You know when you step into a room decorated with real grasscloth wallpaper. It’s unmistakable and immediately gets your attention by its distinct grassy smell and unique crunchy dried grass texture. Any home décor scheme is instantly put on the next level as soon as it’s complemented by this type of wallcovering.
However, before you go on a day long wallpaper spree, ordering samples or actual rolls, there are a few things to be aware of. Trust us, it will save you time and aggravation down the road.
Seams
Grasscloth wallpaper will have seams. It’s the only type of wallpaper where visible and noticeable seams are to be expected. No two blades of grass are exactly the same and different rolls, even from the same pattern, will have different shading. It’s part of the natural look. Additionally, note that the degree of differing shading will vary depending on the manufacturer, quality and color.
We cannot emphasize enough that you should expect seams. Many people are not prepared for this and become irate with the final outcome, blaming the poor installer, designer or place they purchased the wallpaper from. They wrongly think something went wrong with the installation or the rolls were faulty. Alas, the situation can turn ugly quick so we recommend looking at some final natural, not faux, grasscloth photos to know what your final outcome will look like.
Price
Grasscloth is either hand made or woven on a special loom in Asia. Either way, it’s more time intensive to produce than standard wallpaper. Then it needs to transported here and cut into rolls. Expect prices of $100 to $450 per roll. The difference in price is determined by brand name, collection it comes from, and quality.
Obviously, if it’s from a designer brand with a popular name it will be more because the manufacturer must pay for the naming rights and license. Examples of this is grasscloth that comes from Candice Olson, the Scott Brothers, Joanna Gaines and Sarah Richardson.
Installation
Most people should really hire an installer to hang their grasscloth. It needs to be installed a specific way as to not get glue on the front, which will not wipe off. And these days, in 2022, you will spend equal to or double on the installation as you spent on the actual product.
There is a surge in demand of wallpaper but not nearly enough paperhangers to keep up with the demand and they are going for top dollar in all 50 states.
It’s common now for most of them to be booked out over a month so don’t expect any discounts or bargaining. Maybe 10 years ago when the demand was lower and they were sitting at home but now you’re lucky if you can get most of them to pick up the phone.
Smell and Texture
Now it’s time to talk about the positives because by now you’re probably thinking “sheesh, why bother!” We assure you that once you’ve spent many countless hours ordering samples and finally choosing a pattern, maxing out your credit to order the project, and experiencing sticker shock with final bill your installer gives you, there is a payoff at the end.
You’ll love the final result. Your walls will have a natural organic texture, designer earthy look and the whole room will have a pleasant grassy smell that hits your senses as soon as you enter the room. Yes, it was a pain to get to the final result but oh, is it worth it!