HGTV's Jenny Marrs Unveils A Showstopping Design Trend On Fixer To Fabulous
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Wood has always been a staple changing design trends. When we think of using wood in our decor, we often think of shiplap, but there are other unique wood finishes you can use around your house. In an episode of "Fixer to Fabulous" on HGTV, Jenny Marrs and her husband, Dave, renovated a small, 2-bedroom house, finding creative ways along the way to make it a showstopping, yet livable, place. One of those ways was incorporating a design trend called shou sugi ban, or the more correct Japanese term, yakisugi.
Yakisugi is a design trend that originated in Japan centuries ago. We have seen this trend on HGTV before when the burned wood feature appeared on "Battle On The Beach." It involves burning cedar wood to create a gorgeous design that is equal parts natural and modern. The practice of yakisugi began as a way to prevent bugs from eating away at the wood. While Marrs didn't need it to rid away bugs, she instead used the practice to create an accent wall for her clients that is unique and beautiful.
What you need to create yakisugi
The home Jenny and Dave Marrs were tasked with renovating was small, especially the master bedroom. With not much space to work with, they had to think outside of the box to create something the couple would truly love. "Dave made it even more special by adding a dramatic wall behind the headboard," Jenny says on the couple's blog. "He created a Shou Sugi Ban wall, by taking strips of wood and burning them into a multi-tone effect. Again, white walls, white ceiling and white curtains keep things looking bright and airy. Plus, there's lots of natural light coming in through the windows."
If you want to use yakisugi in your home, you will need a propane torch, which costs about $50 on Amazon; sanding disks, found on Amazon for about $12; a sanding block, which is about $12 on Amazon; and wipe-on Poly, found on Amazon for under $20. If you want a certain color, you will also need a water-based stain, which you can get tinted at your local hardware store.
How to achieve the yakisugi style
Yakisugi is a wood-burning process. Using your torch, the first step is to burn the wood. To make it true yakisugi style, you need to make sure you are keeping the torch far away from the wood, making it feel more like you are painting the wood with fire rather than actually burning it. After you are done torching the wood, you'll need to let it cool off completely before you start the next step.
Next, you'll want to prep the wood by clearing off all the soot and ash before you begin staining it. When you stain, use small sections, using the process of stain, wipe, stain, wipe until all the wood has been touched. Finally, lightly sand the wood until you can see the natural wood peeking through. While most yakisugi is lightly sanded, you can go a bit heavier if you prefer a more natural look.