sage green enters, the whole room stops apologising. Two cranes stretch across the wall, and the colour does the quiet work of settling everything around it.

What changes is the calm. Sharp edges in a room soften. Neutral walls stop feeling empty and start feeling considered. The detail in the wings rewards a second look without ever shouting for one.

It earns its keep above a console in a hallway, over the headboard in a bedroom, or on the long wall of a dining room. Landscape format means it wants a bit of breathing room either side — don't tuck it into a corner.

Pair with pale oak or walnut, cream linen, black metal fittings and a stoneware vase or two. A paper lampshade nearby plays nicely with the painterly finish.

Don't crowd it with busy florals or competing greens. The canvas gives the sage ground a matte, almost wall-painted feel.