Shou Sugi Ban: the surface is carbon, not paint

A piece of carbonized cedar. The surface is charred and then brushed to remove loose carbon, causing the soft wood parts to burn away and the hard wood to protrude, resulting in a distinctly uneven texture when touched; the color is matte black with deep brown, and under side lighting, these irregularities shimmer with fine textures. It is the lowest-luminosity material in this space, used only in specific areas: a wall extending from an exterior wall, or the facade of a cabinet unit. Avoid: using black paint to impersonate carbonization, leaving the carbon layer in a rough state that stains hands, using it over large areas to make the space entirely black, and brushing the surface flat, losing the unevenness of the wood grain.

Translated from Chinese by AI.

一片碳化的杉木。表面經過燒灼再刷除浮碳,軟木的部分被燒掉而硬木凸起,因此摸起來是有明顯凹凸的;顏色是霧黑帶深褐,在側光下那些凹凸會閃出細細的紋理。它是這個空間裡明度最低的材料,只用在局部:一段外牆延伸進來的牆、一組櫃體的立面。避免:用黑漆冒充碳化、把碳層留成會沾手的粗糙狀態、在大面積上使用讓空間全黑、把表面刷平失去木紋凹凸。