Mark Alexander | Koshi Wallcovering

Koshi takes its name from the fine wooden lattice screens used in Japanese townhouses, and the paper works the same idea in natural fibre on a Collage III ground. Narrow vertical lines are set at regular intervals against a textured base, so the wall gains a quiet rhythm and a little apparent height. The lattice is drawn rather than embossed, but the fibre underneath gives it enough irregularity that it never looks ruled.

Each roll is 91 centimetres wide and 10.97 metres long, with a 90 centimetre vertical repeat. Four colourways are offered: Jasper White, Loam, Peacock and Indigo. Jasper White is the near-neutral for whole rooms, Loam a warm earth brown, and Peacock and Indigo are the two blues, Peacock the greener of the pair and Indigo the deeper. As with any natural-fibre ground, colour will vary a little from panel to panel, and it is worth telling a client that in advance rather than after the paper is up.

We use Koshi in hallways and on landings, where the vertical emphasis does something useful with a tall narrow space, and in dressing rooms and bathrooms away from direct water. It pairs well with dark stained timber and matt black metalwork, and with plain linen at the window. In Indigo it makes a good small dining room. Order a sample to see it in your own light.

Hang paste-the-wall, butting the drops rather than overlapping, and keep paste off the face since the ground will not clean. Vertical lines are unforgiving of a wall that is out of plumb, so check with a level and set your first drop against a plumb line rather than against the corner. Order all rolls from one batch and check the numbers as they arrive. Add a spare roll, because a later batch will not match and replacing a single drop is far more straightforward than rehanging a room.

• Roll width: 91 cm
• Roll length: 10.97 m
• Pattern repeat: 90 cm vertical
• Application: Paste-the-wall
• Suitable for: Hallways, landings, dressing rooms, dining rooms
• Care: Wipe gently with a soft, dry cloth
• Collection: Collage III, Mark Alexander
• Colourways: 4 (Indigo, Peacock, Jasper White, Loam)