One of the biggest dilemmas clients are faced with when choosing blinds and curtains is fabric. With so much to consider – be it colour scheme, pattern, style, finish and weight – it can be hard to know where to start. A plain shade is often the simplest solution because it can be dressed up with a trim or enhanced by decorative tiebacks. 

When it comes to plain designs, the Linara collection by British-based family run company Romo seems to tick all the boxes and is very popular with interior designers and curtain-makers alike. Offering a beautiful brushed finish and softness to touch, it’s a very versatile fabric – both durable and washable. Linara is also available in a vast array of over 360 colours, running the rainbow gamut, from soft dusty pink and bold magenta to neon and inky indigo blue. There are hues for every mood and room and at at £42.00 per metre, you can see why Linara fits the criteria as a reasonable choice.

‘Linara is definitely one of our bestsellers. From the beginning it has been a constant strong performer for us,’ says Romo’s Design Director Emily Mould. ‘Due to the practicality of the fabric and the extensive colour range, it has become an essential go to – suitable for both upholstery and drapery. The unrivalled spectrum of colour allows a freedom of expression and individuality.’

Romo’s Linara range, which is made in Italy, was originally launched in 1997 in around 40 different shades with the company introducing new tones to the series every four years or so. The top five most popular current colourways are Coconut, Chamois, Blueberry, Doeskin and Clay. ‘We constantly keep an eye on the colours and add new ones when necessary,’ says Emily whose great-great grandfather Robert Mould founded the business in Nottingham in 1902 where the headquarters is still based. Her father Jonathan manages the business while her siblings and cousin also work for the company. 

Starting as a small-scale furniture manufacturing company, by the1930s R.Mould Ltd as it was then known, had fazed out the furniture side of the business in order to focus on supplying furnishing fabrics and all the necessary components for the upholstery industry. Gradually fabrics became the priority and by the 1980s, Romo opened its first design studio taking a more creative approach to design and production. Today stocking a huge ever-expanding library of over 250,000 rolls of fabrics and wall coverings, there are now over 350 employees with customer service taking around 3,300 enquires a day and showrooms all over the world – in London, Stockholm, Munich, Paris, New York, Chicago and Boston to name a few – and extensive distribution across the globe.

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