Grasscloth Lessons from The Mother
Grasscloth has become popular once more. Personally I like the look of this natural fiber material and enjoy working it to enhance its characteristics. The natural variations of grasscloth add an organic elegance to a room. Yes, it takes a little more thought and planning than installing a uniform patterned paper.
I was fortunate to learn how to work with grass fairly early in my career. It was actually my mother who guided me through the correct approach. In the mid-late 70's my parents wanted a natural color grasscloth in their living room. My mother has always had a discerning artistic eye and not shy about instructing craftspeople, especially her youngest son, how she wanted something done. She assured me that wallcoverings handcrafted from organic and natural fibers are not designed to be matched. Each strip will "panelize". She said that this is the beauty of the material and needs to be used properly to enhance the final look. She helped me learn the proper methods of shading and balancing.
We sorted through the rolls and picked panels whose normal shading would blend most uniformly around the room. I was instructed to hang the first piece dead center over the fireplace and to continue with equal width sheets to the corners. Each subsequent wall was similarly balanced.
When completed, I once again realized Mom knew what she was talking about. Another lesson well learned.
And after 30 odd years, the same approach is taken with few refinements for all similar materials such as fabrics, weaves, bamboo, and some new exotic wallcoverings.
