Mulberry Home | Starboard Stripe

Starboard Stripe is a narrow, nautical stripe printed on plain cotton, another of the Westerly Stripes built around the language of the coast. At a 9 centimetre repeat it is closer to a ticking than a broad awning band, a brisk, businesslike stripe rather than a decorative one. The 100 per cent cotton ground is dry and matt, and the print gives the bands a soft rather than a ruled edge. It is the narrowest stripe in the Westerly group, closer in scale to a proper shirting ticking than to the broader bands elsewhere in the collection.

The cloth is 100 per cent cotton, 134 centimetres wide, with a 9 centimetre horizontal repeat and no vertical repeat, since the stripe runs the length of the cloth. It is recommended for curtains, loose and fixed upholstery and bedspreads. There is one colourway, Red/Indigo, a crisp combination that reads as properly nautical rather than folksy.

We would use it on a bench cushion in a boot room, a Roman blind in a bathroom, or as curtains in a boy's bedroom or a boat-house sort of study. Railroaded, it makes a smart vertical stripe on a slipper chair. Pair it with a plain linen or one of the Bohemian Travels prints. A pair of simple curtains in it also suits a cabin-like spare room, where the stripe keeps things crisp rather than fussy. Sold by the half metre; order a sample to see it in your own light.

A making-up note: a narrow stripe like this shows up any poor cutting, so ask your maker to cut on the stripe rather than the selvedge and to match it carefully across any seam. Railroading limits a finished curtain width to around 130 centimetres before a join is needed. Line curtains, and have it dry cleaned rather than washed.

• Composition: 100% cotton
• Width: 134 cm (53 in)
• Pattern repeat: 9 cm horizontal
• Suitable for: Curtains, loose upholstery, fixed upholstery, bedspreads
• Care: Dry clean only; do not wash, bleach or iron
• Collection: Westerly Stripes, Mulberry Home
• Colourways: 1 (Red/Indigo)