Can you remember a specific piece of advice on writing that made reference to the stain on a motel room wall?

This might be a hopeless quest, but there’s a bit of Quixote in my soul.

Somewhere, sometime, years ago, I read an article or chapter on the craft of writing that talked about selectivity of detail. The article used as an example the depiction of a motel room in a detective story written by a well-known author. The only detail described in the story was a brownish stain on the wallpaper.

The article writer explained how the selection of that one telling detail gave us a sense of the decayed appearance and seedy character of the motel room without having to go any further. The point was to choose the one right detail instead of shoveling out quantities of unnecessary information.

If you recognize the article I’m thinking of, can you please suggest where I might find it?

Thank you.