My kids, Shields Brothers, have been out in LA working on a new YouTube reality show. They are filming at the same studio as the Mad Men show. Their thrill – seeing Jon Hamm at craft services. They got me thinking about the show, Mad Men, and set decorating with wallpaper. Here’s a good LA Times article about it. Grass cloth is hot now and it is all over their set.
Over the past six months, I’ve installed more grass cloth than I have installed in the last 15 years. It’s not just Mad Men going mad for grass cloth. All the big designers are carrying exotic grasses and some are even being made with metallic thread. On the Mad Men set, they are using a retro look to replicate the 1960s. Last week I installed the exact same grass cloth in a private home library. At first glance you’d think it wouldn’t work in a room with an arched bay and 19th century fireplace mantle. But the grass cloth made a fabulous background for their art, small sculpture and book collection. Very tailored, finished but cozy.
Grass cloth gives real texture to the walls and makes the room warm and doesn’t compete with the furniture or artwork Recently, I installed grass cloth samples on flats at the Holland & Sherry showroom in Washington, D.C. There’s a lot of nice grass cloth available now. If you looking for suggestions, here are some manufacturers but there are many more:
