GP & J Baker | Darwen

Darwen is a close, plain-woven texture from the Baker House Textures range, its surface made up of fine, slightly uneven threads that give it a soft, papery depth rather than the flatness of a true plain. With no pattern repeat, it behaves as a background cloth: the kind you put a print or an embroidery against rather than the print itself.

The composition is 42 per cent viscose, 34 per cent cotton, 20 per cent linen and 4 per cent polyester, which gives it a little more sheen and drape than a straight linen weave. It is 142 centimetres wide, rated at 30,000 rubs on the Martindale test, so it is rated for upholstery as well as curtains, and GP & J Baker specify it for curtains, loose and fixed upholstery and bedspreads. Three colourways: Linen, Parchment and Tomato. Linen and Parchment are close, workable neutrals; Tomato is the one warm, saturated option in the range.

We use it for upholstery on a pair of armchairs or a window seat, where its texture reads as calm rather than patterned, and for curtains in a room that already carries pattern on the walls or the sofa. Tomato is a good choice for a single upholstered piece that needs to carry colour on its own. Pair a neutral colourway with one of the Ashmore florals, or Tomato with a plain green. Sold by the half metre; order a sample to see it in your own light.

There is no repeat to match, so cutting is straightforward and wastes little cloth. Line and interline curtains for body and a good hang. On upholstery, railroad where the piece allows it to avoid a seam across a wide back, and keep offcuts for arm caps or piping in a matching or contrasting colourway.

• Composition: 42% viscose, 34% cotton, 20% linen, 4% polyester
• Width: 142 cm (56 in)
• Abrasion resistance: 30,000 rubs (Martindale)
• Care: Dry clean only; do not wash, bleach or iron
• Collection: Baker House Textures, GP & J Baker
• Colourways: 3 (Linen, Parchment, Tomato)