Mulberry Home | Islay

Islay shares its name with one of the Country Walk wallpapers, but as a fabric it is something different: a fine, small-scale wool weave from the same family as Walton, worked from a blend of wool and merino for a soft, dry hand. The 12 centimetre repeat gives it a slightly bolder grain than Walton, though it still reads as a texture rather than a pattern from any distance.

The composition is 50 per cent wool and 50 per cent merino wool, 150 centimetres wide, with a 12 centimetre repeat both vertically and horizontally. It is recommended for curtains, loose and fixed upholstery and bedspreads. There are six colourways, most of them green or green-adjacent: Forest, Lovat and Sage are three related greens, from deep to soft; Stone is the palest neutral; Teal is the coolest; and Red is the only warm option, useful for pulling a red out of a floral elsewhere in a scheme.

We would use Forest or Lovat as a plain partner to one of Mulberry's garden florals, Stone as a background for almost anything, and Red as an accent on a single chair or a run of cushions. It also makes a good, hardwearing curtain in a study or a snug. 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 worth keeping the weave direction consistent across a set of chairs or a pair of curtains. Wool takes a light steam well but must be dry cleaned rather than washed, and it wears reliably on furniture in everyday use.

• Composition: 50% wool, 50% merino wool
• Width: 150 cm (59 in)
• Pattern repeat: 12 cm vertical, 12 cm horizontal
• Suitable for: Curtains, loose upholstery, fixed upholstery, bedspreads
• Care: Dry clean only; do not wash, bleach or iron
• Collection: Bohemian Romance, Mulberry Home
• Colourways: 6 (Stone, Forest, Lovat, Teal, Sage, Red)