Lelievre | Plaisant

Plaisant is a substantial plain weave, at 710 grams the heaviest curtain cloth in this run, with a dense, papery hand that hangs in real, heavy folds rather than floating. It is the kind of plain we specify where a curtain needs to fall with weight and conviction, and where the fabric itself is doing the work of the room rather than a pattern.

It is woven from 100 per cent Trevira CS polyester with an anti-UV finish, the AUV in the composition, so it resists fading on a south-facing window as well as carrying flame-retardant performance in the yarn. At 330 centimetres it is the widest cloth in this drop. There are three colourways, Blanc, a clean white; Ecru, a warmer off-white; and Rafia, a soft natural beige, all close enough in tone to sit together in the same scheme if you wanted a layered neutral look.

We use this for full-length curtains in rooms with strong sun, where the anti-UV finish earns its keep, and for simple interlined drapes where the weight of the cloth itself creates the fold rather than relying on interlining alone. It works well against stone, limewash and pale oak, and as the plain backdrop to a patterned or textured sofa fabric. Sold by the half metre; order a sample to see it in your own light.

The 330 centimetre width means most curtain drops can be railroaded off a single run with no vertical seam, which matters more than usual here given the weight and hand of the cloth, a joined seam in something this heavy would show. We would always allow an extra half metre on full-length pairs for heading and hem, and recommend it goes to a maker used to handling a heavier weight rather than a standard domestic cloth.

• Composition: Polyester (Trevira CS, anti-UV) 100%
• Width: 330 cm (130 in)
• Suitable for: Curtains
• Care: Wash ≤30°C, do not bleach, dry clean with perchlorethylene
• Colourways: 3 (Blanc, Ecru, Rafia)