Mulberry Home | Heirloom Paisley

Heirloom Paisley is a proper paisley, drawn with the curling, teardrop motifs that give the pattern its name, printed on a plain 100 per cent cotton ground. It is one of the more overtly decorative designs in the Mulberry range, closer to a shawl print than a chintz, and it carries real weight in a room: this is a pattern that sets the tone rather than sitting quietly in the background.

The cloth is 100 per cent cotton, 140 centimetres wide, with a 46 centimetre vertical repeat and a 69 centimetre horizontal one. Tested to 20,000 rubs on the Martindale scale, it is recommended for curtains, loose and fixed upholstery and bedspreads. There is one colourway, Damson, a deep, plummy purple set against a warmer, paler ground, which reads almost as a neutral once it has some company, and which sits particularly well against old mahogany and brass.

We would hang it as curtains in a dining room or a study, where its density and colour can do the work of a darker wallpaper, or use it on a single armchair rather than a whole sofa, so the paisley stays a feature rather than a wall of pattern. Pair it with a plain velvet or a fine stripe in a related colour. Sold by the half metre; order a sample to see it in your own light.

A making-up note: allow one full 46 centimetre repeat per drop for matching, and ask your maker to centre a motif at the leading edge of a pair of curtains. On upholstery, centre the paisley on the inside back and let the arms take the ground colour. Dry clean only; do not wash, bleach or iron.

• Composition: 100% cotton
• Width: 140 cm (55 in)
• Pattern repeat: 46 cm vertical, 69 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: Country Weekend, Mulberry Home
• Colourways: 1 (Damson)