Every year, published lists of top architectural styles always include contemporary designs near the top of the list. Contemporary and modern architecture have distinctive styles that always turn heads, no matter where they’re located.
When it comes to finishing a modern home, not every material is going to be the right fit for the job. Traditional lap siding may not always be the best look, while materials like wood and stucco that require a lot of maintenance don’t always fit with modern lifestyles.
Thankfully, there are materials that can fit the needs of modern homes both aesthetically and in terms of maintenance and durability. Fiber cement siding is one material that can complement your modern home no matter what your style or goals.
Modern Fiber Cement Siding Design Ideas
These 12 design ideas can help you see just how beautifully fiber cement siding can complement a modern-style home:
1. Mixed Siding
Skirting isn’t just used on traditional homes; it can also make the exterior of a contemporary home look more interesting as well. This home uses a combination of architectural panels over the exterior, with a skirt made of wood-look siding. The varying colors of the wood-look siding add some depth, contrasting the white panels, and giving the home greater visual height.
2. Varying Styles
Siding can be used to draw the eye and put emphasis or focus on varying parts of a home. In this case, the way the siding changes in style and color draws the eye upward, putting emphasis on the second story. The lower half is clad in a traditional lap siding, which contrasts to the panels above, so your eye travels up.
3. Tone on Tone Panels
Smooth architectural panels are perfect for creating a really modern facade. This home uses two colors of panels, with a darker panel on the sections that are closer to the viewer. This adds a lot of depth to the design, calling out the balconies in a way that might not catch the attention of people passing by.
4. Transitional Design
Some modern homes have a more transitional look to them, rather than something strictly contemporary. If that’s the case, then fiber cement is able to meet the needs of these homes too, with architectural trim that can highlight the crisp edges and roofline inherent in the design. Slightly wider siding helps to make the transition easier as well.
5. Vertical Design
Modern homes often build up, rather than out to create living space. This home calls attention to this technique with siding that emphasizes the height of the building, as well as stacked architectural panels for a smooth contrast. The different pieces of the design give it a complex and geometric style.
6. Long Linear Lines
Siding can be used to draw the eye in any direction - not just up. This home wants to make the most of its length, rather than its height, so the siding helps pull the eye along it lengthwise. The two colors of siding are subtly different in width from one another, which helps call attention to the lighter sections, making them stand out.
7. Woodgrain Panels
Architectural panels are great for creating a modern facade. They’re also great for adding some additional texture and interest to a building as well. This home features wood-look panels with a natural looking grain and color. They contrast the smooth dark gray panels over the rest of the building, and add some depth to the design.
8. Section Highlight
Siding direction is just one way to call attention to an area of a home. Changing the color and style of the siding can also have an effect on where the eye is drawn. This home uses a sleek gray architectural siding paired with fieldstone over the majority of the front, but it’s the wood-grain section done in a lighter color that really pulls the eye.
9. Window Trim
Windows are a big part of any modern design. Letting in light is important to the interior of the home, while the windows can play a big role in the curb appeal and appearance. This home features a lot of windows in the entryway, all framed out with fiber cement trim that matches the rest of the panels used on that section. It adds a little extra depth to the design, complementing the other, lighter sections.
10. Lights and Darks
The majority of this unique property is clad in a type of stone veneer. The upper portions of the home, however, are clad in two colors and types of fiber cement siding. The two colors are taken directly from the color of the stone. The two styles of siding contrast both one another and the stone, in terms of texture, which calls attention to the two sections above.
11. Richness and Depth
This home is too small for a dark color over the entirety; it needs something to help lighten it up and break up the darker panels. The wood-look shiplap in a variegated stain does this beautifully. The same color and style is also used on the soffits beneath the eaves, so that there is a little bit of continuity throughout the property, as well as contrast, richness, and depth of design.
12. Outdoor Living Accent
The main feature of home is the large outdoor deck above the garage. It’s framed out in a dark, wood-look shiplap that helps complement the frame above. To contrast it, the rest of the home is done in a gray architectural panel with a smooth texture. The two areas play off one another, so that you first notice the wood color, and therefore the deck before anything else.
Get More from Your Modern Home
Modern home design can be very unique in style, color, and material. Clad your home in fiber cement siding to get these benefits, as well as others such as lower maintenance and better durability. Consider fiber cement for your modern home exterior to take your design to the next level.
