GP & J Baker | Sarsden

Sarsden is the pure linen plain in the House Plain & Stripe II range: a medium-weight, unpatterned weave with the dry hand and faint slub of a good linen. With no repeat to match, it is a straightforward cloth to specify across a large run of curtain, a sofa or a set of dining chairs, and the wide colour run means it rarely needs to be swapped for a different house. We think of it as the cloth to reach for once the pattern in a room has already been chosen, since its job is to sit quietly behind whichever print, embroidery or stripe is doing the talking.

The cloth is 100 per cent linen, 138 centimetres wide, and GP & J Baker specify it for curtains, loose and fixed upholstery and bedspreads. Eleven colourways, from pale neutrals such as Chalk, Marble, Ivory, Linen, Flax and Stone through to Red, Soft Blue, Denim, Aqua and Dove, giving a wide enough run to sit behind almost any of the house prints.

We use it for curtains and blinds where a room already carries pattern elsewhere, for upholstery on a sofa or chair, and as a coordinating plain for cushions cut from one of the house prints. The pale neutrals are the ones we reach for most; Red and Denim are useful where a scheme needs a single strong note. Sold by the half metre; order a sample to see it in your own light.

With no repeat, quantities are simple to calculate and cutting wastes little cloth. Line and interline curtains for weight and protection from strong light. For upholstery, ask your maker about railroading on a wide sofa, and check with us for current rub test data before specifying it for a heavily used piece.

• Composition: 100% linen
• Width: 138 cm (54 in)
• Care: Dry clean only; do not wash, bleach or iron
• Collection: House Plain & Stripe II, GP & J Baker
• Colourways: 11 (Chalk, Marble, Ivory, Linen, Flax, Stone and 5 more)