Grass Cloth Today
Grass cloth has become a generic term for all natural wall coverings like Kleenex is to tissue. Actually its use in decorating has been popular for decades but the papers of old were often muddy- colored slubby silk textures.
Today there are hundreds of fresh contemporized weaves and colors in wall coverings that can include paper and raffia. These papers are equally effective in contemporary as well as traditional spaces.
I recently installed a Phillip Jeffries ltd Japanese paper weave (look for product number 1713), in color harvest in a formal library surrounded by rich mahogany built ins and upholstery covered in luxe Schumacher mohair, Old World Weavers velvet and Brunschwig & Fils wool paisley fabrics.
The juxtoposition of these different entities was refreshing and somewhat unexpected yet very elegant. Even a little bit of grass cloth can have a huge impact in a room. Installing it above a chair rail can be cost effective, because you use less of it but does not dilute the impact.
Natural textured wall coverings are usually priced by the yard, not the roll, so they can be somewhat pricey, but the results are well worth it even spectacular!
