Mulberry Home | Babington Check

Babington Check is a small, even windowpane check from Mulberry's Icons book, woven rather than printed so the grid is genuinely part of the cloth and not just sitting on its surface. The viscose content gives it a soft lustre and a fluid hand, and at this scale the check reads as a texture from across a room rather than a bold graphic statement, making it an easy substitute for a plain wherever a scheme needs a little more depth.

The composition is 40 per cent viscose, 33 per cent cotton and 27 per cent linen, 140 centimetres wide, with a 5 centimetre vertical repeat and a 3.5 centimetre horizontal one. Tested to 45,000 rubs on the Martindale scale, it is rated for upholstery as well as curtains. There are four colourways: Indigo is the safest and most versatile, Teal/Spice and Green/Sand the two-colour options, and Red/Blue the most graphic.

We use a small check like this as the workhorse of a scheme: dining chairs, a window seat, or the outside back and arms of a sofa fronted in a Mulberry floral. It also makes a smart pair of curtains on its own in a study or a hallway. Pair it with a larger check or a print from the same colour family. Sold by the half metre; order a sample to see it in your own light.

Because the check is so fine, matching loss is modest, but still ask your maker to centre the grid on any visible panel and to keep the lines square across a pair of curtains or a run of seating. The viscose content means the cloth should be dry cleaned rather than washed, and delivered rolled rather than folded to avoid creasing.

• Composition: 40% viscose, 33% cotton, 27% linen
• Width: 140 cm (55 in)
• Pattern repeat: 5 cm vertical, 3.5 cm horizontal
• Abrasion resistance: 45,000 rubs (Martindale) - rated for upholstery
• Suitable for: Curtains, loose upholstery, fixed upholstery, bedspreads
• Care: Dry clean only; do not wash, bleach or iron
• Collection: Icons Fabric, Mulberry Home
• Colourways: 4 (Indigo, Teal/Spice, Green/Sand, Red/Blue)