The day is here! I’ve been waiting for forever to share the concept board for our home’s exterior! I didn’t want to share too early, because we had so much foundational work to complete on the house. But we’re at the point where windows are in, roof is on, and siding and stone are on their way. So it’s about time to share the vision behind it all.
I’ll confess, I considered a black house for a long time. It’s basically still plan B. But for now, we’ve decided to bring in a charcoal/black color in more subtle ways, like the soffits, the garden shed, and the roof.
a little background on the concept
I looked at so many siding options. I could NOT find anything I loved. And then, I don’t even remember how it started…but I started considering cedar. But not your typical traditionally stained cedar. But a light, natural color that felt like the white oak interiors I love so much. I dove down the Pinterest rabbit hole and found some gorgeous examples of wood siding and bleached cedar options that spoke to my soul! Once this was a firm decision, I wanted to find another natural material to bring in some variety and texture. We looked at so many stones until we found the one. I’ll get into all of these exact decisions on another post later, but for now, I just want to share design inspiration!
the wood tones
It’s hard not to dive into all the specifics right now! I’m going to share some of my favorite inspiration photos for what guided me to the final look of our cedar. From width to installation, tone, to combination materials, here are a few of my favorite photos of wood-clad homes. We ultimately decided to go with a wood tone a bit more warm/saturated for extra sun protection and general color (a similar color to our flooring for a good interior/exterior connection) — you can take a sneak peek at the final cedar color here.
a natural pairing
Exteriors are not my forte, but I looked at a lot of photos as part of my research process. I always tell my clients to start design by immersion. Looking at pictures and analyzing what you like and don’t like is critical to learning your design preferences. The next step for me is really analyzing how certain materials are used. With exteriors, starting and stopping points are a detail that cannot be overlooked. There needs to be a purpose behind transitioning to a different material for it to look most authentic. Out of all the exterior materials available, this rule holds the most true for stone.
I knew stone would be the perfect option for some added texture and visual interest playing with scale. I was very critical about where and how it would be used. The image below is one of my inspiration photos that helped me with color and style of the stone. It was perfect because it paired it with the warmer wood tone I wanted for the cedar as well!
roof options
We had initially planned for a metal roof despite knowing it was going to cost a substantial amount more. But when numbers came back and we had to go through the process of cutting costs, it eventually had to go. I really struggled finding a roof option I liked, but the more I looked at shingled roofs with cedar siding, the more I loved it. Standing seam metal roofs paired with vertical cedar can look ULTRA modern, which I love, but I actually wanted something a bit softer looking. The shingles bring that soft texture I was looking for. But I wasn’t ready to let go of the metal roof completely. I love mixed roof materials and we had the perfect location to change it up — the hall between the master suite and the rest of the house.
time for implementation
I feel like there will be one hundred more times where I say “I’m most looking forward to…” but… I’m (currently) most looking forward to seeing the exterior come to life. It’s the first impression of the home. Watching the framing of the house come together was a HUGE step. One with a lot of pressure around it hoping that I didn’t mess up with sizes of the rooms or regrets on layout. When I nailed that, a weight was lifted from my shoulders. The shape of the structure is there, but it’s currently like a silhouette. It looks beautiful, but what will happen when a light is cast over it and all the details are shown? I feel confident in our material selections both individually and when viewed together. I see the end result in my head, but will it look the same as I imagine? Better? Worse?!
Give us a few more weeks and we’ll know for sure!
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