Mark Alexander | Quatro Wallcovering

Quatro is a natural-fibre wallcovering from Collage IV, and it is the boldest in scale of the group. The design runs 114 centimetres before it comes round again, which is longer than the paper is wide and longer than most papers repeat at all. On a tall wall that gives you something close to a panelled rhythm; in a low room it needs thinking about, because you may only see one and a half repeats floor to ceiling.

Rolls are 91 centimetres wide and 7.3 metres long, with a 114 centimetre vertical repeat to allow for, and that repeat has a real effect on quantities. There are three colourways. Whitewash is the palest and lets the texture carry the wall. Harvest is the warm one, a dry golden tone that suits a room short on sun. Chestnut is the deepest, a mid brown that works against dark joinery and unpolished brass.

We use it on one wall rather than four, where the scale of the repeat can be read properly: behind a headboard, at the end of a long hall, or on the wall a staircase turns against. It also suits a double-height space, which is rare among wallcoverings. Pair it with plain linen, matt paintwork and a wool floor, and light it from above so the texture reads. Order a sample to see it in your own light.

Paste the wall rather than the paper and use a paperhanger used to natural fibre, since paste marks the face permanently. With a 114 centimetre repeat, allow generously for waste and set out the first drop from the centre of the wall. Order everything in one batch, check the batch numbers before cutting, and add a spare roll. Panel-to-panel colour variation is part of the material, so sequence the drops rather than hanging as they come.

• Roll size: 91 cm wide x 7.3 m long
• Pattern repeat: 114 cm vertical
• Suitable for: Feature walls, halls, stairwells, double-height spaces
• Care: Wipe gently with a soft, dry cloth
• Collection: Collage IV, Mark Alexander
• Colourways: 3 (Chestnut, Harvest, Whitewash)