Mixing different types of siding can give your home individuality and visual appeal, but it can also be difficult to execute correctly without guidance. While some homeowners mix materials to create a contemporary look, others already have a mixed materials home exterior that needs an update. We’re breaking down practical tips to pair exterior materials for a beautiful home.
Designers mix materials—both inside and out—to add texture, create volume and form layers. They even use mixed materials to break up an otherwise simplistic exterior wall. Whether you have a mix of materials that are existing on your home or you want to add visual interest, here are some areas you’ll see mixed materials on home exteriors:
Partial walls, foundations or skirting in brick or stone veneers
Bump-outs to emphasize or play down
Metal roofs, awnings and soffits
Stone pillars
Architectural details to emphasize a home’s style (e.g. Dutch Colonial or bungalows)
How to Mix Materials for Big Impact
There are certain methods for coordinating and adding materials to make a strong design statement for your home.
Coordinate colors – Choose a specific exterior material to use as the basis for your color palette. For example, select a color that’s part of the brick and use it to coordinate with the siding color. It’s recommended to select a siding color that is a few shades lighter or darker. Gray siding is often paired with a gray-blue stone while warm-colored brick matches tan or beige siding. For a more traditional look, be sure to visually “ground” your home with a darker color. (Tip: check out the LP® SmartSide® Home Visualizer to picture how exterior elements like color and materials will pair together.)
Play up textures – LP® SmartSide® Brushed Smooth Trim & Siding looks sleek paired with rough brick and stone, while board and batten siding adds volume and visual interest, even if it’s painted the same color.
Be thoughtful with placement – Consider positioning mixed materials where they highlight an architectural feature–such as a window, gable, dormer or bump-out. This placement reinforces and elevates the character and design aesthetic of the home. Here, you may want to choose a contrasting color to create a strong visual impact.
Know where to splurge – For a smaller area, think about splurging on a specialized material to create a visually appealing, dramatic focal point. Think of copper awnings over the windows or expensive stone to frame the portico.
Longevity is key – While choosing materials, make sure they are durable enough to make sure they are engineered for long-lasting resilience. Get creative using LP® SmartSide® ExpertFinish® Trim & Siding, which is a prefinished siding option available in 16 versatile colors with consistent, long-lasting quality and beauty. The product features a 5-year full labor and materials warranty, a 15-year limited warranty on the finish, and a 50-year substrate limited warranty.
