GP & J Baker | Barclay

Barclay is a square-set woven texture on a 3 by 3 centimetre repeat, which puts it in the useful middle ground between a plain and a pattern. The grid is regular enough to give a large piece of furniture some structure and small enough that it never asks for attention. The viscose majority gives it a soft fall, while the cotton and linen keep the surface dry and stop it looking synthetic under a downlight.

It is 48 per cent viscose, 32 per cent cotton, 12 per cent linen and 8 per cent polyester, woven 137 centimetres wide and tested to 28,000 rubs on the Martindale scale, rated by the supplier for curtains, loose and fixed upholstery and bedspreads. Blue is the colourway, a clear mid blue with a little grey behind it, deep enough to read as a colour on a sofa and light enough to use across a whole window wall.

We would use Barclay on a sofa in a study or a snug, on a pair of chairs, or as curtains in a bedroom where a plain would look thin. It works with cream, oatmeal, oak and brass, and it takes a check or a stripe on the cushions without competing. In a child's room or a guest bedroom it is a sensible, hard-working choice. Sold by the half metre; order a sample to see it in your own light.

Cost it as a plain with half a metre of allowance. The grid is square and directional, so cut every panel the same way up and square the texture to the front rail on a seat cushion rather than to the frame. For curtains, line the grid up across joins at eye height rather than at the top, since that is where it will be read from.

• Composition: 48% viscose, 32% cotton, 12% linen, 8% polyester
• Width: 137 cm (54 in)
• Pattern repeat: 3 cm vertical, 3 cm horizontal
• Abrasion resistance: 28,000 rubs (Martindale)
• Care: Dry clean only; do not wash, bleach or iron
• Collection: Essential Colour III, GP & J Baker
• Colourways: 1 (Blue)