Back in July, April and I debated about how the roof decking should complement the stained timber frame in our outdoor kitchen. At first, we considered some kind of white paint treatment on the roof deck, but I was never sold on the idea. Long story short, we decided to do a total 180 on the whitewash idea — I charred cedar instead, yakisugi style. Here’s how it looks.
Making this staked chair has been on my project list for over two years. I took some time this winter to finally tackle it. This chair design is a lot easier to make than a Windsor… but it’s rewarding all the same.
And with all the charred wood on my brain this past year, I decided to take the torch to this chair for a shou-sugi-ban finish. Here are the results of the shou-sugi-ban staked chair.
I found no shortage of shou-sugi-ban (or more properly, yakisugi) siding in Japan. Since I just recently experimented with charring wood, I appreciated seeing a variety of walls finished with yakisugi siding. Interestingly, it was used in many different contexts, everything from neighborhood houses to temple perimeter walls. I liked that about it. In Kurashiki at least, it seemed to transcend all types of buildings both humble and grandiose.
Here are a few photos of shou-sugi-ban siding I saw out in the wild.
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Oliver Goshey of Adundant Edge recently interviewed me for his podcast series. In our chat, we talked about the reality (or realities) of natural building, including the importance of building for your climate, the true cost of building a natural home, and some common misconceptions about natural materials. One piece of our conversation focuses on getting real about the expenses associated with natural building and the myth of the “$1000 house” (for lack of a better term). Although materials may be affordable, labor costs can be spendy for folks who aren’t able to do the work themselves.
We also talk some about the shou-sugi-ban wood preservation methods I’ve been experimenting with lately. Check out the full interview and tell me what you think. Questions and comments welcome.
Listen here: The reality of natural building and designing for your climate with Ziggy Liloia from “The Year of Mud”
Yakisugi is a traditional method of wood preservation. Charring wood is not specific to Japan, but charring sugi (Japanese cypress) for cladding use is a traditional feature of some Japanese architecture. It’s been used primarily for practical reasons — charred wood is less susceptible to rot and moisture damage, insect damage, and ironically enough, it’s more resistant to fire. Plus, it looks pretty badass if you ask me.
I first saw a video of a guy burning sugi boards several years ago and was entranced. I knew that I wanted to try it sometime, and I decided to use our first timber frame as an experiment. So I bought a torch and lit up our white oak timbers. Read ahead for more…
Hi there, I’m Ziggy. In 2008, I launched The Year of Mud while building my first natural home. This blog is a collection of personal stories and experiences building with clay, straw, and wood over the past 15+ years. A few of the things that get me fired up are natural plasters, timber framing, & Japanese architecture. Since 2012, we’ve been hosting Natural Building Workshops so you can learn essential skills to build your own natural home.
