What Is Grasscloth Wallpaper?

Grasscloth wallpaper bonds real woven plant fiber, jute, sisal, sea grass, abaca, paper twine, or hemp, to a paper or non-woven backing. Because the face is actual plant material, every strip carries natural color variation and texture that no printed wallpaper can copy. It has been used in homes since the early twentieth century and is still a leading choice for living rooms, libraries, and bedrooms where you want texture you can feel rather than pattern you only see. At $5 to $15 per square foot it runs several times the cost of printed non-woven, but the natural fiber face delivers something printing simply cannot.

Below we cover the downsides, whether the seams show, whether grasscloth gets dusty or stains, the benefits, how to install it, how to clean and care for it, where in the home it works, the materials used, and current wallpaper trends.

What is grasscloth wallpaper?

Grasscloth wallpaper is a natural-fiber wallcovering. The face material is real plant fiber woven into a flat sheet, then bonded to a paper or non-woven backing. The fibers are typically jute, sisal, sea grass, abaca, or paper twine. Each fiber has a different texture, color, and feel, which gives grasscloth its decorative variety.

The format originated in China and Japan, where natural plant fibers had been woven into wall panels and decorative screens for centuries. Western interior designers brought the format to American and European residential markets through the early twentieth century. Grasscloth became a leading interior design choice through the 1960s and 1970s and has remained in continuous production since.

Modern grasscloth comes in a wide range of colors and textures. Some grasscloth keeps the natural color of the fiber: tan jute, golden sea grass, cream sisal. Other grasscloth is dyed in saturated colors: deep blue, forest green, plum, oxblood. Both natural and dyed grasscloth retain the visible woven texture that defines the format.

The Types Of Wallpaper guide covers grasscloth alongside the other main wallpaper formats. Grasscloth sits in the natural-fiber category, separate from printed wallpaper, vinyl wallpaper, and peel and stick.

What are the disadvantages of grasscloth wallpaper?

Grasscloth costs more than printed wallpaper. Most grasscloth runs $5 to $15 per square foot for materials, compared to $2 to $5 per square foot for printed non-woven. A typical residential room can cost $500 to $2,000 in grasscloth materials alone, plus installation.

The seams between strips are always visible. The woven fibers do not align across strips, so the joint between each strip shows as a visible line. Most installers position the strips so seams fall in low-visibility locations (behind furniture, in dark corners).

Grasscloth shows natural color variation. Strips from different batches can look noticeably different. Even strips from the same roll can vary. You have to order all your grasscloth at once from the same dye lot to minimize variation.

The format is not washable. Natural fibers stain and warp with water. Spot-cleaning is limited to a clean dry cloth. Grease, food, and fingerprints can leave permanent marks. Grasscloth is a poor fit for kitchens, bathrooms, and kids' rooms.

Grasscloth fades in direct sunlight. Sun exposure changes the color of natural fibers over time. Rooms with strong sun on one wall can develop visible color differences between sunlit and shaded sections. UV-protective window film helps, but some fading is unavoidable in sunny rooms.

Installation is harder than for printed wallpaper. The natural fibers mark easily during install. Paste contact with the face leaves permanent stains. Most first-time installers should hire a professional or start with a small accent wall.

Do you see seams in grasscloth wallpaper?

Yes, always. Grasscloth seams are part of the format. The natural fibers do not align across strips, so every seam shows as a visible line where two strips meet. This is true for every grasscloth installation, no matter how skilled the installer.

The goal during install is not to hide the seams but to position them well. Plan your strip layout so the most visible seams fall in low-visibility locations: behind furniture, in dark corners, next to door frames. The seams that fall on prominent walls should still be neatly butted with no overlap and no gap.

Some installers paint the wall in a color matching the grasscloth ground before hanging. The matching wall color hides any wall showing at the seam line. This trick reduces the visibility of seams without eliminating them.

If visible seams bother you, choose a printed non-woven wallpaper instead. Printed wallpaper has nearly invisible seams when properly installed. The William Morris Wallpaper collection in non-woven format gives you wallcovering texture and heritage pattern without the seam visibility of grasscloth.

Does grasscloth wallpaper get dusty or stain easily?

Yes to both. The natural fiber texture catches dust more readily than the smooth surface of printed wallpaper. Routine dusting (every two to four weeks) keeps the surface looking fresh. Use a soft-bristled paintbrush, a vacuum brush attachment, or a clean dry microfiber duster.

Grasscloth stains easily because the natural fibers absorb liquids. Grease, food, drinks, and fingerprints can leave permanent marks. The format is a poor fit for kitchens, dining rooms with messy meals, family rooms with young kids, and bathrooms.

For routine maintenance, dust the wallpaper monthly with a soft brush or vacuum attachment. Avoid pressing hard against the fibers; pressure can flatten or damage the woven surface. Clean from top to bottom so dust falls onto already-dusted surfaces.

For specific stains, blot immediately with a clean dry cloth. Do not rub; rubbing pushes the stain deeper into the fibers. Most stains that resist immediate blotting become permanent. This is why grasscloth installations need careful room planning and protective habits.

What are the benefits of using grasscloth wallpaper?

Grasscloth brings real texture to the wall that printed wallpaper cannot match. The woven natural fiber face creates depth and tactile interest. Light falls across the woven surface differently than it falls across flat printed wallpaper.

The format adds natural material warmth to rooms. Grasscloth pairs particularly well with natural wood furniture, leather upholstery, and warm metal hardware (brass, bronze, copper). The combination creates the warm tactile interior that 2026 design favors over cool minimalism.

Grasscloth wallpaper hides minor wall imperfections better than smooth printed wallpaper. The natural texture and color variation distract the eye from small bumps, cracks, or color shifts in the wall underneath. Older homes with imperfect walls benefit particularly.

The format has a distinct decorative identity. A grasscloth room reads as deliberately designed in a way that a painted room or a printed-wallpaper room does not. The texture itself is a design choice, separate from any printed pattern.

Grasscloth provides slight acoustic benefits. The woven natural fibers absorb a small amount of sound, which can take the hard edge off rooms with hard floors and high ceilings. The effect is subtle but real.

How do you install grasscloth wallpaper?

Strip any existing wallpaper completely. Repair wall damage with joint compound. Sand smooth. Paint the wall in a color matching the grasscloth ground tone to hide seam lines. Prime with a wallpaper-specific primer.

Mix a premium clear-drying wallpaper paste rated for natural-fiber wallcoverings. Standard wallpaper paste is too thin for grasscloth. Premium pastes like Roman Pro-880 give the heavier-bodied adhesion grasscloth needs.

Cut all your strips before you start pasting. Number each strip on the back so you hang them in the order they were cut. Same-roll strips give the most consistent color.

Apply paste to the back of each strip on a clean pasting table. Cover the entire back, including the edges. Wait the manufacturer-specified booking time (usually three to five minutes) before hanging.

Hang each strip carefully. Butt the seams against each other with no overlap. Smooth the strips with a wallpaper smoothing brush. Trim excess at the ceiling and floor with a sharp utility knife and a wide putty knife.

The How to Hang Grasscloth Wallpaper guide covers the install procedure in detail.

How do you clean and care for grasscloth wallpaper?

Dust grasscloth monthly with a soft-bristled paintbrush, a vacuum brush attachment, or a clean dry microfiber duster. Work from top to bottom. Light strokes only; pressing hard against the woven fibers can flatten or damage the surface.

For specific stains, blot immediately with a clean dry cloth. Do not use water. Do not rub. The fibers absorb stains permanently once the liquid sets. Quick blotting can sometimes lift fresh stains; delayed cleaning rarely works.

Avoid moisture. Steam from showers, splashes from cooking, and humidity from poor ventilation all damage grasscloth over time. The format suits dry rooms only. For bathrooms and kitchens, choose vinyl-on-non-woven instead.

Avoid direct sunlight. UV exposure fades the natural fibers permanently. UV-protective window film slows the fading. Close blinds during peak sun hours if your grasscloth installation faces a strong-sun window.

Order extra wallpaper at install for future repairs. Damage to grasscloth almost always requires patch repair from leftover stock. Buying an extra roll at install costs much less than ordering a replacement later, which may not match the original dye lot.

Where should you use grasscloth wallpaper in your home?

Living rooms suit grasscloth particularly well. The texture pairs with leather and natural-wood furniture, and the format reads as warm and sophisticated. Most professional grasscloth installations go in living rooms.

Libraries and home offices work with grasscloth. The format pairs with wooden bookshelves and leather seating. The slight acoustic benefit reduces echo in rooms with hard floors and limited soft furnishings.

Master bedrooms benefit from grasscloth, especially in natural fiber tones (jute, sea grass, sisal). The texture creates a warm intimate atmosphere that paint or printed wallpaper cannot match. Avoid grasscloth in shared bedrooms with young children, where stains are likely.

Dining rooms can use grasscloth in homes where dinner is formal and not messy. Avoid grasscloth in dining rooms with young kids or where casual eating happens regularly. Grease splatters and food stains are hard to clean off natural fibers.

Avoid grasscloth in kitchens, family bathrooms, kids' bathrooms, laundry rooms, and any room with sustained moisture. Choose vinyl-on-non-woven or a moisture-rated specialty format for these rooms. The Can You Wallpaper a Bathroom guide covers bathroom wallpaper formats.

What materials are used to make grasscloth wallpaper?

Jute is the most common grasscloth fiber. The plant grows quickly in tropical climates, the fibers are durable, and the natural color is a warm tan that works in most decor schemes. Jute grasscloth handles light wear better than most other natural fibers.

Sisal is similar to jute but slightly stiffer and lighter in color. The fibers come from the agave sisalana plant native to Mexico. Sisal grasscloth has a slightly rougher texture than jute and reads as more rustic.

Sea grass is harvested from coastal marsh grasses. The fibers have natural color variation in greens, golds, and tans. Sea grass grasscloth reads as more decorative than jute or sisal and works particularly well in coastal and California-style interiors.

Abaca (Manila hemp) is harvested from a banana-family plant in the Philippines. The fibers are particularly strong and weave into fine-grained grasscloth that reads more refined than coarser fibers. Abaca grasscloth costs more than jute or sisal.

Paper twine grasscloth uses twisted paper strands rather than plant fiber. The format imitates the look of natural-fiber grasscloth at lower cost and with more consistent color. Paper twine grasscloth is the entry-level option in the category.

Some grasscloth wallpaper combines multiple fibers in a single sheet. The blended-fiber formats add textural complexity that single-fiber grasscloth cannot match. Premium grasscloth often uses blended fibers.

What wallpaper trends are expected in 2026?

The 2026 wallpaper market is the largest by revenue since the late 1980s. Heritage William Morris patterns lead the residential market. Strawberry Thief, Willow Bough, and Trellis run ahead of forecasts. Chinoiserie murals lead the luxury segment.

Deep saturated colors define the 2026 wallpaper palette. Forest green leads, with oxblood, plum, navy, and chartreuse close behind. Black and charcoal moody florals have moved from niche to mainstream.

Natural-fiber wallcoverings, especially grasscloth in dyed colorways, are growing strongly in premium residential interiors. The natural-fiber category aligns with the broader 2026 design shift toward warm tactile materials.

Non-woven paste-the-wall has become the dominant residential format. Vinyl-on-non-woven covers wet rooms. Peel and stick still sells well in rentals and short-term projects. The Wallpaper Trends 2026 guide covers current trends in detail.

Grasscloth wallpaper questions

What is grasscloth wallpaper?

Grasscloth wallpaper is a natural-fiber wallcovering. The face is real plant fiber (jute, sisal, sea grass, abaca, or paper twine) woven into a flat sheet and bonded to a paper or non-woven backing. The format gives a tactile texture and natural color variation that printed wallpaper cannot match.

What are the disadvantages of grasscloth?

Higher cost ($5 to $15 per square foot), visible seams between strips, color variation between batches, no washability, fading in sunlight, and harder installation than printed wallpaper. The format is a poor fit for kitchens, bathrooms, and high-traffic family rooms.

Do you see seams in grasscloth?

Yes, always. The natural fibers do not align across strips, so seams show as visible lines. Most installers position seams in low-visibility locations and paint the wall behind in a matching color to hide the seam line.

Does grasscloth stain easily?

Yes. Natural fibers absorb liquids permanently. Grease, food, drinks, and fingerprints can leave lasting marks. The format requires careful room planning and protective habits. Avoid grasscloth in rooms where stains are likely.

Where should I use grasscloth?

Living rooms, libraries, home offices, and master bedrooms work well. Avoid kitchens, family bathrooms, kids' bathrooms, laundry rooms, and any room with sustained moisture or messy use.

How do I clean grasscloth wallpaper?

Dust monthly with a soft brush or vacuum attachment. For specific stains, blot immediately with a clean dry cloth. Do not use water; the fibers absorb moisture permanently. Most stains become permanent if not blotted immediately.

How long does grasscloth last?

Properly installed and maintained grasscloth lasts ten to fifteen years in residential rooms. Sun exposure shortens the life through fading. High-traffic rooms or rooms with frequent staining can need replacement sooner. Most installations stay in good condition for the full residential service life.

Where can I buy heritage wallpaper online?

The William Morris Wallpaper collection at williammorriswallpaper.co carries the full Morris heritage range in printed paste-the-wall non-woven format. The non-woven format gives heritage decorative weight without the install complexity of grasscloth.