Rooms go quieter when soft blue is this sure of itself. A ginger tabby in pearls and a cable-knit jumper holds the room's gaze, and the room politely steps back. Walls calm down. Conversation gets lighter. Hang it where a bit of mischief belongs — above a dressing table, in a dressing room, along a hallway where guests pass through, or in a teenager's bedroom that wants personality without going pink-on-pink. Pairs well with pale oak, blush velvet, milk-glass lamps and rattan. Keep the surroundings simple — one ceramic vase, one small lamp, plenty of bare wall. Avoid stacking it next to other animal portraits or busy florals; the cat has done the work already. Framed in oak or white for the lightest finish.