GP & J Baker | Pebbles

Pebbles is a small-scale jacquard from the Oleander collection, woven in pure silk rather than printed: the repeat is tiny, just 8.9 centimetres across, so the pattern reads as a fine, granular texture rather than a motif you could name. In a room it behaves closer to a plain than to a print, and the silk gives it a soft, changeable sheen that shifts as you move past it. It is the cloth we reach for when a scheme wants light and quiet movement without another pattern to place against it.

The cloth is 100 per cent silk, 137 centimetres wide, with an 8.9 centimetre horizontal repeat and no stated vertical repeat, which keeps cutting simple. GP & J Baker tested it to 25,000 Martindale rubs, a figure that suits curtains and cushions rather than hard-wearing seating, and the mill specifies it for curtains. There is one colourway, Fern, a soft leaf green with enough grey in it to read as quiet rather than bright; it sits comfortably with stone, oak and aged brass.

We use Pebbles for curtains in a room that wants a little sheen without pattern, particularly where good light shows off the silk's movement, and for a pair of cushions on a plain linen sofa. It pairs well with a heavier plain or a small embroidered check, since it has enough presence to hold its own without competing with a bolder print elsewhere in the room. Sold by the half metre; order a sample to see it in your own light.

Because only the horizontal repeat is stated, discuss railroading with your maker before you cut, as it can reduce waste across a wide window. Silk should always be lined and, for a curtain that will hang in strong sun, interlined to protect the fibre from fading. At 25,000 rubs it is not rated for hard upholstery, so keep it to curtains, blinds and cushions rather than a daily-use chair.

• Composition: 100% silk
• Width: 137 cm (54 in)
• Pattern repeat: 8.9 cm horizontal
• Abrasion resistance: 25,000 rubs (Martindale)
• Suitable for: Curtains
• Care: Dry clean professionally; do not wash, tumble dry, bleach or iron.
• Collection: Oleander Fabric, GP & J Baker
• Colourways: 1 (Fern)