Material Comparison

Grasscloth vs Raffia Wallpaper

Two woven natural wallpapers with very different source plants. This guide covers the real differences in fiber, texture, durability, cost and room suitability so you can pick the right one for your project.

Updated: June 2026By: Grasscloths Team7 min read

Quick answer: Raffia wallpaper is woven from fibers stripped from the leaf fronds of Raphia palms. Grasscloth is woven from grass, jute, seagrass or arrowroot. Both materials are moisture-sensitive and work best in dry rooms. Pick raffia for a finer, quieter texture. Pick grasscloth for more pronounced organic character at a lower typical cost.

What Each Material Is

Grasscloth

Grasscloth is a broad category of natural wallpaper made by weaving plant fibers onto a paper or non-woven backing. The most common fibers are seagrass, jute, hemp and arrowroot, though the exact blend varies by supplier and weave style. Fibers are harvested, air-dried, sometimes dyed, then hand-woven into strips before backing is applied.

The weave is typically open and irregular, which creates the visible texture variation that sets grasscloth apart from painted or printed wall surfaces. No two rolls are exactly alike. That variation is part of the material's appeal in residential and hospitality settings.

Raffia

Raffia wallpaper is woven from fibers taken from the leaf fronds of Raphia palms. The genus Raphia contains around 20 species, mostly native to tropical Africa and Madagascar, with one species (R. taedigera) also found in Central and South America. The fiber comes from the epidermal membrane on the underside of young leaflets.

Raphia leaves are among the longest of any plant: R. regalis fronds can reach up to 25 m. After harvest, the thin membrane strips are dried and woven. The fiber accepts dye well and has a natural flexibility that keeps it pliant without brittleness. After cutting, raffia leaves regenerate in about three months, which makes the plant a renewable source.

The finished wallpaper has a finer, more consistent surface than typical grasscloth. Individual fiber strands are thinner and the weave pattern tends to be tighter, giving raffia walls a slightly softer, more refined look than the open-weave grasscloth alternatives.

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature	Grasscloth	Raffia
Fiber source	Grass, jute, seagrass, arrowroot, hemp	Raphia palm leaf fronds (genus Raphia, ~20 species)
Texture	Open weave, visible fiber variation, organic feel	Finer weave, more uniform surface
Durability	Moderate; suited to residential use	Moderate; more delicate than sisal or seagrass
Moisture sensitivity	High; avoid bathrooms and high-humidity rooms	High; prolonged water exposure weakens fibers
Typical cost (branded retail)	$54-160/m² (see grasscloth cost guide)	$130-310/m² at designer brand tier
Best rooms	Living rooms, bedrooms, dining rooms	Bedrooms, sitting rooms, private studies
Maintenance	Dry brush or vacuum only; no wet cleaning	Light dry brush only; avoid abrasive tools
Color range	Wide; earthen neutrals to custom dyes	Wide; accepts dye well across natural and saturated tones

Which to Choose

Choose Grasscloth If:

Your space calls for pronounced natural texture and visible organic variation
The room is a living room, dining room or bedroom
Budget is a factor at the per-square-meter level
You want access to a wider selection of weave patterns and sourcing options

Choose Raffia If:

You want a finer, quieter surface that reads as natural but polished
The room is a bedroom, sitting room or private study
The project is at the high-end residential or boutique hospitality tier
The design intent calls for a natural material with less weave variation than standard grasscloth

Rooms Where Either Works:

Both materials suit any dry, well-ventilated residential room. Feature walls in dining rooms and master bedrooms are common applications for both. The main practical constraint for either fiber is moisture: kitchens and bathrooms are not good choices without excellent ventilation and a moisture-resistant primer on the wall surface.

If you need natural texture in a commercial corridor or high-traffic space, neither raffia nor standard grasscloth is the right call. Sisal holds up better under abrasion. See our grasscloth vs sisal guide for that comparison.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is raffia the same as grasscloth?

No. Both are natural woven wallpapers, but they come from different plants. Grasscloth is woven from grass, jute, seagrass or arrowroot. Raffia comes from fibers stripped off the leaf fronds of Raphia palms, a separate genus of around 20 species native mainly to tropical Africa and Madagascar.

Is raffia wallpaper durable?

Raffia is suited to low-traffic residential rooms such as bedrooms and sitting rooms. It handles daily life in dry spaces well, but it needs dry-brush care and should avoid high-humidity environments. It is more delicate than sisal or seagrass and requires lighter maintenance to stay in good condition.

Which costs more, grasscloth or raffia wallpaper?

At the luxury designer brand tier, raffia tends to cost more. Designer brands offer raffia at roughly 130 to 310 dollars per square meter. Branded grasscloth typically runs lower. For either material, sourcing through a partner mill rather than a brand name reduces cost substantially on both sides.

Can you install raffia wallpaper in a bathroom?

Not recommended. Raffia is moisture-resistant to a degree, but prolonged exposure to water weakens the fibers and can cause dye bleeding or mold growth. Bathrooms and other high-humidity spaces are not suitable for either raffia or natural grasscloth unless ventilation is exceptional and walls are well-primed.