by Lindsay Frankel with James Hardie
Beautiful siding is an essential element of that show-stopping curb appeal your customers are after. But the sheer number of siding options can often overwhelm homeowners. That's why we're breaking down the six big siding trends we're seeing in 2023. With each trend, your homeowners have room to express their individuality through texture, color, and details. And your exterior renovation will look appealing enough to grace the pages of a magazine.
Modern Lines
While some homeowners still have a taste for more traditional styles, such as lap siding, “We clearly see more desire for cleaner, modern lines,” explains Michael Woodley, president and founder of Woodley Architecture. Homeowners are looking for siding ideas with a smoother appearance, such as Hardie® Artisan siding profiles like V-Groove or Square Channel, part of the HardieTM Architectural Collection. This collection also features new Hardie® Architectural Panel that deliver sleek, clean lines to help homeowners and trades achieve more modern looks.
Board and Batten
Whether homeowners are aiming for a modern farmhouse look or just building on family ranch land, board and batten siding is a popular choice, says Melanie McGinley Sparks, president of Kurk Homes. “They love that kind of southern charm of the board and batten look,” she says. Because board and batten siding looks beautiful with a wide variety of architectural styles and applications, it may never go out of style. It's also great for internal accent walls.
Bold Colors
Woodley notes that playing with color and texture together helps animate the facade, which is why some homeowners are moving away from white and gray. “People are starting to push a little bit more color,” he says, though he notes white is still a popular choice.
Blue siding is gaining popularity, and pops of bright color in the shutters can also play well with neutral colors, which will never go out of style.
Timeless Neutrals
McGinley Sparks says a putty color is now trending. Some homeowners also like to play with contrasting neutrals, such as light siding with dark trim. For other families, a monochromatic look, which features subtle variations of color, may be more fitting.
Playing with Texture and Contrasting Accents
Mixing siding can highlight the features of a house, says McGinley Sparks. For example, a different texture can draw attention to the windows. “Visually, if you vary the texture on an exterior, you’re creating that interest,” she says. So if your homeowner is having trouble choosing between the different types of siding, it might be a good idea to pick two or more styles that complement one another.
Blending Indoor and Outdoor Spaces
Lovers of nature, take note: Siding can be used to bring the outdoors in. For example, extending a roof with a sided ceiling over a patio creates an outdoor room in a home. You can even use siding on an accent wall to partially enclose an outdoor kitchen. Wide windows and doors that open up to these spaces help to establish a natural flow between indoor and outdoor rooms.
You can also apply siding indoors to enhance fluidity between spaces. McGinley Sparks says her customers melted over the beauty of Hardie® siding applied on an interior ceiling. “Bringing in that exterior product inside is just kind of a fun little surprise for a lot of our homeowners. They love the texture and the visual interest of that application.”
When remodeling his daughter’s home, Woodley used some of the leftover Hardie® Artisan siding from the exterior renovation to accent the interior space. He says the result was absolutely beautiful.