James Hardie’s Fourth Annual Exterior Design Week
During Exterior Design Week, we're celebrating builders and contractors across the country whose projects exemplify exterior design. Winners will be announced here from now until Exterior Design Week, happening on our channels May 25-31, 2025.
James Hardie is excited to celebrate the fourth annual Exterior Design Week, dedicated to highlighting the incredible work trade professionals do and showcasing and showcase the possibilities when design and durability come together with Hardie® products.
This year, we will also be highlighting six outstanding projects from the last year which emphasize the endless style and aesthetic combinations with Hardie® products. From the best homes featuring a Complete Exterior™ by James Hardie to Multi-Family builds, these projects, and the teams who worked on them, encapsulate what it means to combine beautiful design with high performance.
Best Exterior Design featuring a Complete Exterior™ by James Hardie
Lakeside Renovation and Design – St. Louis, MO
Featuring Hardie® Plank, Hardie® Trim, Hardie® Panel, and Hardie® Soffit in Night Gray, Cobble Stone, and Arctic White
A Complete Exterior™ featuring Hardie® siding products offers personalized design across the entire exterior, including siding, trim, and soffit. In addition to creating an added level of distinctive design, a Complete Exterior™ also ensures that, with uniform quality, color, and texture, the home has a cohesive look while providing superior durability and protection.
The large suburban home with elements of neo-Victorian design originally had stucco— a material that, while long-lasting, requires regular, intense maintenance. During the re-side, the homeowners opted to transform their home with all Hardie® siding products to optimize the quality design and durability inherent to Hardie® fiber cement products.
“We love using Hardie® products because they allow us to blend timeless design with unmatched durability. The variety of color and texture options—like Night Gray, Cobble Stone, and Arctic White—help us create eye-catching exteriors that truly elevate a home’s curb appeal,” Candice Davis, Director of Marketing for Lakeside Renovation and Design in St. Louis, shared.
The re-sided home features Hardie® Plank with Select Cedarmill® texture in Night Gray and Cobble Stone, as well as Hardie® Trim and Hardie® Panel both in Select Cedarmill®, and Hardie® Soffit in Arctic White. The earthy taupe of the Cobble Stone lap pairs well with Night Gray, a warm-toned gray, and the stark Arctic White trim provides a polished accent to both.
“The design flexibility of Hardie® products allowed us to bring our client’s vision to life with a clean, polished look that will last for decades,” Davis says.
Best Exterior Design featuring Hardie® Artisan® or Hardie® Architectural Panel
Alpine Exteriors – Bellingham, WA
Featuring Hardie® Artisan® Square Channel in Field Paint
Located on an archipelago off the coast of mainland Washington state, this distinctive contemporary home overlooks dramatic ocean views and rugged rocky ridges, which also means taking Pacific weather head-on. Clad with cypress that had been charred in the Japanese Shou Sugi Ban technique, the siding was buffeted with rain, wind, and sun each year.
When it came time to re-side their home, the homeowners chose Alpine Exteriors to field paint and install Hardie® Artisan® Square Channel siding, a sophisticated, streamlined plank that resembles the original cypress siding.
Veto Kravchenko, owner of Alpine Exteriors in Bellingham, WA, says, “We’ve trusted Hardie® products for over two decades to deliver distinctive, long-lasting results that our clients love. The durability and design flexibility of Hardie® products help us create homes that stand out and endure the test of time.” Alpine Exteriors services the Bellingham to Seattle area, as well as the Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida area.
The warm brown of the chosen field paint complements the natural environment, with even the chartreuse window casings mimicking the bright green of the close-cropped moss landscaping surrounding the home.
“This recognition is not only a reflection of the quality of Hardie® products but also the dedication and hard work of our exceptional Alpine Exteriors team. We’re honored to be recognized for our commitment to excellence with such an outstanding brand,” Kravchenko says.
Best Transformation featuring Hardie® Products
KLM Contractors – Philadelphia, PA
Featuring Hardie® Plank, Hardie® Panel, and Hardie® Trim Batten in Gray Slate
This sprawling Tudor home in the suburbs of Philadelphia was clad with stucco in warm cream with taupe and white trim, with copper accent roofing on the bump outs. The original exterior was monochromatic without much variation to distinguish the architectural details, creating an overall flat effect.
“I love Hardie® products for their unmatched durability and versatility, which allow me to bring my creative vision to life,” Maciej Chechla, CEO and owner of KLM Contractors, who worked on the home, says. “Their exceptional range of textures and colors helps me achieve distinctive designs that not only elevate the aesthetic appeal of each project but also ensure lasting quality and performance, making every renovation a true masterpiece.”
Now clad in Gray Slate from James Hardie’s Statement Collection®, the re-sided home features Hardie® Plank, Hardie® Panel, and Hardie® Trim Batten, as well as custom stone veneer in complementary tones. The mixed use of plank lap and board and batten siding creates a dynamic design, breaking up the face of the home and highlighting features such as the steeply pitched roof typical of Tudor Revival homes.
Best Multi-Family Exterior Design featuring Hardie® Products
Cutting Edge Homes, LLC – Hastings, MI
Featuring Hardie® Plank, Hardie® Panel, Hardie® Trim Batten, Hardie® Trim, Hardie® Soffit, and Hardie® Fascia in Evening Blue, Monterey Taupe, Timber Bark, Mountain Sage, and Arctic White
Newly built in downtown Hastings, MI, southeast of Grand Rapids, the Tyden Loft Apartments feature a slew of Statement Collection® colors, showcasing the beauty and versatility available across the Hardie® siding offerings from plank to panel.
Hardie® Plank in Evening Blue and Mountain Sage complement the understated neutrals of the Monterey Taupe and Timber Bark Hardie® Panel, the colorful lap texturally distinguishing the accent walls featuring vertical and horizontal applications of Arctic White Hardie® Trim Batten.
Combining the white Hardie® Trim Batten with Monterey Taupe and Timber Bark Hardie® Panel gives added dimension and contrast to the accent walls, as opposed to a monochromatic trim and panel application.
In addition to Arctic White Hardie® Trim, the apartment complex features Hardie® Soffit and Hardie® Fascia, also in Arctic White, adding important finishing touches for a Complete Exterior™ by James Hardie, matching durability with high-end design.
Mark Horling, President of Cutting Edge Homes, LLC says, "For over 25 years, we've specialized in installing Hardie® siding across Michigan, and throughout the United States, delivering expert craftsmanship and lasting results on every project."
Best Exterior Design featuring James Hardie’s Color of the Year 2025 – Evening Blue
First American Roofing & Siding, Inc. – Onalaska, WI
Featuring Hardie® Plank in Evening Blue
Nestled amongst the rugged bluffs of western Wisconsin, this neo-Victorian home features a wraparound porch and a turret that spans all three stories of the home. The home originally featured painted wood siding, a material known for being both high-maintenance and prone to cracking, especially in Wisconsin, which sees warm, humid summers and bitterly cold winters.
The homeowners opted to replace their wood lap siding with Hardie® Plank lap in Evening Blue, a colorful departure from the light brown that came before it. The serene blue, offset by bright white trim, stands out among the wooded setting of their neighborhood. The Hardie® fiber cement siding is Engineered for Climate® to protect against extreme weather and resist damage from pests, such as the woodpeckers prevalent in the area.
Operations Manager for First American Roofing & Siding, Inc., Chelsey Kube explains, “We're proud to offer Hardie® products to our customers because [James Hardie’s] commitment to quality and durability aligns with our own mantra: 'Your Peace of Mind is our Family's Promise.' Delivering exceptional products and expert installation is a top priority for us—and James Hardie helps us uphold that standard."
Best Exterior Design featuring Hardie® Products
Siding and Windows Group – Chicago, IL
Featuring Hardie® Plank, Hardie® Shingle, and Hardie® Trim in Mountain Sage and Arctic White
This suburban Chicago home built in the 1990s was re-sided to feature a variety of Hardie® exterior siding products in Mountain Sage, a classic and understated neutral with just enough character to set it apart from the typical taupe and gray of the surrounding homes.
Hardie® Plank lap and Hardie® Stright Cut Shingle in Mountain Sage combine to a sleek front façade, with the shingles accentuating the twin gables. The monochromatic application of Hardie® Trim, also in Mountain Sage, is modern and cohesive without overwhelming the eyes.
Owner and Production Manager for Siding and Windows Group, Greg Bednarski says he’s been selling Hardie® products for over 20 years. “I love the… longevity and warranty, as well as how versatile [Hardie® products] are with the offerings. Long term cost savings is very important to me as well, compared to other products on the market. I really love the fact that the product is extremely durable and can help withstand damage from harsh weather conditions,” he says.
Color drenching the siding and trim means the Arctic White Hardie® Trim around the windows brightly contrasts the Mountain Sage, creating a stylish and contemporary look that stands out for its elevated design. “I have many options available to help personalize and design my clients’ homes, with tons of color selections with the Statement Collection® and the Dream Collection®,” Bednarski adds. “The Hardie DesignerTM collaboration between James Hardie and Hover® is also fantastic, as I can show my clients what their home will look like.”
