GP & J Baker | Palace Tapestry Velvet

Palace Tapestry Velvet takes the verdure scenic from Royal Court, GP & J Baker's collection drawn from the archive of designs made for royal residences, and prints it on a cotton-rich velvet. The pile softens the drawing and throws the colour about, so the scene reads less as a picture and more as a worn hanging, which is exactly the effect you want from a tapestry design. The repeat is large, 73 centimetres vertically by 68 horizontally, and the cloth has the weight and drape that a velvet gives.

Composition is 83 per cent cotton and 17 per cent polyester, 136 centimetres wide, with a 73 centimetre vertical and 68 centimetre horizontal repeat. It is rated for curtains, loose and fixed upholstery and bedspreads. There is one colourway, Royal Green, a deep foliage green that goes almost black in the shadows of the pile and lifts under a lamp. In a dark room it behaves like a colour; in a light one it behaves like a texture.

We would hang this as full-length curtains in a dining room or a library, where the pile catches candle and lamplight. It is also very good as a pair of door curtains, and on the back of a single large armchair with a plain velvet on the seat. Keep the rest of the room quiet and let the cloth be the event. Sold by the half metre; order a sample to see it in your own light.

Velvet has a direction, so agree the pile with your maker before cutting and mark every piece; run the pile down for curtains and up on seating where you want depth of colour. Allow a full repeat per drop. Do not steam the face, press from the back over a pile board, and hang the curtains for a fortnight before final hemming so the weight settles.

• Composition: 83% cotton, 17% polyester
• Width: 136 cm (53.4 in)
• Pattern repeat: 73 cm vertical, 68 cm horizontal
• Care: Dry clean professionally; do not wash, bleach or iron
• Collection: Royal Court, GP & J Baker
• Colourways: 1 (Royal Green)