--- title: "Material library | Mr Wallcover" url: https://www.mrwallcover.com/materials/ description: "Paper, grasscloth, silk, hand-painted scenics, murals, contract vinyl and acoustic wallcoverings. Installation and sourcing; physical samples decide colour." author: "Dorin Burcus" last_reviewed: 2026-10-09 --- Materials # Find the right wallcovering for your room. Seven material families, with what each one asks of the wall, the joins and the cleaning. We hang all of them and can source them when you want that. A screen cannot match colour, texture or sheen, so ask for a physical sample before you decide. Saved materials stay on this device. There is no account. If you send an enquiry from this browser, the shortlist is attached. A starting point for your room ## Which families suit your room? A few practical choices narrow the families worth comparing. The final choice still needs a physical sample and the product's own instructions. ### Families to compare Strong side lighting can emphasise texture, joints and the surface underneath. Review a sample in that light. For a commercial specification, confirm the exact product's required performance documents and installation conditions with the responsible project professional. ### [Paper and non-woven](https://www.mrwallcover.com/materials/paper-and-non-woven/) You want a printed pattern or a quieter, more even visual finish. **Consider this:** Print, backing and care vary substantially between products. ### [Grasscloth and natural weaves](https://www.mrwallcover.com/materials/grasscloth-and-weaves/) Natural fibre and a visible panel character are part of the look you want. **Consider this:** Adjacent drops can differ in shade; do not expect an invisible joint. ### [Silk and textiles](https://www.mrwallcover.com/materials/silk-and-textiles/) You want a textile surface whose appearance changes with the light. **Consider this:** Delicate faces can be less forgiving of marks and handling. ### [Hand-painted scenic papers](https://www.mrwallcover.com/materials/hand-painted/) The scene should be designed around the room and its focal points. **Consider this:** Doors, corners and furniture can interrupt the composition. ### [Murals](https://www.mrwallcover.com/materials/murals/) One wall or a room needs a planned composition rather than a repeating pattern. **Consider this:** A preview cannot confirm the real colour, texture or precise crop. ### [Contract vinyl](https://www.mrwallcover.com/materials/contract-vinyl/) Cleaning and everyday wear are priorities worth discussing with the supplier. **Consider this:** The material name alone does not establish wet-area or fire suitability. ### [Acoustic wallcoverings](https://www.mrwallcover.com/materials/acoustic/) Sound performance forms part of a professionally specified system. **Consider this:** A decorative texture is not evidence of acoustic performance. [Discuss these choices](https://www.mrwallcover.com/contact/?intent=source) ## [Paper and non-woven](https://www.mrwallcover.com/materials/paper-and-non-woven/) Printed or plain, from a quiet texture to a large repeat. Seams are part of a hung wall. The match follows the repeat: free or straight. Half-drop and murals are set out on site, not by the simple calculator. ## [Grasscloth and natural weaves](https://www.mrwallcover.com/materials/grasscloth-and-weaves/) Sisal, raffia, grass and other weaves. Colour and texture move from roll to roll. Seams show. The direction of the weave is agreed before the first length is cut. [Installation](https://www.mrwallcover.com/services/grasscloth-installation/) ## [Silk and textiles](https://www.mrwallcover.com/materials/silk-and-textiles/) A cloth face with a sheen that changes as you move. Seams are planned so the light from the window does not catch a ridge. [Installation](https://www.mrwallcover.com/services/silk-wallcovering-installation/) ## [Hand-painted scenic papers](https://www.mrwallcover.com/materials/hand-painted/) Scenic and panelled papers, in the manner of houses such as de Gournay and Fromental. We hang them. We do not make them, and we are not affiliated with those makers. Panels follow a sequence. The scene has to meet across doors, windows and corners. The set-out starts from a fixed point. [Installation](https://www.mrwallcover.com/services/hand-painted-wallpaper-installation/) ## [Murals](https://www.mrwallcover.com/materials/murals/) Printed or hand-made scenes, including event murals hung for a fixed date. Set out from a fixed point so the image meets where it should. A roll calculator will not price a mural. [Installation](https://www.mrwallcover.com/services/mural-installation/) ## [Contract vinyl](https://www.mrwallcover.com/materials/contract-vinyl/) A tighter face specified for wear. At The OWO the install included Vescom. Seams are still there. They are planned, not promised away. [Installation](https://www.mrwallcover.com/services/hotel-wallcovering-installation/) ## [Acoustic wallcoverings](https://www.mrwallcover.com/materials/acoustic/) A textured face over an acoustic construction, or an acoustic panel. Edges, trims and cuts have to keep the system the way it was specified. [Installation](https://www.mrwallcover.com/services/acoustic-wallcovering-installation/) ## Compare the shortlist 0 Save two or more families to compare joins, care and where they belong. ### Paper and non-woven **Setting.** Homes and hotels **Joins.** Seams are part of a hung wall. The match follows the repeat: free or straight. Half-drop and murals are set out on site, not by the simple calculator. **Care.** Follow the maker. Many papers are not washable. We do not call a family washable, fire-rated or seamless unless that product’s own data says so. ### Grasscloth and natural weaves **Setting.** Rooms where variation is wanted **Joins.** Seams show. The direction of the weave is agreed before the first length is cut. **Care.** Dry and gentle. Adhesive on the face marks the weave. Not a washable surface. ### Silk and textiles **Setting.** Rooms where light is part of the finish **Joins.** Seams are planned so the light from the window does not catch a ridge. **Care.** Silk marks quickly. Care is the maker’s note, usually dry. It is not a corridor vinyl. ### Hand-painted scenic papers **Setting.** Suites and drawing rooms **Joins.** Panels follow a sequence. The scene has to meet across doors, windows and corners. The set-out starts from a fixed point. **Care.** As the maker specifies. These are not washable contract surfaces. ### Murals **Setting.** A single wall or a room with a scene **Joins.** Set out from a fixed point so the image meets where it should. A roll calculator will not price a mural. **Care.** Follow the maker. An event mural is not the same duty as a guest-room vinyl. ### Contract vinyl **Setting.** Busy hotel rooms and corridors **Joins.** Seams are still there. They are planned, not promised away. **Care.** More tolerant of cleaning than paper or silk, and still only as the maker allows. Vinyl on a wall is not, by itself, a fire certificate. ### Acoustic wallcoverings **Setting.** Rooms where sound was part of the specification **Joins.** Edges, trims and cuts have to keep the system the way it was specified. **Care.** Follow the system maker. We do not claim a decorative finish is an acoustic rating. [Discuss this shortlist](https://www.mrwallcover.com/contact/?intent=source) Material light studio ## Light on a material, before a sample. An illustrative simulation of a room corner. It is not a certified match of a named product. A physical sample is the authority for colour, texture and sheen. A real surface at Brown's Hotel, Mayfair. The studio does not replace this photograph. Paper and non-woven. A matte printed surface. Light direction By [Dorin Burcus](https://www.mrwallcover.com/about/#dorin), founder · Last reviewed 9 October 2026