GP & J Baker | Fairford

Fairford is a plain velvet from the Cosmopolitan collection, woven in a single fibre so the pile takes colour evenly and the cloth relies entirely on the quality of its sheen rather than on any printed or woven motif. It is a substantial cloth, dense enough to hold its shape on a large piece of furniture, and the sort of velvet we choose when a room wants colour and depth without pattern.

The composition is 100 per cent viscose, which gives the pile a soft hand and a good, even lustre. It is 137 centimetres wide, with a 42 centimetre vertical and 34.5 centimetre horizontal repeat, and GP & J Baker tested it to 38,000 Martindale rubs, which is rated for upholstery. There is one colourway, Cream/Pewter/Rose, a tonal three-way blend that reads as a soft, warm neutral rather than any one of its component colours; it is an easy velvet to build a scheme around.

We use it for a sofa or a pair of armchairs where the colour needs to carry a room, and it makes handsome curtains in a formal sitting room or a bedroom. Pair it with a plain linen or a small stitched pattern in one of its underlying tones, and keep hardware and trims simple so the velvet does the talking. Sold by the half metre; order a sample to see it in your own light.

Velvet needs a little extra in the cutting: allow for pile direction, so all pieces run the same way, and brief your upholsterer to work with the nap rather than against it. For curtains, line and interline, and have the cloth steamed rather than pressed to keep the pile standing. At 38,000 rubs it is a genuinely hard-wearing choice for daily-use seating.

• Composition: 100% viscose
• Width: 137 cm (54 in)
• Pattern repeat: 42 cm vertical, 34.5 cm horizontal
• Abrasion resistance: 38,000 rubs (Martindale)
• Suitable for: Upholstery, Curtains
• Care: Dry clean professionally; do not wash, bleach or iron.
• Collection: Cosmopolitan, GP & J Baker
• Colourways: 1 (Cream/Pewter/Rose)