Elizabeth Herrmann Clads a Cornwall Home in Gendai Yakisugi

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The charred cedar cladding on the Milo House, in Cornwall, Vermont, has been brushed once after its flame treatment, a step that softens the soot layer and exposes the grain still visible beneath the char. Architect Elizabeth Herrmann, of Elizabeth Herrmann Architecture + Design, chose the finish, called Gendai, from Nakamoto Forestry for a house conceived as a series of irregular, offset volumes rising through a dense stand of trees on a sloped hillside site.

Modern two-story house with dark wood siding and metal roof, surrounded by trees and greenery, with a gravel driveway in front.

Photography by Ryan Bent

Yakisugi is made from Japanese cedar, known as sugi, that is intensely flame-treated to improve durability, dimensional stability, and resistance to rot and pests. Herrmann has used Nakamoto Forestry’s cladding across her residential work, and for Milo House both she and the homeowners arrived at the material independently, early in the design process. The homeowners were after a low-maintenance, high-performance exterior, a goal the charred cedar met while also giving the house its bark-like surface.

Modern living room with large windows, white walls, a round white chair, green plant, and spherical ceiling light, overlooking a green forest.

Photography by Ryan Bent

Named for homeowners Nathan and Seth’s dog, Milo, the house occupies a site where orchards, woodland, and long mountain vistas shaped the design from the outset. The couple moved to Vermont from Boston, with Red House Building ultimately constructing the home.

Modern living room with large windows, wall-mounted TV, green sofa, round white chair, potted plants, and light wood ceiling. Natural light fills the space.

Photography by Ryan Bent

“We were really interested in having the house feel natural, almost bark-like in tone and texture,” Herrmann says. “We love working with natural materials that have texture, patina, and depth of character.”

Modern kitchen and dining area with wood floors, large windows, black countertops, pendant lighting, and forest view outside.

Photography by Ryan Bent

The home’s offset staggered forms respond directly to the site’s slope, its tree canopy, and long views west toward the Adirondacks. Rather than starting with a fixed floor plan, Herrmann let those conditions shape how the house unfolds across the site. The resulting spaces shift between more intimate rooms and cathedral-like interiors, with cross-ventilation incorporated throughout. The dark exterior recedes into the surrounding woods, while lighter interiors frame distant mountain views.

Modern kitchen with wood cabinets, black marble countertops, three pendant lights, a fruit bowl, and three brown bar stools near large glass doors overlooking greenery.

Photography by Ryan Bent

Inside, the dark exterior gives way to bright rooms filled with natural light, lighter wood finishes, and views framed through the trees. Lofted ceilings throughout the gathering spaces are paired with a wood acoustical treatment that softens sound within the tall rooms. For Herrmann, the contrast between the charred exterior and lighter interiors is accompanied by another consideration: how the material will change over time.

Minimalist bedroom with large window overlooking trees, sloped ceiling, bed with neutral bedding, green rug, wooden coat rack, tall mirror, and chair.

Photography by Ryan Bent

“With any natural material, there’s a conversation about how it will age,” Herrmann says. “The point of yakisugi isn’t for it to stay frozen in time. It’s a living material designed to evolve.”