Choosing the Right Modern Exterior Siding
Expert Guidance from Stonewood Custom Home Builders
Selecting the perfect exterior siding is one of the most important decisions in building your custom home. At Stonewood, we understand that siding defines your home’s character, protects your investment, and reflects your personal style. With years of experience crafting luxury homes in Wayzata and throughout Minnesota, we’ve mastered the art of pairing the right materials with each homeowner’s vision. Explore these seven stunning siding approaches from actual Stonewood projects to discover what best suits your custom home.
1. Classic Cedar Shake with Stone Accents
This timeless combination showcases premium cedar shake siding in sophisticated gray tones, beautifully complemented by natural stone veneer at the foundation. The shake pattern adds rich texture and dimension while providing excellent insulation properties. Stonewood builders often recommend this approach for homeowners seeking traditional elegance with modern performance. The copper accent roofing and white trim create striking contrast, demonstrating how thoughtful material selection elevates curb appeal. Cedar shake ages gracefully and offers natural resistance to Minnesota’s challenging climate, making it an intelligent long-term investment for discerning clients.
2. Smooth Acrylic Stucco
Featuring smooth acrylic stucco, prefinished standing seam metal roofing, and low-maintenance, durable materials. Our thin-frame aluminum-clad windows offer the sleek look of steel frames in black while performing beautifully in Minnesota’s climate. Natural wood details add warmth and soften the modern aesthetic. This Stonewood residence demonstrates how contemporary materials can create striking visual impact while delivering exceptional longevity. The combination of smooth stucco surfaces with crisp metal roofing establishes clean architectural lines that define modern luxury living. Stonewood’s expertise in material coordination ensures these elements work harmoniously together, creating homes that are as practical as they are beautiful.
3. Contemporary Mixed Materials
This striking Stonewood residence showcases the powerful impact of authentic materials working in harmony. Full-thickness stone veneer provides substantial visual weight and thermal mass, creating a foundation of permanence and luxury. Reclaimed barnwood siding adds rich character and warmth, with each plank telling its own story through weathered texture and aged patina. Standing seam and flat roof details deliver clean, contemporary lines that complement the rustic elements below. Authentic solid timber details throughout the exterior emphasize Stonewood’s commitment to genuine craftsmanship rather than imitation materials. Natural patina steel details add compelling industrial elements that bridge traditional and modern aesthetics. Perhaps most dramatically, the huge amount of glass strategically placed throughout the facade offsets the weight of the stone, creating visual balance while flooding interior spaces with natural light. This masterful combination demonstrates Stonewood’s expertise in coordinating complex material palettes that achieve both architectural drama and livable elegance.
4. Lakefront Elegance: Low-Maintenance Fiber Cement
For lakefront properties and second homes where minimal maintenance is paramount, this Stonewood residence demonstrates the practical elegance of fiber cement siding and trim details. Engineered for exceptional durability, fiber cement resists moisture, rot, and insect damage while requiring virtually no upkeep over decades. This makes it an ideal choice for vacation properties or busy homeowners who want to avoid ongoing maintenance commitments. While fiber cement offers a less authentic appearance compared to natural wood, Stonewood clients consistently appreciate this trade-off for the remarkable durability and peace of mind it provides. The thin-cut stone veneer strategically placed throughout the exterior reduces both weight and construction costs while delivering the visual impact of full-thickness stone. This intelligent material pairing demonstrates how Stonewood helps clients make informed decisions that balance aesthetics with practical long-term performance, creating lakefront homes that remain beautiful with minimal intervention.
5. Traditional Craftsman Perfection
The enduring craftsman style meets modern practicality in this Stonewood masterpiece. Fiber cement siding and trim details deliver the classic look of traditional lap siding while providing exceptional durability and virtually maintenance-free performance. This combination proves ideal for second homes or homeowners seeking to avoid the ongoing upkeep demands of natural wood. While fiber cement may lack the completely authentic appearance of real wood, Stonewood clients value this trade-off for the long-term durability and cost savings over time. The multiple gables showcase precise installation techniques, with each architectural detail carefully executed. Thin-cut stone veneer at the foundation and accent areas reduces structural weight and material costs while achieving the substantial appearance of full-thickness stone. This intelligent approach demonstrates how Stonewood adapts timeless architectural styles with contemporary materials, creating homes that honor tradition while embracing practical modern solutions for today’s lifestyles.
6. Vertical Board and Batten Contemporary
This stunning Stonewood lakefront property embraces an all-natural exterior philosophy that celebrates authentic materials in their purest form. Natural cedar vertical shiplap creates dramatic lines while showcasing the organic beauty that only real wood can deliver. Cedar extends throughout the soffit, fascia, and trim details, providing visual continuity and rich warmth that synthetic products simply cannot replicate. IPE decking offers exceptional density and natural weather resistance, developing a beautiful silvery patina over time. Standing seam roofing paired with steel and cable railing details add contemporary industrial elements that complement rather than compete with the natural materials. Natural stone patios and pool deck ground the structure in its lakeside setting with timeless elegance. Stonewood’s clients who choose this approach understand the trade-off: these materials require higher maintenance compared to engineered alternatives, but they deliver a completely authentic look with depth, character, and natural aging that man-made products cannot duplicate. For those who value genuine materials and are willing to invest in their care, this all-natural palette represents the pinnacle of organic luxury.
7. Sophisticated Two-Tone Statement
This sophisticated Stonewood residence demonstrates the elegant interplay between smooth stucco surfaces and fiber cement lap siding. The combination creates compelling visual interest through contrasting textures while maintaining the low-maintenance performance that modern homeowners demand. Stonewood specifies premium James Hardie fiber cement products that deliver exceptional durability against Minnesota’s harsh climate without the upkeep requirements of traditional wood siding. The stucco sections provide smooth, monolithic surfaces that emphasize the home’s contemporary architecture, while the lap siding adds depth and dimension to key architectural zones. A striking steel entry door serves as the focal point, adding both sophistication and strength to the primary entrance. This material choice elevates the entire composition, offering superior security and weather resistance while making a powerful design statement. Stonewood’s careful coordination of these elements proves that practical material selections need not compromise aesthetic ambition, creating homes that are as enduring as they are beautiful.
Ready to Build Your Dream Home with Stonewood?
Our team of experienced builders and craftsmen in Wayzata, Minnesota specialize in selecting and installing the perfect siding for your custom home. Let’s discuss which materials and approaches will bring your vision to life.