This post is sponsored by James Hardie. As always, I only share brands and products that I love, so all thoughts and opinions are 100% my own. Thank you for supporting Made by Carli.
It’s been almost nine months since we purchased the Hosta House. In those nine months we’ve made some serious progress on the interior of our home. In nine months, we even made a bit of headway on the extremely overgrown landscaping around our home, and while we feel really proud of how far we’ve come our home’s exterior still leaves so much to be desired.
Back in October I shared a post about our renovation plans for the Hosta House, however none of our plans actually included a major exterior renovation. When it comes down to it, the thought really stems from the fact that we want the exterior of our home to be a reflection of us and our personal style—we want it to feel cohesive with the interior of our home. Because, you know, a pale yellow house doesn’t exactly scream Made by Carli style, am I right?
Our design aesthetic tends to incorporate more sleek and modern elements, while also having a deep appreciation for the original character and charm; you know, a good juxtaposition of new and old.
But beyond the dated, faded color and style of our home’s vinyl exterior, it’s also very damaged in several areas. Our home is nestled on a wooded lot with tons of mature pine trees, so after discovering that the original wood shingle siding was still present under the vinyl, it raised concerns about possible pest or insect invasions (cringe!)
For the past few months, we’ve been discussing the possibility of renovating the outside of our home. I first learned of Hardie® fiber cement siding a few years ago, as it’s often used to renovate the beautiful historic houses in our former neighborhood. These stunning homes would be clad in vibrant colored siding, with crisp white trim, while still maintaining the unique period details. I just fell in love with the classic yet updated appearance Hardie® siding products provided and knew that if I ever decided to renovate my home’s exterior they would be the first products I looked into.
Not only are Hardie® fiber cement siding products beautiful, there are over 700 ColorPlus® Technology color options. The prefinished siding means the products have greater resistance to fading, chipping and cracking, which is super important for us considering our New England climate, and our home’s wooded environment. It means if we decide to make an investment in Hardie® siding products, we’ll be making an investment that will last.
Aesthetically, for our home, we would love for it to fit more organically into its natural environment, while also giving a nod to our coastal New England town. One way I imagine doing that is by incorporating updated, natural tones, while also bringing in relaxed, traditional materials like shingles or maybe even board and batten style siding. There are several different siding style options that allow for endless design possibilities that can help our home keep some of its original character. This is extremely important to me, and also gives us a fresh and updated exterior.
On the James Hardie website, I took a fun little Style Finder quiz to help narrow down the look I’m going for, and according to the results, I am a nature lover. In the image below, you can see the stark contrast between what our home currently looks like compared to the look and feel of the natural, earthy tones I am usually drawn to–the results were pretty spot on considering our home’s environment too. To be honest whenever someone asks me to describe the style of this home, I call it a modern cabin, but from the appearance of the exterior that is not the vibe you would get at all. Click here to take the Style Finder quiz too.
Being one who loves to set the foundation of my designs with neutrals, there were a few colors that really stood out to me. Pearl Gray, Aged Pewter and Light Mist.
To take it one step further, because I’m such a visual person, I received some siding samples in those colors to get a good look and feel for them, and they definitely spoke to me:
After reaching out to Advanced Roofing and Siding in Marlborough, MA for a consultation, they created this awesome 3D model of my home for me.
How cool is that, huh? And then they gave me access to try out the different Hardie® siding and trim options, and I can’t lie, I’ve been spending way too much time playing around with it. Below you can see these Hardie® brand siding colors on the 3D model.
Which color do you like best?
With all the siding colors, James Hardie offers a similar opportunity to visualize a new siding color with their Home Color Tool. You can choose the style of your home, and try out different color and siding styles on it as well!
We still have so much to think about, but I’ve been saving lots of inspiration on Pinterest. Check out my siding style inspiration board here, and my siding color inspiration here.
I’m so excited about the possibility of transforming the exterior of our home with a beautiful material that will also help protect it from the elements! I’ll be sure to update you all with what we decide!
