I’m a big fan of natural fiber wallpapers. Over the weekend we had a design meeting at a client’s home that we had completed last year and seeing the spaces in their home that we had done in grasscloth wallpapers reminded me how much I love the look. Grasscloth or raffia papers work in just about any room; they help to tone done the formality of more traditional rooms, they can add some zhush to a tiny little powder room, and they can really just be the perfect finishing touch for any space that needs a little something. Another bonus is that they’re relatively affordable, as far as wallpapers go.
My favorite brand and one that we use quite a bit for clients is Phillip Jeffries; they’re sort of the leader as far as natural fiber wall coverings go and have just about any color, finish, or pattern you could wish for. Phillip Jeffries is only sold to the trade but if you’re not working with a designer then I’ll let you in on a secret: the website Decorators Bestcarries a large selection of Phillip Jeffries papersand their sale prices are pretty close to what we get them for, which is a very good deal. Another very affordable option is actually from Home Depot– they make this really good looking faux grasscloth.
I’m very tempted to do my little dining room in this paper, though I don’t know if I really should because we’re just renting and I’m having a hard time justifying the expense since I don’t know how long we’ll be living here. That being said, I’m pretty sure my previous boss has wallpapered every single rental she’s ever lived in so maybe I should just go for it – you should do what makes you happy, right? One thing to note when using natural fiber papers is that each roll does not line up perfectly because of the nature of them being natural (how many times can I say variations of the word nature in one sentence?), so you can oftentimes see where each new roll of paper begins and ends whereas with a normal printed wallpaper the rolls can be lined up precisely.
See what I mean in the below image? It doesn’t bother me and I actually like the look of it, but with some more saturated colored papers the lines can be quite obvious and I can see it being bothersome to some people. Just something to think about.
Happy Monday!
