Home Cladding Trends 2016

Cladding goes bold in 2016

Multi-clad residential builds are on the rise, with darker colours being used to provide additional contrast and create a dramatic effect for enhanced streetscape design.

New Zealanders want to express their personality through their home and streetscape is becoming increasingly important. The challenge for homeowners is how to create a durable, structurally sound home that looks great, too.

Versatility enables individuality

Homeowners don’t want to compromise durability for aesthetics. The exterior of your home should reflect your personality and lifestyle. Products such as Linea Oblique can be oriented vertically or horizontally to create a distinct look. They can also be painted any colour. Many homeowners choose black, whites and greys. However, some want their home to match their personality so use brighter colours like this inviting family home on Auckland’s North Shore.

Form follows climate

It is important to design your home to be comfortable in all seasons and you should choose building materials that are suited to the context and landscape. Locally-made products, such as James Hardie cladding, are designed to suit our unique and harsh weather conditions. Unlike timber, James Hardie fibre cement boards won’t fade or crack, and the advanced composite structure means the boards are resistant to fire, moisture damage and rot.

James Hardie Linea Weatherboard’s 90-minute fire resistance rating means you can use it within one metre of a boundary fence. James Hardie claddings are also thinner than other building materials, like brick, which means you can maximise space in your home.

We’re seeing an increase in darker colours being used, especially a range of colours from the same colour palette. Alternatively, contrasting colours are being used to create dramatic effect.

Indoor-outdoor flow and interchangeable interior and exterior cladding

Good indoor-outdoor flow continues to be a national obsession. For example, Linea is used in this home to create a dynamic space bringing the outdoor/beach side feel to the inside. Used with large patio doors going out onto a deck creates a great indoor-outdoor flow space.

James Hardie cladding can be used to clad both the interior and exterior walls of homes, providing a cohesive design. Stria is used here in the living room to create a distinct feature wall to complement and bring interest to neutral surroundings and timber floor.

At David Reid Homes we understand there are a million and one decisions to make when embarking on your home design and build project, which is why we partner with the top industry experts to get you the most update information and ensure your home is right for you.