Several years ago . . . actually, almost a decade ago; yikes! . . . I blogged about Shou Sugi Ban here; the ancient Japanese art of charring cedar with fire to preserve the timber; make it rot and rain resistant, and paradoxically, make it fire-resistant. The visual end result is a scorched finish with a magnificent charcoal black color taking on a crackled or alligator skin look depending on the wood species and the burn intensity.
Well, I was smitten.
But, it wasn’t meant to be for me when I fell in love. I had to wait a period of time for this to come along. Or, I suppose better said, for it to come back to me. Finally, this old, yet thoroughly modern look in the best color ever (according to moi; shades of black. gray, white, greige, charcoal . . . you get the picture) is now available commercially in the US. Pioneer Millworks offers Shou Sugi Ban style wood in Larch. Pioneer’s material, especially when installed on exteriors, does evolve over time suggesting the Japanese aesthetic of wabi-sabi—a reminder of the transience and imperfection of all things. And, their commercial process is almost as magnetic and hypnotizing as your teenage fascination with bonfires.
So patience, Grasshopper. You eventually get what you want.