W Boston Hotel and Residences Boston has gone through a renovation by William Rawn Associates and now makes its dramatic entrance into the fashionable theater district. This sophistication is also refected in the newly finished charred wood walling in the lobby lounge.

Paired with granite columns, it is raw and earthy, yet playful. The charred timber was provided by Delta Millworks, who chose the Kebony Half Gator for this exclusive interior design. Shou Sugi Ban, the traditional Japanese method of weathering and preserving wood by charring, became trendy in America over the past couple of years, and falls in line with a desire for aged decorative elements.