Finally, The Perfect Grasscloth! (Now Where To Use It?)

I’m still working on putting my kitchen and breakfast room back together and getting it cleaned up. Yesterday I got the ceiling painted, got all new LED lights with trim kits installed, did some work on the trim, and got about half of the things put back into the cabinets. My brother even came over and helped me with a super tedious job — painting the grout on my tiled backsplash and walls. 😀 During my initial kitchen remodel, when the concrete countertops didn’t turn out as light and bright as I had hoped, I tried to use white grout and it looked awful next to the countertops. I ended up using a taupe color to match the countertops. But now I want bright white, which can be accomplished with a bottle of Grout Renew, an old toothbrush, and a few hours of elbow grease.

Anyway, do you remember my whole grasscloth saga? When we first moved into this house, I wanted to use grasscloth in the entire living room and entryway. Then over time, my plans changed (as they generally do). When I did my whole decorating reset last fall, I found a gorgeous grasscloth that I planned to use in the breakfast room.

grasscloth-walpaper-for-the-breakfast-room

That was when I planned to paint my kitchen cabinets dark blue and light gray. The grasscloth was beautiful — light blue with a slight shimmer to it.

I ordered it last fall (around September, I believe) and waited. My estimated shipping date came and went, so I called and found out that it was on backorder until mid-December. So I waited some more. Then that estimated shipping date came and went with no grasscloth in sight, so I called again. It was backordered again, and this time with an estimated shipping date of mid-February. But she said that that date was tentative, and it could be even later. Maybe even June. Or later.

So I cancelled my order, which was a good thing, because soon after that I also had a change of heart about the dark blue kitchen and decided teal would be a better choice for me. So it all worked out, I suppose.

I looked for more grasscloth, checked out book after book from the wallpaper store and brought them home, but I eventually gave up. Compared to that beautiful slightly shimmery light blue, every other grasscloth just looked so blah and boring. Or just downright weird. There are a lot of really strange grasscloths out there.

But a few weeks ago, I came across one that really intrigued me. The color name is Tantalizing Teal, so how could I resist? I originally saw it in this photo…

Well, I got the sample in the mail, and it’s actually more beautiful than the original blue grasscloth I had chosen. This one doesn’t have the shimmer to it, but the color is way prettier, in my humble opinion.

Now that I’ve found a perfect grasscloth, I want to find a place to use it. My breakfast room is off limits. I’m way too close to finishing that room, so there’s no way I’m switching gears in there at this point. Plus, teal walls next to a room of teal cabinets would be teal overload even for me.

So right now, I’m considering two options. The first would be to use it in the music room above the wainscoting. There’s really not a whole lot of wall space in that room. There’s just this stretch of wall on the kitchen side…

black and white music room with yellow piano - 1

…and this stretch of wall space on the opposite side.

music-room-with-all-big-projects-finished-3

Both of those areas are about seven feet wide, I think. And of course, I no longer have the yellow piano in there. The piano that will go in there will have a stained wood finish.

There are two things holding me back from using it in the music room. The first thing is the color. Again, I just kind of feel like having teal walls next to a room filled with teal cabinets might be teal overload. I almost think there needs to be more distance between them. And also, the grasscloth is on the bluer side, where my cabinets are on the greener side. That may not even matter, but the teal overload is my biggest concern.

Phillip Jeffries Juicy Jute Tantalizing Teal grasscloth

The second place I’d consider using it is on the entryway wall. My front living room and entryway are all one big room with no separation, and even though I undid all of my work from last year (yes, I know some of you are still upset with me for removing the trim and painting over the mural 😀 )…

entryway after 5

…I would still really like find a way to distinguish the “entryway” from the rest of the room. I can envision one wide and tall panel of Tantalizing Teal grasscloth to serve as a backdrop for artwork and whatever else I do on that entryway wall.

Of course, there are other options. I could use it in my hallway, but that seems like a waste of grasscloth to put it in a hallway. I could wait and use it in our bedroom after the addition, but that would cost a fortune. The grasscloth is $30 per yard, and is only sold in 8-yard increments. That alone is the reason the entryway wall is looking like the best option to me. I could do one really big accent panel with eight yards, which will cost $240. That seems like a reasonable amount of money to pay for gorgeous grasscloth that I’ve wanted to use for forever now.

If I do anything else with it, including the music room, that price will at least double, if not triple or even quadruple (or more) for a bedroom. I’m still not quite sure how big our bedroom will be after the addition, but wallpapering an entire bedroom with $30-per-yard grasscloth that’s only sold in 8-yard increments would be incredibly expensive.

But I am willing to pay the extra money for the music room if that’s the best place for it since that room is front-and-center when someone walks through my front door.

So now that I’ve finally found the perfect grasscloth, I can’t let this one get away. It will be making an appearance somewhere in my house, and I’m almost certain it’ll either be the music room or the entryway. Even though I’m not working on those rooms until later this year (I’m thinking I’ll do my pantry next, which will probably take at least a month), I’d still like to go ahead and order it. Otherwise, it might be discontinued or backordered by the time I get around to actually needing it.

 

 

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

77 Comments

  1. Hi Kristi
    Have you considered using it in the back of the glass front cabinets in your kitchen? Just a little peak behind what ever you put in those cabinets.

  2. I love the color and think that it would be beautiful in your music room. I’m also wondering if you could use it as a ‘backsplash’ in your pantry to help coordinate it with your kitchen and breakfast room? Last idea might to be to make your ‘inspiration’ board with it for your studio. Just my humble thoughts.

  3. I’ve never really cared for teal, felt it was a “fad” color, but the second picture – the living room is breathtaking! Totally changes my opinion! I’m sure wherever you decide it will be amazing!!

  4. I’d hate to see the black walls in your music room disappear. I think they look very classy and perfectly frame the lovely black doors you made for that room. I vote for grasscloth in the entryway, although I’m one of the people who is still in shock at the loss of your mural.

  5. I would use it in the music room, possibly even in the back of the bookcases (or paint the backs in a similar or somewhat darker color). There isn’t a lot of wallspace and art work will cover much of it (especially if you have wide, white mats which helps brighten a darker space but don’t want white walls). The teal wall paper will help pull everything together.

    1. I totally agree with Adele! My first thought was music room, then your hallway, but then the thought of using it in the BACK of the bookcases in your music room – assuming the black walls would then change too. I LOVE grasscloth too, and am anxious to see where you decide to use it.😃

  6. I thought the same thing-the back of the white bookcases in the music room would be beautiful! I love them in your inspiration photo.

  7. I think the entryway is the perfect spot for it. Before you mentioned the two places you were thinking of putting it, I immediately thought why not use it as a “backsplash” in the pantry, and see it peeking out from the glass doors, and do white cabinets top and bottom in the pantry. But I think the entryway would be the right distance away from the kitchen so that it doesn’t look too matchy matchy.

    1. That’s what I was thinking, an accent wall in the bedroom. I think the entry hall is visible from the kitchen and dining room, so the overload of teal might still be an issue.

      1. Yes, I agree that would be a good option! Like in the example bedroom photo – it doesn’t show the other walls, but I imagined them just painted (maybe a neutral color?).

        1. I also think one wall of a bedroom – maybe the guest bedroom you are making out of your current office – would look great. As for the entryway, I hold off on that until you have decided on all the furniture upholstery and fabric in your living room, as the entry way is so close.

          1. I vote for one wall in the bedroom too but that’s because the entryway soooo fabulous, and let’s not forget…finished. I couldn’t bear to change that again right now.

            You do a great job though, and as you’ve said, you are the one living there…so what feels right to you?

  8. This may be one of those less is more things, but I like it for the back of display cabinets and and such. Save it for Matt’s game room or your studio to be an accent on a wall that you can marvel at. I mention game room because it has a slight ability to soften sound a little, and I know Matt will want to display his systems.

  9. Consider putting this grasscloth on three large framed out moveable panels. Then you can put them in the bedroom or the back living room or your craft office or wherever. Or if you do go with putting it on the back of the bookshelves, affix it to a thin piece of board cut to size. You can then remove them if they don’t work, cut them down and trim them with some molding and then have moveable panels. I don’t think you’d need more than the minimum of 8 yards and this would give you flexibility.

    1. Great idea!!! I was thinking that I would like to see it on the back of the bookcases but DWF’s idea of panels in the bookcases is so smart! Easy to remove and change:) Really pretty grasscloth! It will tie the color in from the kitchen since they are close to each other but won’t be too much.

  10. That grasscloth is beautiful! For some reason I feel like you either need to use it in long panels (at least 5′, like as an accent wall in the entryway) or in very short panels (like the backs of cabinets or as the “backsplash” in the pantry). In looking at the pictures of the music room, I feel like the panels in the wainscoting on the bottom of the walls won’t like up with the widths of the grasscloth on the top of the walls and you’ll end up with a choppy feel. I realize that the “breaks” in the grasscloth are pretty subtle, but I do feel like you will notice it. But that’s just my 2 cents. If you put it in the music room, maybe once it’s all decorated you might not notice the different widths. Just a thought! With that grasscloth, whatever you do will be beautiful!

  11. When you said music room I thought that would be too much, too close to the kitchen cabinets. I thought entryway wall would be better…. and in your next sentence you also said entryway. What a perfect spot to showcase that beautiful grasscloth!

  12. Entry-way. Won’t be so matchy, but carries the house theme throughout. BTW thanks for the bedroom photo. Working on redoing my bedroom, teals and gray and I love the comforter shown in the photo.

  13. I think your instincts are exactly correct that having the teal grasscloth in the music room or breakfast room are just too close to the kitchen. It’s gorgeous, as was the earlier choice. You run the risk of looking too matchy matchy instead of the elegance and wow factor effect that wallpaper would have somewhere else. I agree that grasscloth is ridiculously expensive, and prohibitive for many spaces in most people’s homes. I also mourn the loss of the mural, but I think there is enough space and visual break because of the walls to use the grasscloth in the entryway above the wainscoting. That wainscoting against the wallpaper would be spectacular. Not the music room. Too close visually to the kitchen. Another thought would be your future remodeled office space. Perhaps a focus wall there? More affordable, and you don’t want to leave any room looking like an afterthought.

  14. I love the idea of using it in your entryway, but I’ve lost track of your current living room plans so not sure if those are settled or if you want to allow more leeway without limiting your options based on your entryway. I also love the idea of backing your book cases with it. It adds the texture of a textile without interior drapes/window treatments. Maybe do both entry wall and bookcases. If you keep the black walls, the grasscloth in the bookcases would provide a beautiful counterpoint and the living room could carry the teal grass cloth from the entry but jump off into a different direction from the music room and main color of the kitchen. Love the texture the grasscloth adds! If you save it for your bedroom, I would probably just do the wall behind your bed.

  15. I too, thought about it in the back of the bookcases! And also like the idea of the entryway. But I agree that it is gorgeous and should definitely be used somewhere!!

  16. My vote would be for the music room walls. What a beautiful rich texture that would add! Seems like it would be *good* to have it that close to the kitchen, not a bad thing… would smoothly transition from room to room. And the music room does have a lot of white to balance the teal grasscloth.

    Looking forward to seeing what you decide!

  17. back of bookcases, and entry way. love.

    random. I stumbled on to a new blog, LaurelHome, and I was Binge Blogging:) I was reading an old blog about window treatments on weird windows, and she had a picture of your living room windows!!! She liked what you had done! You go girl!!!!

  18. I vote for the hallway. That hallway is such a center of your home, and it would be like a jewel in the middle of your home. Think about how many times you pass through it – if you put the grasscloth you love there, you’ll get to enjoy it every time. It’s also removed enough from the kitchen that it’s not teal overload. Teal is on of my favorite colors, too, and I think it would be way too much to have it in the music room. I’d be concerned about the entry because can’t you get a glimpse of your kitchen from the entry? Teal to the left, teal to the far right, teal everywhere. 🙂 Although maybe that’s not a bad thing.

  19. Love the color and the thought of installing a no repeat wallpaper, this warms my wallpaper hanging skills. This would look great anywhere!

  20. Although you did an awesome job on the mural, I was so happy to see it go. Hated it.

    Grass cloth: A butt load of money for what?? Then you get tired of it down the road, but to paint over it when you spent all that money?? Would kill me. What’s the big deal with the grass cloth anyway?? You can see every seam. Looks messy to me. Are you really in love with grass cloth or more in love with the idea of it??? I know I have been guilty of that, and if you are honest with yourself, you have been too.

    Your cupboards look so so lovely. Love your table in the breakfast room… gorgeous! Love the chairs. Love the paint in your living room. Love the stain on your hardwood floors and love how the color of the paint on your cupboards compliments it so well.

    1. I too LOVE the idea of grass cloth and it’s yummy texture, but my dang OCD keeps staring at E.V.E.R.Y. S.I.N.G.L.E. seem and color variation. I’d go bonkers….but oh, how I’d love one strip of it somewhere!

  21. Just curious… Let’s say you used it in the bedroom or new family room. Why would you have to do the whole room? Couldn’t you use it for an accent or feature wall like a couple of the photos above where they use it behind the bed or in the backs of built-in shelves?

    I think out of all the places you’ve mentioned, I like the entry way the best. Either that or sit on it and use it in one of the new rooms. Whatever you do, don’t just use it for the sake of using it because you like it and need to find a spot for it. Every time you do something like that, you end-up deciding it’s not the perfect spot for it and you tear it out (like the butterfly mural). I’d hate to see you doing that with expensive grasscloth.

  22. In the shelves in the music room. Just there.
    My humble opinion and I didn’t notice anyone else mention it.

    Happy Friday!

  23. Your house is looking great, but I would think twice before using grasscloth wallpaper. The seams always seem to be visible and the shading is often quite obvious. Maybe that’s the appeal to a lot of people, but knowing you’re a perfectionist, I wonder if it would eventually bother you.
    I’m thinking too much teal, if you add the wallpaper, even though I love the color. Cabinets look great.

  24. Definitely the entry way; a very sophisticated way to introduce your home and welcome guests and it will tie into the kitchen which is visible from the front door. As pretty as it would be to put in a pantry, I can’t see spending $80/yard to do it and I agree with whoever above said that in the music room it’s too matchy-matchy with the adjacent kitchen.

  25. I vote for the entryway. I don’t think it would be bad in the music room but you would have a whole lot of teal to have to balance out in the center of your home. Putting a little distance between the two teals would balance it out. And, it’s way too pretty to hide in the hallway, and I bet it’s not going to be jazzy enough for your bedroom. Beautiful and very classic.

    1. PS Though it would look gorgeous in the back of a cabinet I wouldn’t repeat it. In my opinion, to repeat it would take away from the initial “wow” factor. If that makes any sense?

  26. What about in the backs of your music room shelves. I think you had an example similar to that. Little bits would show but not be overwhelming.

  27. I vote for saving it for in your new bedroom somewhere! I’m sure you’ll be doing some kind of built ins somewhere and that would be beautiful like the pic you posted! It could be an accent wall behind your bed and shelves. It’s a beautiful color!!! Not a fad. I will always love that color as well. 😉

  28. I love the look of grasscloth paper too, but have you noticed that the seams are visible? In every picture you posted I can see the seams. That drives me crazy and I can imagine it driving you crazy too, with your preference for exactness. I just wanted to point that out before you spent a lot of money on it. I used it on the back of my bookcases where it seen in small doses and yet had a really nice lightening effect against the dark wood. I tried to use it in a room, but the seams drove me crazy.

  29. I would think about the breakfast room, just one wall where the three windows are. Leave the curtains white or you could go ahead and do the stripes also. Also, in the pantry on the window wall. Just little bits of it and the seams won’t seem so prominent.

  30. How does the colour of the grass cloth coordinate with the pale blue of the front room, as it’s so close to the entry way, will it clash?

  31. OMG – grass cloth is my FAVORITE wall covering and the teal is GORGEOUS! You do have a tough decision to make. I like the entry idea because I know you would make it look perfect with the accessories, and I agree that it might be too much teal in your music room. But with that said, the music room would be phenomenal with the teal on the walls and back of the shelves. Good luck with your decision – I can’t wait to see what you choose:)

  32. You are such a great resource! I myself was thinking of using a neutral grasscloth in my foyer and while I don’t necessarily want it in teal, I now have a source to look for! Thanks for doing the work for me! I vote for just using it on the back of the shelves/bookcases in the music room with the leftovers from using it on the entry way wall! I know you took down the molding pieces that were around the murals you originally had there, but how would it look to use the teal grasscloth just inside the panels on the entry wall. You’d use even less then. It would be a nice touch, just enough- without going crazy. You, my dear, should probably not invest in using it in a whole room. Um… how to say this gently? You tend to change your mind quick. You are entitled to do that, certainly, but I think you might have ‘issues’ with commitment, so for now, just try a trial size. But it IS beautiful paper for sure and I thank you, as always for sharing it and all your trials and tribulations!

  33. Kristi, As soon as i started reading your post i was hoping you would say you planned to use it on your entryway wall. It is far enough from your cabinets and it would look fabulous there!!! Not hidden at all either!

  34. My first thought was how beautiful it would look in the entry and bring a little of that color to the room as well as tying the color into the rest of your home.

  35. Hi Christie! I LOVEEEE The color!! I know Phillip Jeffries can be super expensive, it’s possible that Thibaut, York or Seabrook may have something similar and more affordable!

  36. My vote? Wellll….reluctantly I would say #1 Bedroom accent wall behind bed, or #2 Entryway (although I don’t see that wall as an “entryway,” I just see it as part of the living room.) I say reluctantly, because that’s a butt load of $$ for me to spend on something I may get bored with, and also because – have you ever stripped grasscloth? It’s such a pain to remove! And the seams showing always bug me too. I love the look, but don’t think I could live with it for long. That’s me, but may not be you. It is a lovely shade though, but I don’t like it for the Music room unless it’s back of the bookcases, so you would see it as you enter the front door!

  37. The grass cloth seams would drive me crazy. Too many seams, and I agree that it is something you will tire of quickly . Finish something before ordering expensive paper you may not like when you get to that part of your remodel. You change your mind so often that I think that old adage, act in haste, repent at leisure is a cautionary tale you might heed.

  38. I would not do an entire wall with the grass cloth, which in my opinion falls squarely in the category of “less is more”. I know exactly where I’d put it … I would line the back of those white cabinets in the music room with it (the cabinets that are on either side of the double glass door), and then I would stop with the grass cloth. Keep it the exotic and different wall-covering that it is, by just showing a little of it peeking through in those cabinets!

  39. A friend’s mom used grass cloth as the accent wall in her bedroom and it was gorgeous. Away from smoke and kitchen odor and protected from knocks and scrapes, it has lasted for years and she’s found ways to distribute the color in her bedding and decor in her room, including a comfy chair. I smiled when I saw the picture of a bedroom, since that’s how I’d use such a special covering. Good luck with whatever you choose. I really like your recent choices. I could live very happily with such an elegant palate. Happy weekend.

  40. I’m not a decorator nor a perfectionist. But even I can’t stand the uneven joints in grass cloth. They distract me from all the beauty in a room. I suspect you are much more of a perfectionist than I am so I’m surprised you are considering it for your home.

  41. It would look so pretty in your entryway. That’s my vote. I can’t imagine tiring of grasscloth. It is just so organic and textural. The particular one that you chose is beautiful and would look stunning in an entire room too, imo, especially above a wainscoting.

  42. I say entryway full wall. You’ve wanted grasscloth forever & it will make it stand out from the painted walls in the living room as it’s own space. The music room already has wainscoting, ceiling trim , bookcases & the fancy door. The only element left would be if you decide to change the black paint & decorate.

  43. Love reading all of the comments but am flabbergasted over the amount of people that would be so flummoxed over the seams showing in grass cloth. That is just the way it is with grass cloth. If you love grass cloth the seams just don’t even play into whether or not you like it. Actually that’s one of the things TO love about it. One can very easily be a “perfectionist” and at the same time love grass cloth. I do love it personally, and happened to at one point inherit it in a home that we bought. It wasn’t a color I loved and it was all over the house. Knowing how hard it is to take down I painted over it-uneven seams and all-and still loved it. It appeared to be grass cloth but it wasn’t it was paint. I’ve done that twice now.

  44. Something about it says music room to me. I don’t know what you’re going to do with your living room, so I can’t really say about the entry wall. I don’t think the teal would be too much if you use contrasting colors in soft furnishings.

  45. You could always use it in the hall bath or one of the other bathrooms. Possibly above wainscoting. Wouldn’t be that expensive if used in a smaller room.