Thatch, Reed and Barasti: Sourcing Natural Shade Materials the Right Way

Thatch, reed and barasti are still the go-to choice for resort shade structures across the region — they read as natural and low-key in a way that solid roofing rarely does. But quality varies a lot between suppliers, and the difference isn't always obvious until a structure has been up for a season.

The main things worth checking: how the material was dried before bundling (poorly dried reed moulds and degrades fast), bundle density (loosely packed thatch thins out and lets more light and weather through than intended), and how it's fixed to the frame — hand-tied bundles generally outlast wired or stapled ones.

Barasti in particular is often sold both with and without leaves left on — a texture and durability choice as much as an aesthetic one, worth discussing with whoever's designing the space rather than defaulting to whatever a supplier has in stock.

As with timber, natural shade materials are a category where seeing and handling a physical sample before ordering at scale is worth the extra step — photos alone don't tell you enough about density or drying quality.