Mark Alexander | Bamboo Wallcovering

Bamboo is made from split bamboo cane laid vertically onto a paper backing, each length a little different in width from the one beside it. The result is a strong vertical line up every drop, with visible nodes where the cane was jointed, and a real relief you can feel. This is one of the more textural things in the Grasscloth II collection. Light travelling across it picks out every ridge, so the wall changes noticeably through the day.

Rolls are 91 centimetres wide and 7.32 metres long, with no repeat to match. Three colourways: Whitewash, where the cane is lightened so the grain reads as shadow; Harvest, a warm golden straw close to the natural colour of the plant; and Bark, the deepest, a dark brown that holds the texture without showing much colour. Cane varies in width and tone within a single roll, which is inherent to the material.

We use Bamboo on one wall in a room that can take the vertical emphasis, so behind a bed, in a hallway, or lining a small study where the extra height helps. It pairs with plain plaster, rush matting and linen, and it needs nothing else patterned near it. Whitewash keeps a low room feeling taller; Bark suits a room used at night. Order a sample to see it in your own light.

Paste the wall and hang each drop dry. The vertical cane makes the seams easy to lose if you butt them precisely and let the join fall between two canes rather than across one. Keep paste off the face, as cane will stain and cannot be cleaned. Order all rolls at once, confirm one batch number across the lot, and keep a spare roll for repairs, since the cane will differ between runs.

• Roll width: 91 cm
• Roll length: 7.32 m
• Pattern repeat: None — free match
• Application: Paste-the-wall
• Care: Wipe gently with a soft, dry cloth
• Collection: Grasscloth II, Mark Alexander
• Colourways: 3 (Whitewash, Harvest, Bark)