Yakisugi · 焼杉 · Shou Sugi Ban
Fire.
Wood.
Permanence.
Bespoke yakisugi charred timber cladding for architects, designers, and homeowners across the United Kingdom. Hundreds of m² in stock — one-week turnaround.
The Studio
An ancient technique,
refined for modern architecture.
Yakisugi — the Japanese practice of charring timber — produces a surface of extraordinary beauty and resilience. We work with architects, interior designers, contractors, and homeowners to deliver bespoke charred timber for cladding, flooring, and bespoke installations.
About the StudioSelected Work
Recent Projects
Exterior Cladding
Kuro House
Interior Panelling
Ash & Grain
Bespoke Installation
The Burnt Pavilion
Flooring & Cladding
Ember Residence
The Craft
Three thousand years
of fire and wood.
Yakisugi is a traditional Japanese method of preserving timber through controlled charring. The process creates a carbonised outer layer that resists fire, moisture, insects, and the passage of time.
At Senmonka, we honour this ancient technique while adapting it for contemporary architecture. Each board is hand-charred, brushed, and finished to specification — producing charred timber cladding, burnt wood cladding, and black timber facades that are as individual as the grain of the wood itself.
The result is material that does not merely age — it deepens.
"The cladding Senmonka produced for our project was unlike anything we had specified before. The depth of the char, the texture — it transformed the entire facade."
- James Whitfield -
Work With Us
Every project begins
with a conversation.
Whether you are an architect specifying cladding, a homeowner seeking something singular, or a contractor looking for a reliable supply partner — we would like to hear about your project.
Begin a Project