As the cost of living rises, there is nothing more important than rethinking the cost, impact and durability of enhancing our surroundings, especially when renovating or upgrading your forever home. That’s why when it comes to architecture, sturdy timber and traditional stylings often save you in the long run as well as give you the option to enhance the value of your property versus installing deceivingly modern, yet lower in quality, stylings of something prebuilt from franchise furniture and hardware stores.
In our latest blog series, the team of experts from Coach House Timbers are excited to bring you the latest and greatest design tips to create durable yet aesthetically pleasing homes or projects. Architectural Trends will focus on utilising iconic Australian Hardwoods and creative client case studies that use bespoke foreign timber varieties into the New Year and throughout 2023.
In this month’s post, we’re taking a deeper look at just how stunning the installation of charred timber cladding can be while also providing excellent benefits like being rot and fire-resistant.
What is Shou Sugi Ban and Charred Timber Cladding?
Charred timber cladding is a stunning, luxurious and sophisticated addition to any interior or exterior design project. Keep on reading if you’ve ever noticed strikingly black timber cladding and wondered how it had that charred timber finish. The charring process is traditionally referred to as Shou Sugi ban, while the final product of the timber charring process is called Yaki Sugi.
This age-old tradition of charred timber boards originates from Japan. The centuries-old technique often utilised Japanese Cedar and Cypress wooden planks to achieve a final product that is both durable and has a visually appealing charred surface. Charring wood or timber products in this way can leave you with a result ranging from a slight grey finish to a deep black, depending on your burning preference and timber species of choice.
Design Benefits of Charred Timber Cladding
The natural beauty of Shou Sugi Ban used in a cladding profile lies in the unique grain patterns and textures that appear on the wood after burning. Make it just as stunning for your next project indoors and outside.
The charred wood has an intense black colour creating a dramatic contrast against lighter surfaces.
This trend offers plenty of scope for personalisation: you can choose how much burning you want done to the wood, depending on your desired level of charring, and use different types of wood. The varieties of species we recommend for a cladding project are hardwood species like Western Red Cedar, Red Ironbark, and Oak or timber species from Australia like Spotted Gum.
Even more exciting is that this rustic and burnt timber cladding can be used in interior projects like a panelling feature wall or statement piece. Besides its aesthetic value, Shou Sugi Ban is a cost-effective solution as it requires minimal maintenance. Charred timber can last up to thirty years if properly maintained a once. Due to the initial burning process, preserving the charred finish with a suitable oil is crucial, as detailed in our Everything You Need to Know About Wood Charring guide.
Coach House Timbers Charred Timber Projects
At Coach House Timbers, we offer a range of Shou Sugi Ban charred timber products right here in Australia. We provide a unique service allowing for custom charring helping create clients their own bespoke Shou Sugi Ban and charred cladding designs. We supplied charred timber cladding on a fantastic project in the Adelaide. Check out the final result below.
Adding Shou Sugi Ban charred timber design projects into your interior and exterior architecture will give any space an instantly luxurious feel, without breaking the bank. Now that you know all about Shou Sugi Ban, why not give it a try? Visit our website or contact us today. Our team of timber experts have just the expertise you need to create the perfect Shou Sugi Ban design project for your space.
Coach House Timbers – we make your ideas work!