Our shou sugi ban siding won’t just last a lifetime, it will enhance it.

Featured on @dwellmagazine, the Tiger House is the adaptive reuse of a disused carriage house in New York’s Hudson Valley.

@estudioesmero preserved the original timber frame and footprint while reshaping the structure entirely from within to serve as a serene primary residence distinguished by a restrained and Japanese-inspired material palette.

From the charred yakisugi cladding, hand-applied plaster, walnut millwork, and kintsugi-inspired gold repairs in the cracked concrete floors, “every detail contains an underlying sense of care and slowness, which makes the place feel whole,” says architect Juan Jofre Lora.

Read the story via the link in our bio.

Product featured: Gendai® Alkyd Dark Gray
Architect: @estudioesmero
Photography: @ericpetschek
Kintsugi and photo styling: @maru.projects + @hntaj

The votes are in, and we’re honored to share that our Weathering Stain Silver finish has been named a winner in @architizer’s 2026 A+Product Awards.

We developed this finish in response to a request we heard again and again from architects: a natural wood cladding that achieves a sun-bleached, coastal patina without years of waiting. The solution was a two-part formula that allows the wood to transition quickly into a soft, silvered tone while continuing to weather naturally over time.

To see it recognized as one of the world’s best products by architects and designers from leading firms, including @woodsbagot, @fosterandpartners, @handelarchitects, @perkinswill, @hoknetwork, @henninglarsenarchitects, @aecom, @olsonkundig, @gensler_design, @skidmoreowingsmerrill, @hdr_inc, and @kohnpedersenfox, is an incredible honor.

Thank you to @architizer and their esteemed jury!

Featured Projects:
2. Finney Ridge. Builder: @mountainbuilders; Photographer: @802katecarterphotos
3. Angel of the Winds. Architect: @mg2_design; Builder: @faberconstruction, @axiomdesignbuild, @jedunnconstruction; Client: @stillaguamish.tribe

There’s a Japanese word for the space where a home opens to meet the world: engawa, where “en” means edge and “gawa” side

By definition, an engawa is a strip of flooring supported by posts that runs around a home. It’s a component of Japanese homes that’s been prevalent for centuries and continues to this day. Some hold closely to the traditional form, while others carry the same sensibility in quieter ways: a moment of transition, an edge that invites stillness and observation. .

Fun Fact: An engawa is considered part of the house in Japan, so shoes are not worn on it.

Featured Projects:
1-3. Rice Paddy House. Architect: @kenchikudo
4. Cupertino Courtyard. Architect: @shedarchitecture, Builder: @artofconstructioninc, Photographer: @electrokardiogram
5. Fairfax House. Designer: Laura Mans
6. Triangle Roof House. Architect & Photographer: @kenchikudo

Swipe to see how material, form, and setting come fully into focus.

The vision for Svart Hus was clear from the start. Kate Smith, who designed this Wisconsin home for her own family, built with a philosophy of investing in core pieces that age well. The result: two structures connected: one side for living, one for rest. A retreat designed to be visually quiet and deeply intentional.

The yakisugi cladding is where that intent found its voice.

Kate didn’t want painted black cedar. She wanted something more considered and alive. When the charred yakisugi went up, the home started to read exactly as designed. The black charred surface found its counterpart in Weathering Stain Silver Sugi.

Products Featured: Suyaki® Tung Oil Black, Sugi Flat Grain Weathering Stain Silver
Designer: @ksmithxdesign
Photographer: @xo_me_studio

Zoom in. The grain says it all.

Clear vertical grain cedar from old-growth forests is no longer available at scale. What you’re seeing is what comes next: the most exacting grade of sugi available in North America, grown responsibly over 70 to 80 years.

Quartersawn from premium straight logs. Air-dried for a full year. A calm, uniform surface with virtually no knots, no distractions—just the refined expression of intentional cultivation.

Some materials take decades to get right. This is the ethical alternative to old-growth cedar, and it shows in every board.

Learn more at the link in bio.

We’ve seen a clear shift toward organic material palettes that feel more tactile, architectural, and connected to the landscape.

Authentic yakisugi, also known as “shou sugi ban,” is the epitome of natural beauty. Deeply charred, this Japanese cedar is transformed into rot, pest, and fire resistant siding that will last 80 to 150 years without using any chemical treatments. Available in 32 finishes, including 3 texture variations and a wide range of colors.

If you’re considering an exterior update in 2026, which direction would you take?

Featured Projects:
1 & 5. Seattle Boathouse ADU. Architect: @shedarchitecture, Builder: Whelbilt Homes, Photographer: @rafaelsoldiphotography
2. The Gorge House. Designer: @telfordbrownstudioarchitecture; Builder: John Bloomster Construction
3. Split Gable House. Designer: @kcsarchitects, Photographer: @morgan_karanasios
4. Silver House. Design & Build: @modernhabitat

A home’s black exterior doesn’t compete with a garden landscape. It frames it.

“It puts the garden into focus. A black backdrop also sets off plants in a way that really makes individual plants pop,” says @gardenista_sourcebook in their recent piece on why landscape designers love black houses.

Featured in the article as a prime example: @workshopapd’s East Hampton House, clad in our black Pika-Pika® yakisugi.

1-2. East Hampton House. Architect: @workshopapd, Contractor: @shoshibuilders, Landscape: @farmlandscapedesign, Photographer: @readmckendree/@jbsa.images
3-4. Franklin Lake House. Architect: @jordan_rosenberg_architect; Contractor: @m.harkinconstruction; Photographer: @christinaruthgrieco
5. F-R Garden Studio ADU. Design: @mgarchitecture, Photographer: @emaphotographi
6. Augsburg Retreat. Photographer: @naos_am/Johannes Zettel

Yakisugi, inside and out.

From exterior cladding to interior walls and ceilings, yakisugi brings depth, texture, and longevity to every surface. Its charred grain can define a facade, soften a room, and create a continuous material language between architecture and landscape.

1. Orcas House. Interior Photograph: @willaustinphoto, Architect: @syndicate_smith, Builder: WestCorp
2. Komorebi House. Architecture + Build: @assembly.ab, Photographer: @jrdnpwrs, Engineering: Dunn Structural, Interior Design: Amber Kennedy
3. Northport Studio. Architect: @mathisonarchitects, Contractor: @cooleycontracting, Photographer: @norsworthyscott
4. Hill House. Architect: @kcsarchitects, Builder: Niemela Design Builders, Photographer: @ryanbentphoto