GP & J Baker | Matrix

Matrix is a plain from the Essential Colours group, a viscose and cotton weave with no linen in the blend, which gives it a slightly smoother, more even face than some of its linen-rich stablemates. It carries no repeat to match and is offered across five colourways spanning warm neutrals to blue and green, wide enough to cover most of what a scheme is likely to need. As with the rest of the Essential Colours group, it is designed to work at scale across a whole room rather than as a single accent.

The composition is 48 per cent viscose, 34 per cent cotton and 18 per cent polyester, a blend chosen for a smooth, consistent face rather than a textured one. 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. Five colourways: Sand, Parchment, Spice, Azure and Sage, giving a genuine spread from pale neutral to warm terracotta, blue and green.

We use it for a sofa or curtains in almost any scheme, since the five colourways cover most of the palettes a room is likely to need. Pair Sand or Parchment with an archive floral, and let Spice, Azure or Sage carry colour in a quieter room built around a single plain rather than a printed pattern. Sold by the half metre; order a sample to see it in your own light, since the warmer and cooler colourways can shift depending on the room's own 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 in constant use. Check the dye lot across a large order, particularly if more than one colourway is being used in the same room or across adjoining spaces.

• Composition: 48% viscose, 34% cotton, 18% 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: 5 (Sand, Parchment, Spice, Azure, Sage)