Grasscloth — a guide to natural fibre wallcoverings and hanging
Grasscloth is not a single material but a family: seagrass, jute, arrowroot, hemp and sisal, woven into cloth that becomes wallcovering. What they share is a handmade feel — every drop is quite literally woven from plant fibres — and that is precisely why grasscloth never goes out of style. Here we untangle the terms and show you how to hang it successfully.
What is grasscloth?
Grasscloth began as a craft in East Asia, where grasses and bast fibres were woven by hand onto a paper ground. The principle is the same today: natural fibre is woven into a cloth, laminated onto a paper or non-woven backing and hung as wallpaper. The fibre determines the look:
- Seagrass — smooth, faintly lustrous, often in a natural green-beige tone. Not the same thing as sisal.
- Jute — a soft bast fibre, warm and slightly woolly on the surface.
- Arrowroot — fine, dense and elegant, almost silk-matt.
- Sisal — the driest and most robust; it has its own guide here.
In our range you will find grasscloth from, among others, Osborne & Little (Mythica mural on grasscloth) — see all grasscloth wallcoverings here.
Characteristics — pros and cons
- A handcrafted feel: a woven surface with natural variations — the wall comes alive without a pattern.
- Warmth and acoustics: the fibre cloth dampens sound and makes the room feel snug.
- Joins as character: the joins between drops show and the colour can vary — it is the signature of the style.
- A delicate surface: moisture, grease and rubbing are grasscloth's enemies.
- Sun fading: natural materials develop a patina in strong light.
How to hang grasscloth
- Preparation: a smooth wall, primed in a shade close to the cloth's ground.
- Sort the drops: lay out the rolls and plan the order — colour variations are handled most neatly by keeping drops from the same roll together on each wall. Some suppliers recommend reversing every other drop; follow the instructions.
- Paste the wall: a strong adhesive for heavy qualities is rolled onto the wall. No paste on the cloth.
- Edge to edge: no overlaps. Press into place with a dry rubber roller or soft brush — fingerprints and smudges catch in the fibre at once.
- Trim with a sharp blade: natural fibre dulls the edge; change blades for every drop to get razor-sharp finishes at the ceiling and skirting.
Care and choice of room
Vacuum with a soft nozzle and blot stains dry, immediately. Grasscloth is at home in living rooms, bedrooms, studies, dining rooms and hallways — but not in wet rooms or splash zones. A classic approach is grasscloth above dado panelling: the texture meets the wood and the room gains instant depth.
Frequently asked questions
What is grasscloth?
Grasscloth is the umbrella term for wallcoverings in which natural fibres such as seagrass, jute, arrowroot or sisal have been woven into a cloth and laminated onto a paper or non-woven backing. Each fibre brings its own texture and lustre.
What is the difference between seagrass, jute and sisal?
Seagrass comes from aquatic plants and is smooth with a faint natural sheen. Jute is a softer bast fibre with a warm, slightly woolly character. Sisal comes from agave leaves and is the driest and coarsest. All three are woven into grasscloth but give distinctly different looks.
How is grasscloth hung?
Like other textile wallcoverings: paste on the wall (paste the wall), drops butted edge to edge without overlapping, a clean and dry roller, and absolutely no paste on the fibre surface. Joins and colour variations between drops are part of the character of the material.
Why does the colour vary between drops?
Natural fibres take up dye differently depending on where they grew and when they were harvested. The variations are not a flaw but part of the handcrafted character of grasscloth — do check, however, that all rolls come from the same batch.
Can grasscloth withstand moisture?
No. Grasscloth belongs in dry rooms — living rooms, bedrooms, studies, dining rooms and hallways. For bathrooms, there are vinyl wallpapers that imitate the texture of grasscloth surprisingly well.