Mulberry Home | Ladbroke Stripe

Ladbroke Stripe is one of the smaller designs in Mulberry's Small Prints book, a fine printed stripe with just enough irregularity in the line to keep it from looking like a ruled ticking. It is printed on a plain cotton ground with a dry, matt hand, and it is the sort of pattern that behaves itself in a room full of other things, adding structure rather than asking to be the star.

It is a 100 per cent cotton cloth, 135 centimetres wide, with a 20 centimetre vertical repeat and a 15 centimetre horizontal one, a small, even scale that reads as texture from across a room. It is recommended for curtains and upholstery, with enough repeat for a bedspread as well. There are five colourways: Blue is the coolest and safest; Plum/Russet and Teal/Red bring more warmth; Teal/Green and Red/Green tie most directly back to the collection's florals.

We use a stripe like this to steady a scheme that already has a floral or a paisley in it: a pair of curtains behind a patterned headboard, a bedroom chair, or the piping and border on a plainer sofa. It is also a good choice for a child's room, where a small print wears better over time than a bold one. Sold by the half metre; order a sample to see it in your own light.

Fine stripes show up any error in cutting, so ask your maker to cut on the stripe rather than the selvedge and to match it carefully across any seam. Allow a little extra for pattern loss on upholstery, where the stripe needs to run true across a cushion front. Dry clean only; do not wash, bleach or iron.

• Composition: 100% cotton
• Width: 135 cm (53 in)
• Pattern repeat: 20 cm vertical, 15 cm horizontal
• Suitable for: Curtains, loose upholstery, fixed upholstery, bedspreads
• Care: Dry clean only; do not wash, bleach or iron
• Collection: Small Prints, Mulberry Home
• Colourways: 5 (Blue, Plum/Russet, Teal/Green, Teal/Red, Red/Green)