GP & J Baker | Lyall

Lyall is a fine semi-plain on a 2 by 1.5 centimetre texture, which is small enough that the eye takes it as a colour with grain in it rather than as a pattern. The cotton and linen together give the surface a matt, slightly rough finish, and the viscose underneath keeps the drape soft. In a deep colourway that combination is useful, because the texture catches enough light to show the shape of a piece of furniture.

It is 41 per cent viscose, 35 per cent cotton, 18 per cent linen and 6 per cent polyester, woven 140 centimetres wide and tested to 28,000 rubs on the Martindale scale, which the supplier rates for curtains, loose and fixed upholstery and bedspreads. Chocolate is the colourway, a warm dark brown with red rather than grey behind it, so it sits closer to bitter chocolate than to a cold espresso brown.

We would use Lyall on a pair of chairs against a pale wall, on the base of a banquette, or as the dark half of a two-tone sofa with a cream plain on the cushions. Full-length curtains in it will make a light room feel enclosed in the evening. It goes with cream, stone, brass and old oak, and a soft red or an ochre cushion lifts it. Sold by the half metre; order a sample to see it in your own light.

Cost it as a plain and add half a metre. Keep every panel running the same way up, because the small texture is directional and a reversed piece reads as a slightly different brown. On a dark cloth, use a matching thread and check the tension on a scrap first: a pale stitch line shows badly. Self-piping should be cut on the cross to stop the texture striping along the edge.

• Composition: 41% viscose, 35% cotton, 18% linen, 6% polyester
• Width: 140 cm (55 in)
• Pattern repeat: 2 cm vertical, 1.5 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 (Chocolate)