I'm looking for fabric that is washable or dry-cleanable for bench cushions in our kitchen. As well as being durable (hotel grade), because we have a small child, it needs to blend in with sofa cushions in a green and pink design. Can you offer any suggestions, please?
LS, London SW4

A hard-wearing fabric to go with your sofa cushions is the bright houndstooth check Pied de Poule LF4422-02, £41m, by Liberty at Osborne & Little, 020 7352 1456, www.osborneandlittle.com. This weave (main fabric, above) is created from textured and smooth yarns and graded for severe contract use. You could also use bright plains, covering the bench cushions in Venice VN1118-41 Passion Flower and VN1118-25 Crab Apple (above right and left), with a different colour on the back and front, or cover the cushions in the pink with piping in green. Rated for severe domestic use, Venice costs £26.95m from Villa Nova, 01623 756699, www.villanova.co.uk, and is dry-clean only.

I wonder why you feel hotel grade is necessary; with small children, sticky hands and spilt food are usually the issue, not abrasion. Linen unions such as Plain Dotty or Stripe and Dash (above far left) in Cranberry, £36m, by Vanessa Arbuthnott, 01285 831437, www.vanessaarbuthnott.co.uk, are reasonably durable and can be hand-washed at 30°C.

CELIA RUFEY