Osborne & Little | Caledonia

Caledonia is the boldest of the Rannoch Wools, a hexagonal lattice of interlocking diamonds and triangles woven in a heavy wool blend. Read from across a room it has the rhythm of a traditional tile floor; up close the yarns show their tweedy, slightly hairy surface, which keeps the geometry from feeling hard-edged. It is a pattern for making a piece of furniture the point of the room rather than a background to it.

The cloth is woven in Turkey from 56 per cent wool, 28 per cent cotton and 16 per cent polyamide, and at 712 grams per square metre it has real weight and stability. It is rated to 100,000 rubs, which puts it comfortably in the contract band for upholstery, so a sofa, a pair of club chairs or a run of banquette seating will wear well over many years. The 142 centimetre width and a 33 centimetre vertical by 36 centimetre horizontal repeat are easy to plan around on a chair back or a box cushion, and the three colourways are strong and deliberate: Aqua / Terracotta for warmth with a cool counterpoint, Charcoal / Linen for a graphic, tailored look, and Emerald / Gold for something richer.

We tend to use it in small, confident quantities: an ottoman, a single armchair, a bed valance, or the outer of a curtain border where the scale can be appreciated. It also makes a good weight of cushion for a plain linen sofa. Dry clean is recommended. Sold by the half metre; order a sample to see the yarn and colour in your own light.

As with all the Rannoch Wools, Caledonia is a heavy cloth and is best made up by an upholsterer used to working with wool; it should be cut so the hexagons centre on the seat and back, and it takes a self-piping rather than a contrast. A minimum of two metres is usual for a small chair.

• Composition: 56% wool, 28% cotton, 16% polyamide
• Width: 142 cm (56 in)
• Pattern repeat: 33 cm vertical, 36 cm horizontal
• Weight: 712 g per square metre
• Abrasion resistance: 100,000 rubs (Martindale)
• Fire standards: BS 5852 cigarette and match (upholstery); treatable to Crib 5
• Care: Dry clean recommended
• Origin: Woven in Turkey
• Collection: Rannoch Wools, Osborne & Little
• Colourways: 3 (Aqua / Terracotta, Charcoal / Linen, Emerald / Gold)