Mulberry Home | Ghillie

Ghillie takes its name from the Highland gamekeeper, and it has the practical, hardwearing spirit of that world in it: a finely woven wool with a small, all-over texture rather than a printed pattern, closer to a tweed than a decorative cloth. It belongs to Mulberry Wools IV, the brand's ongoing series of plain and near-plain wools for curtains and chairs.

It is 100 per cent wool, 147 centimetres wide, with a 12 centimetre vertical repeat and an 11.3 centimetre horizontal one, and tested to 20,000 rubs on the Martindale scale, which suits curtains and lightly used seating rather than a chair in daily hard wear. It is recommended for curtains, loose and fixed upholstery and bedspreads. There are four colourways: Pigeon, a soft blue-grey; Teal; Russet, the warmest and most autumnal; and Mulberry, a deep, wine-toned red that gives the cloth its name a second meaning.

We would use it for curtains in a study or a snug, on a footstool or a window seat, or as a bedspread with plain linen sheets. Mulberry is the colourway we reach for first when a room wants a little richness without a print. Pair it with a plain linen or one of the brand's checks. Sold by the half metre; order a sample to see it in your own light.

A making-up note: with a repeat this small, estimate quantities much as you would for a plain, though it is still worth cutting all pieces with the weave running the same way. Wool takes a light steam well but must be dry cleaned rather than washed, and because the rub count is moderate, keep it to curtains and lightly used pieces rather than a hall bench.

• Composition: 100% wool
• Width: 147 cm (58 in)
• Pattern repeat: 12 cm vertical, 11.3 cm horizontal
• Abrasion resistance: 20,000 rubs (Martindale)
• Suitable for: Curtains, loose upholstery, fixed upholstery, bedspreads
• Care: Dry clean only; do not wash, bleach or iron
• Collection: Wools IV, Mulberry Home
• Colourways: 4 (Pigeon, Teal, Russet, Mulberry)