Mulberry Home | Highland Check

Highland Check is a printed check on a viscose and cotton velvet, close and even in scale, so the grid sits softly into the pile rather than reading as a hard graphic line. The pile is short and even, keeping the check crisp rather than blurred. The velvet ground gives the check real depth and a slight sheen along the pile direction, and it has the tailored, Scottish-tweed character the name suggests, without the weight of an actual wool.

The composition is 55 per cent viscose and 45 per cent cotton, 140 centimetres wide, with an 18 centimetre vertical repeat and a 17.5 centimetre horizontal one. Tested to 50,000 rubs on the Martindale scale, it is rated for upholstery as well as curtains. There are five colourways: Woodsmoke, a smoky neutral; Indigo, deep and inky; Teal, cool and clean; Emerald, the richest green; and Spice, warm and burnt orange. Woodsmoke is the one we choose most often as a grounding neutral.

We would put this on a wing chair, a chesterfield or a headboard, where the velvet's depth and the check's structure work well together, or hang it as curtains in a study or a snug. It wears well given its high rub count, so it suits a piece of furniture in daily use. A family sitting room is exactly the sort of place we would use it. Sold by the half metre; order a sample to see it in your own light.

A making-up note: velvet must always be cut with the pile running one way throughout a piece, so tell your maker before you order. With an 18 centimetre repeat, ask your upholsterer to keep the check level and square on any seat or back panel. Dry clean only, and press only from the reverse.

• Composition: 55% viscose, 45% cotton
• Width: 140 cm (55 in)
• Pattern repeat: 18 cm vertical, 17.5 cm horizontal
• Abrasion resistance: 50,000 rubs (Martindale)
• Suitable for: Curtains, loose upholstery, fixed upholstery
• Care: Dry clean only; do not wash, bleach or iron
• Collection: Modern Country Velvets, Mulberry Home
• Colourways: 5 (Woodsmoke, Indigo, Teal, Emerald, Spice)