GP & J Baker | Drift

Drift is a plain from the Essential Colours group, a cotton-forward weave with no repeat to match and one of the widest colour spreads in this selection. It is built to be the quiet, dependable cloth in a scheme, the one that carries a room's colour without asking to be looked at directly, and the cotton content gives it a slightly firmer hand than the collection's viscose-led weaves.

The composition is 50 per cent cotton, 28 per cent viscose, 18 per cent linen and 4 per cent polyester, giving it more body than the viscose-heavy weaves elsewhere in the collection. It is 137 centimetres wide with no stated repeat, and GP & J Baker tested it to 40,000 Martindale rubs, which is rated for upholstery. There are six colourways in total; Marble, Flax, Stone and Spice are the ones we use most, moving from a pale neutral through beige to a warm terracotta, with Delft and Shingle completing the range.

We use it for a sofa in daily use, where the cotton content adds real durability, and for curtains in a room built on warm neutrals. Pair Marble or Flax with an archive floral, and let Spice or Delft carry more colour on their own in an otherwise plain room. Sold by the half metre; order a sample to see it in your own light.

With no repeat, cutting is simple and wastage low. Line curtains for a good fall; for upholstery, standard construction applies, and the cotton content means it will keep its shape well on a well-used piece. Check the dye lot across a large order, particularly if you are specifying more than one colourway in the same room.

• Composition: 50% cotton, 28% viscose, 18% linen, 4% polyester
• Width: 137 cm (54 in)
• Abrasion resistance: 40,000 rubs (Martindale)
• Suitable for: Upholstery, Curtains
• Care: Dry clean professionally; do not wash, bleach or iron.
• Collection: Essential Colours, GP & J Baker
• Colourways: 6 (Marble, Flax, Stone, Spice, Delft, Shingle)