Threads | Mercury

Mercury is a plain viscose velvet from the Threads Odyssey Velvets collection, with a short, dense pile that gives it real depth of colour and a soft, directional sheen. Run a hand across it and the pile shifts from light to dark, which is exactly the quality we want from a velvet on a chair or a curtain that will be seen from more than one angle. There is no printed motif here, just the pile doing the work.

The cloth is 92 per cent viscose, 4 per cent polyester and 4 per cent cotton, 137 centimetres wide, with no pattern repeat. It is rated at 45,000 rubs on the Martindale test, so it is rated for upholstery, and the page lists it for curtains and for loose and fixed upholstery. It comes in four colourways, Rust, Indigo, Bottle and Slate: Rust and Bottle are the warm, saturated options, Indigo is the deep blue, and Slate is the cooler, more restrained grey.

We tend to use Mercury on an armchair or a window seat where the pile can be appreciated up close, on cushions, and as curtains in a bedroom or drawing room where the sheen adds a little glamour without shouting about it. It pairs well with a plain linen or a textured weave elsewhere in the room, so the velvet stays the one piece of shine. Sold by the half metre; order a sample to see it in your own light.

Velvet has a nap, so every piece must be cut in the same direction or the colour will read differently panel to panel; ask your maker to brush the pile before cutting and to work with the nap running down the drop or down the back of a chair. Dry clean only, and avoid pressing directly onto the pile; steam it from the back instead if it needs freshening.

• Composition: 4% polyester, 92% viscose, 4% cotton
• Width: 137 cm (54 in)
• Abrasion resistance: 45,000 rubs (Martindale)
• Suitable for: Curtains, loose and fixed upholstery, cushions
• Care: Do not wash; dry clean professionally, do not bleach and do not iron
• Collection: Odyssey, Threads
• Colourways: 4 (Rust, Indigo, Bottle, Slate)