Mulberry Home | Grasses

Grasses is a printed linen built around the simplest of subjects, tall seed heads and stems drawn in a fine, repeating column rather than a full-blown floral. It has a quiet, textural quality from across a room, closer to a woven texture than a picture, and it is a useful way to bring a little movement into a scheme without adding a busy pattern to a room that already has enough going on.

It is 100 per cent linen, 135 centimetres wide, with a 60 centimetre vertical repeat and no fixed horizontal repeat to match. Tested to 40,000 rubs on the Martindale scale, it is rated for upholstery as well as curtains. There are three colourways: Plum, deep and slightly moody; Gold, warm and gilded; and Brick, a dusty, weathered red. Gold is the one we reach for in a room that wants warmth without introducing a fresh pattern.

We would use it for a pair of curtains in a sitting room or a study, or as upholstery on a pair of dining chairs where a subtle, textural pattern is more useful than a large motif. It also makes a good headboard fabric for a room that wants texture rather than a statement, and it pairs easily with a Mulberry check or a plain wool. Sold by the half metre; order a sample to see it in your own light.

A making-up note: with a 60 centimetre vertical repeat, allow one extra repeat per drop for curtains, though the lack of a horizontal repeat makes joining widths straightforward. Given its high rub count, it upholsters well on a dining chair in everyday use. Dry clean the cloth rather than washing it, and never tumble dry it.

• Composition: 100% linen
• Width: 135 cm (53 in)
• Pattern repeat: 60 cm vertical
• Abrasion resistance: 40,000 rubs (Martindale)
• Suitable for: Curtains, loose upholstery, fixed upholstery
• Care: Dry clean only; do not wash, tumble dry, bleach or iron
• Collection: Rossini Velvet, Mulberry Home
• Colourways: 3 (Plum, Gold, Brick)