Romo | Omba

Omba is a weave built from six fibres and you can feel every one of them. Linen and wool sit in equal measure at the top of the blend, which gives the cloth a dry, faintly grainy handle rather than the soft slump of a plain wool. Cotton and polyester underneath hold the structure honest, and small amounts of acrylic and polyamide stop the surface fluffing where it gets worked. A short repeat travels up the piece, enough to keep the texture shifting across a wide panel without ever announcing itself as a pattern.

The composition is 28% LI linen, 28% WO wool, 19% CO cotton, 15% PL polyester, 7% PC acrylic and 3% PA polyamide, woven to a 137 centimetre width with a 20 centimetre vertical repeat and nothing to match across. It is rated 100,000 rubs on the Martindale test, graded severe contract, far beyond what a domestic room asks. Four colourways: Blueberry, the deep inky one; Cinnamon, a warm red-brown; Doeskin, the quiet mid-neutral; and Seaglass, a soft grey-green that sits well with stone.

We tend to use Omba on seating that actually gets sat on. It takes a deep-seated sofa or a wide armchair well, because the texture keeps its shape and the contract rating means nobody is watching the arms. It also makes a weighty curtain, falling in broad folds rather than fine ones. We would put Doeskin against pale plaster and oak, and bring Cinnamon into a room that needs warming. Order a sample to see it in your own light.

For upholstery the 20 centimetre repeat matters less than it sounds. Ask your upholsterer to centre it on the seat and again on the inside back, then let the rest fall. For curtains, allow one extra repeat per drop. The weave is stable enough to railroad across a long bench seat, though check the repeat direction before cutting. A cotton interlining gives it body at the window; on upholstery it needs no help.

• Composition: 28% LI 28% WO 19% CO 15% PL 7% PC 3% PA
• Width: 137 cm
• Pattern repeat: 20 cm vertical
• Martindale: 100,000 rubs — severe contract
• Suitable for: Curtains, blinds, upholstery
• Care: Dry clean recommended
• Collection: Otillo, Romo
• Colourways: 4 (Blueberry, Cinnamon, Doeskin, Seaglass)