GP & J Baker | Vintage Velvet

Vintage Velvet is GP & J Baker's performance-minded plain velvet, woven almost entirely in polyester for a dense, resilient pile that is easier to live with day to day than a natural-fibre velvet. It is offered across one of the widest colour ranges in this selection, developed for houses that want the look of a traditional velvet with less worry about wear.

The composition is 95 per cent polyester and 5 per cent viscose, the viscose adding a touch of natural sheen to an otherwise synthetic pile. It is 137 centimetres wide with no stated repeat, and GP & J Baker tested it to 50,000 Martindale rubs, which is rated for upholstery. There are 15 colourways in total; Oyster, Camel, Teal, Indigo and Bronze give a sense of the spread, from pale neutrals through warm browns to blue, green and metallic tones.

We use it for a sofa or armchairs in a busy household, where the polyester pile shrugs off daily wear better than a natural velvet would, and for curtains in a room that wants velvet's depth without its usual fragility. With 15 colourways available it is easy to specify two or three related tones for one room, or run the same velvet through several rooms in a house. Sold by the half metre; order a sample to see it in your own light.

Velvet still needs pile direction respected across a piece, so brief your upholsterer to cut all panels the same way. For curtains, line and interline, and have the finished pair steamed rather than pressed. At 50,000 rubs it is one of the hardest-wearing velvets in this selection, suited to a family sofa, and the polyester content makes it more forgiving of everyday spills than a natural-fibre pile.

• Composition: 95% polyester, 5% viscose
• Width: 137 cm (54 in)
• Abrasion resistance: 50,000 rubs (Martindale)
• Suitable for: Upholstery, Curtains
• Care: Dry clean professionally; do not wash, bleach or iron.
• Collection: Vintage Velvet, GP & J Baker
• Colourways: 15 (Oyster, Camel, Mole, Mink, Pale Sienna, Blush, Teal, Delft, Slate Blue, Indigo, Aqua, Olive, Fern, Peacock, Bronze)