How To Choose The Right Siding For Your Home’s Aesthetic

With so many different siding materials and shapes, and virtually unlimited colors, trying to find “the one” for your home can feel like a hopeless battle, with you doubting your every choice.

If that sounds like you, you’re in luck! Today, you’ll be learning which options and colors fit your home type, as well as more tips to find “the one”. Let’s begin!

Hiring A Contractor

If you’re not confident in your judgment, or just hate the thought of anything design related, you can always just hire an established siding contractor like Dallas Siding Pros.

Siding contractors will know the ins and outs of every siding material, and will likely have worked on at least dozens, if not hundreds of homes. This means that often, at a glance, they can immediately tell which types and colors will best suit your home, saving you hours of research and racking your brains.

They’ll also have access to bulk pricing, which means while you will have to pay for the installation, you’ll be getting a good price on the materials. Hiring a professional also pretty much guarantees that the installation, replacement, or whatever work is being done, will be done well.

So while a contractor will almost certainly cost more than if you DIYed, they’re well worth the cost considering the amount of brain work, time, and effort they’re saving you. Now for those of you getting hands-on, here are the siding options we recommend for each home type.

1. Modern/Contemporary Homes

Modern homes tend to feature large glass windows, clean, neat shapes, and often sleek colors like white, black, and gray as their primary colors. A lot of times, they also follow minimalist design concepts. As you’d expect, your siding should also be sleek and have clean lines.

For modern homes, here are the recommended siding options.

Fiber Cement

One of the most popular choices for modern homes, fiber cement panels are perfect for modern homes due to their clean lines and flat nature. Fiber cement panels also have an edge over many other materials due to their rigidity which allows them to be manufactured into larger pieces, and you can find large fiber cement panels much more easily than with other materials. Larger pieces translate to less lines, further enhancing the modern look of your home.

Metal

Metal makes pretty much anything look modern, so it’s no surprise that it complements modern homes well. Metal doesn’t fit on all modern homes though. Metal siding brings an industrial vibe to your home, which while looking sleek, can be a bit too plain and cold for some homeowners.

Stucco

While not as sleek as the previous two options, stucco still looks great in contemporary homes due to the fact that it can be applied such that there aren’t any lines at all. Stucco won’t give you as sleek of a home, but it will make your home look warmer and give it more life.

2. Colonial Homes

Colonial homes generally look like British Colonial houses. For this type of home, you’ll want siding that brings elegance and classiness to the table.

Here are the best options for Colonial houses.

Wood Clapboard

Wood clapboard siding is perfect for that timeless, classic look, as wood, being a natural resource, has been around since forever. Make sure to pair it with muted colors like white, gray, or beige, as louder colors can quickly tire out the eyes and will definitely ruin the timeless aesthetic.

Fiber Cement

Fiber cement can be made to resemble wood, so of course, they’ll look good on colonial homes too.

Vinyl

Another siding option that can resemble wood siding quite closely, vinyl is one of the most affordable options around while still being quite durable.

3. Ranch Homes

Ranch homes are one of the most common home types in the US, and are basically your single-story homes with low-pitched roofs. Their design tends to be simple, but like colonial houses, timeless.

For this type of home, here are the types of siding you should be looking at.

Wood/Vinyl

Again, like with colonial homes, wood and vinyl are great choices for their timeless appeal.

Brick/Stone Veneer

For ranch homes, as long as your siding can go well with the roof and have that soft, plain, but timeless look, it’ll do. So if you want to add a little more texture to your home, brick and stone veneer siding will do wonderfully.

Board And Batten

Board and batten siding tends to be less commonly seen on ranch homes, as traditional ranch homes usually employ horizontal siding. Nevertheless, a vertical arrangement actually gives ranch homes a nice, modern look, and is perfect for those looking to keep up with the times with their ranch house.

4. Country Homes/Farmhouses

Country homes and farmhouses are both relatively common home types. It goes without saying that they have different design concepts, but aesthetics-wise, what works for one will usually work for the other. If you’re wondering what siding to use, just ask yourself whether it would belong on a barn or farm.

And if it does, you’re good to go. If that’s not the case, you’re going to have to make a judgment call for yourself. Sometimes, blending more modern siding can still work if the texture and color are right.

With that in mind, here are the best siding options for the typical country home and farmhouse.

Board And Batten

Board and batten siding is one of the most popular choices for these types of houses, as they’re exactly what you’d see in a barn or farm–vertical siding.

Vinyl

For the exact siding material to use for your board and batten siding, again, vinyl can resemble wood, so it works extremely well for these types of homes.

Wood

And of course, wood itself will complement your farmhouse or country home flawlessly, though homeowners may opt for vinyl due to its resistance to pests and moisture.

Final Thoughts

Alright, so those are the ideal siding options for various popular home types. Before we end off, note that we’ve listed the best siding options for each home type. They’re the best, but not the only appropriate ones.

For each home type, there are actually various other siding options that can work. We’ve simply listed the most appropriate ones that will suit the aesthetics of each home. However, if you prefer other materials for their durability, price, ease of installation, or for whatever reason, don’t let aesthetics stop you.

As long as you have the right color, whatever siding material you’re choosing, you can still achieve pretty satisfactory results in terms of aesthetics.