Gold Medal Winner – Chelsea Flower Show, The Talitha Arts Garden
Thermowood (Redwood)
Carey Garden Design Studio approached Millworks for the opportunity to showcase our new Mokuzai® ‘Charred’ product as part of their debut show garden at the 2023 RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Designed for Talitha Arts, a charity using creative arts to support those who have suffered trauma, Joe and Laura were looking for exciting new materials to complement their narrative and add to the dark, textured colour pallet.
Designed from the relocation plan, backwards, any materials used needed to be durable and hardwearing to enable this garden to be used as a performance space for many years to come. Versatility was key as although used as fencing during the Chelsea Flower Show, this product was to be repurposed as cladding and landscaping structures for the final build.
Inspired by traditional Japanese burning techniques (Yakisugi), Millworks Mokuzai® Charred is a hardwearing alternative that provides increased longevity whilst adding dimension and richness to design. Manufactured with modern technology, heated rollers use a flameless method to finish with the look of heavily charred timber without compromising the surface stability. This process uses lower embodied energy and unlike traditional Yakisugi, offers a consistent finish that will not chip or flake.
Designed with modern living and sustainability in mind, Millworks Mokuzai® products have been carefully manufactured to capture the beauty of this bespoke finish for external and internal projects alike. Millcoat® environmentally friendly factory coatings are recommended to further lengthen the timber’s service life, reduce weathering, and enhance the distinctive, high relief grain patterns that Mokuzai® finishes create.
“We’ve really tried to bring together a team of creatives to display this celebration of design. It’s been really exciting being the first project to use Millworks new product and bring it to a public platform. The material itself is really tactile and during the build phase there has already been quite a buzz with people stopping to ask questions. We and our contractors have really enjoyed working with it and we would definitely use it again!”
Joe Carey – Carey Garden Design Studio
