Hardie^® Artisan^® Siding Provides a Fresh Opportunity for Elevated Exterior Design

For homeowners seeking a timeless luxury aesthetic, high-quality materials are the cornerstone of home design. Natural fiber fabrics, lush greenery, and rich textures create a luxe interior. Likewise, streamlined and sophisticated siding materials hint at a luxury oasis just inside your front door.

When exterior home designers want to achieve an elevated look for a high-end custom home, they often turn to Hardie® Artisan® Siding and Trim for its versatile design possibilities and long-lasting beauty. Their clients appreciate the opportunity to develop a unique aesthetic, the low-maintenance durability of the product, and the oohs and ahhs of guests as they approach their home.

We asked two experienced Hardie® siding contractors what they love about the Hardie® Artisan® product line and how they’ve used Hardie® siding to complete creative new builds and redesigns that wow their clients. Their insights reveal the endless design flexibility and superior resilience of Artisan® siding and trim products.

Specialty Siding, a Southern California exterior siding business, is one of the most tenured U.S. installers in the James Hardie™ ALLIANCE program. Anthony Campitiello, the owner, is excited about the relaunch of Artisan® Lap and Artisan® Trim to bolster the Artisan® product line. “The whole design of what they’ve created with that Artisan® line is next level,” he says.

His team primarily uses Artisan® siding on farmhouse homes and coastal beach houses, but the product works well for a wide range of architectural styles. “One of the applications that stands out to me the most is the Newport Harbor Yacht Club,” Campitiello reflects. His team used both Artisan® V-Groove and Shiplap siding, even applying the product to the giant porch ceilings.

The extra-thick, five-eighth inch boards create deep shadow lines, and the lock joint system allow for a cleaner, flatter look. The much-anticipated return of Hardie^® Artisan^® Trim balances the elegant lines of Hardie® Artisan® Siding, with the 1.5-inch-thick board of Hardie® Artisan® Trim proudly complementing the siding’s deeper shadow lines.

For trade pros looking to impart a streamlined aesthetic, siding contractors also have the capability to miter the corners on-site with any Artisan® siding profile. “The team really likes the fact that we can eliminate trim on the exterior corners, and we can create a mitered application to give a more flowing and modern look to a building,” says Campitiello.

Robert Cline, owner of First Rate Remodeling, agrees. “It just has a whole different style and feel if you don’t have trim,” he says. The precise fit creates a noticeably distinct aesthetic, like wearing a tailored suit instead of buying off the rack.

Unlimited Customization Options

Hardie® Artisan® products come primed and ready to paint, so you can choose from an infinite color palette and with V-groove, shiplap, square channel, and lap siding profiles, you also have the freedom to play with different surfaces to create visual interest.

Campitiello’s team can get creative with the application, sometimes mixing the Artisan® line with other Hardie® siding products. “We try to incorporate it on different aspects of the project, so maybe in a gable end, maybe in a front entryway, maybe not necessarily the whole house and then maybe a lap siding or a board and batten as the rest of the application,” he says.

Cline notes that his team can achieve continuity with the product. “We like being able to do the soffit in the Hardie® Artisan® siding too. It kind of cleans up the house,” he says. And varying the orientation expands the range of design possibilities. “You can actually put [Artisan® flat-wall siding] on either horizontally or vertically,” Cline says.

Durability You Can Depend On

Artisan® siding mimics the appearance of traditional wood siding without requiring constant upkeep. “It’s definitely better than real wood, because eventually, real wood just cracks,” says Cline. “With real wood, you have to seal it, too. You have to put caulking on everything.” That prevents siding contractors from achieving the clean, seamless aesthetic that’s possible with the Artisan® line.

Unlike wood siding, Hardie® fiber cement siding doesn’t appeal to pests, so you won’t find yourself in a standoff against a woodpecker or paying for repairs due to termite damage. It also resists moisture and extreme heat, protecting your home from inclement weather better than wood. “The durability is just off the charts. It truly is,” says Campitiello.

That durability allows you to enjoy your siding for decades with minimal maintenance and less frequent repainting and repairs. Hardie® siding is backed by a 30-year, non-prorated, transferable warranty, so it may continue to provide value to whoever buys or inherits your home. “Once you install it, it’s going to be good for over 30 years. That’s the part I like,” says Cline.

Both Cline and Campitiello work with homeowners in Southern California, where wildfires are becoming more frequent and destructive.* The average annual burn area has tripled since the 2010s. Cline says the fire resistance properties of Hardie® siding is another major selling point — the product doesn’t fuel a fire, unlike wood siding, and when combined with other fire mitigation measures, can help harden a home from wildfire.

After wildfires devastated communities in Altadena and Palisades earlier this year, the risk is top of mind for homeowners in the Southern California area. “I think we’re going to start getting a lot more [customers asking for] Hardie® siding, because they’re going to realize it’s a better product,” says Cline. He adds that the non-combustibility* for Hardie® fiber cement products is a big draw to customers.

For some homeowners, re-siding with non-combustible material could reduce the cost of home insurance coverage, according to Campitiello. However, many carriers have reduced coverage or pulled out of the California market altogether. As climate change continues to worsen the effects of extreme weather events, experts predict insurance companies will stop offering wildfire coverage to broad regions of the country.

A Brand You Can Trust

Siding contractors in the James Hardie™ ALLIANCE receive unparalleled support from the company. “You really have a partner when it comes down to it. You don’t have just a supplier or a manufacturer,” says Campitiello. “You really have somebody that wants to see you succeed, wants to help you succeed and be a part of your success.”

For homeowners, that means there’s no shortage of qualified and experienced siding contractors who know how to install Hardie® siding. Contractors in the James Hardie™ ALLIANCE program are trained and vetted, allowing homeowners to hire with confidence.

For siding contractors like Cline and Campitiello, the program facilitates business growth and generates new leads. “I get people all the time who say they saw me on the James Hardie website,” says Cline. Campitiello says his James Hardie rep introduces him to different types of clientele like developers and architects.

Though Cline and Campitiello serve the same area, they collaborate rather than compete. “I know all the other contractors that are in the program, and we kind of help each other out,” says Cline, who sometimes refers clients to other ALLIANCE™ contractors when First Rate Remodeling can’t take on a project.

That may be partly due to the core values of progress and innovation that make James Hardie a leader in the industry. Campitiello says the company asks contractors for genuine feedback on how to improve their products. “And they listen. And a lot of manufacturers just don’t do that,” he says. “I think working with James Hardie as a company and being educated by James Hardie of what the industry is doing on a regular basis has helped our business tremendously.”

Not Just a House, But a Work of Art

You don’t need to choose between reliable, long-lasting siding materials and a high-end aesthetic fit for a creative designer’s palette. Architects, contractors, and homeowners can have both with the Artisan® product line — an eye-catching exterior design capable of becoming a viral Instagram post, and a product that can outlive passing trends, withstand the changing climate, and remain beautiful for years to come.

Download our inspiration guide or explore a myriad of design possibilities with the Hardie™ Designer, powered by Hover®. If you’re ready to start your re-side journey with a professional, Request a Siding Quote so we can connect you with skilled local contractors. You’re just a few clicks away from designing the distinctive home of your dreams.

*Noncombustible Hardie® siding won’t burn when tested per ASTM E136, and along with other home hardening measures, may help protect a home from external fire damage. Fiber cement fire resistance does not extend to applied paints or coatings, which may be damaged or char when exposed to flames.