GP & J Baker | Esker

Esker is a plain from the Essential Colours group, cross-listed among the collection's Natural mini books, with a smooth, even face and no repeat to match. It is offered in just two colourways rather than the collection's wider spreads, one a warm neutral and one a strong blue, which makes it an easy cloth to specify quickly for a scheme with a clear direction already set. Like the other Essential Colours plains, it is built to be used generously rather than saved for a single accent piece.

The composition is 40 per cent viscose, 38 per cent cotton, 16 per cent linen and 6 per cent polyester, a blend that keeps the surface smooth and consistent from roll to roll. 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. Two colourways, Oatmeal and Indigo; Oatmeal is a soft, warm neutral, Indigo a deep, even blue that reads as confident without tipping into navy.

We use it for a sofa or curtains where a scheme needs one of two clear directions: warm and neutral, or a confident blue. Pair Oatmeal with an archive floral in warm tones, and Indigo with a cooler print or a plain in a related blue elsewhere in the room, keeping other strong colours out of the same space. Sold by the half metre; order a sample to see it in your own light, since Indigo in particular can read darker under artificial light.

With no repeat, cutting is simple and wastage low. Line curtains for a good fall; for upholstery, standard construction applies, and at 40,000 rubs it is rated for genuinely heavy daily use, including a family sofa or a pair of chairs in constant use. Check the dye lot across a large order before cutting begins, particularly on Indigo, where any variation is more visible than on a paler neutral.

• Composition: 40% viscose, 38% cotton, 16% linen, 6% 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: 2 (Oatmeal, Indigo)