One of the top home investments you can make…

by | Feb 20, 2018 | All Things Home, Exterior, My House | 113 comments

This post may contain affiliate links.

This post is sponsored by James Hardie®.  All words and opinions are, as always, honest and my own.

I’ve already shared that our new house in Minnesota has amazing bones.  It has a functional and intelligent floor plan, it has many brilliant features (like outlets in the soffits for Christmas lights and in-wall night lights that go up the staircase.)  The changes that we’ve made to it, with the exception of replacing some of the appliances and “guts” of the house that were at the end of their life, have been largely cosmetic.  They were changes to customize the house to suit our tastes.

And, almost all of these changes, are ones we talked about before we moved in.  One of the changes we talked about was replacing the siding.  Even when I first looked at the listing, before we knew we would move to Minnesota or buy this house, I said that I loved the shape of this house, but the color of it reminds me of an ace bandage.

Now, in all fairness, browns and beiges are all the rage in Minnesota, so I am in the minority.  Probably nine out of ten of the houses in our neighborhood are beige.  But, as you know, I’m not really a beige girl.  I even wouldn’t mind a nice gray-beige or pale creamy beige, but this is a very pinky-beige.

I knew even then that it seems a little silly and frivolous to replace perfectly good siding just to change the color.

When we had the home inspection, though, we learned that there are other reasons to put replacing the siding on our “one day to-do” list.  The back of our house is south facing, which means we get amazing light all day, but it also means the siding on the largest side of our house is exposed to extremes.  In the winter, it’s chilled by sub-zero temperatures and then, even on a cold day, it is awash in pretty intense sunlight.

This has caused warping and bubbling in the vinyl siding on the back side of the house.  It’s nothing major at this point, but it is unsightly and something we need to keep an eye on over the next few years.

As I’ve been looking around our neighborhood at homes I like and conducting some researching online, I keep coming back to the same siding option – James Hardie ® siding.

First of all, the fiber cement siding just looks great.

It has the substantial look of traditional wood siding, but James Hardie ® brings even more to the table than just good looks…

  • It stands up to moisture and harsh weather
  • Water resistant to protect against swelling, warping and cracking; also resists damage from mold
  • Won’t be eaten by animals or insects
  • More fire resistant than wood or vinyl siding
  • ColorPlus® Technology finishes can add years of unrivaled color performance. Multiple coats of color are baked onto the board for a brilliant finish that resists chipping, peeling, cracking and fading

And, in my independent research, I found that according to Remodeling Magazine, upgrading to fiber cement siding was one of the top investments to make in your home, with an average return of 78 – 100%.  (Apparently, few home improvements return more than 100% of the investment.)  I don’t usually base decorating decisions on rate of return, but it’s always nice to know that you’re spending money wisely when it comes to home improvement.

James Hardie ® knows they have a great product and they stand behind it 100% with a 30 year warranty on siding and 15 years on trim.

I’m still at the dreaming stage, but I like to do research well in advance for large projects, so I ordered three samples of the colors I was most attracted to in their Select Cedarmill texture.  Of course, they were blue & white!  I have always been drawn to houses that are either white, blue/gray, or yellow.  Even when I was a teenager and my parents were building our house in Florida, I tried to sway my mom to pick the blue/gray color scheme.

Can you guess what color scheme she picked?

Yep, she went with beige.

I don’t picture this particular house being well suited for yellow, so I selected Arctic White, Light Mist, and Boothbay Blue.

After looking at the samples (which are surprisingly heavy for their size), I narrowed it down to Arctic White and Light Mist.  There is a house down the street with shingled cement board siding in a color similar to Light Mist and I rubber-neck every time Sebastian and I walk by.  And, I just don’t think you can go wrong with a classic, white house.

So, I thought it would be fun to sample these colors on my house.  I am not very good in Photoshop, so I asked my assistant, Heidi, who does all of my graphics, etc., if she could do it.  (I don’t know what I would do without her!)  She played around with it and here is (roughly) what my house would look like in Arctic White with matching white trim…

And, in Light Mist with white trim…

Wow!  I really like both of them!  Hmmm…  tough choice.

Which one would you choose?

Well, with all of the other projects on our to-do list, I’ll have a long time to think about it!  It’s fun to dream, though.

If your dreaming or even planning to upgrade to James Hardie® Siding, click HERE to download an Inspiration Guide and/or click HERE to request your own three FREE samples in the finish and colors of your choosing.  

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    113 Comments

    1. Judi

      I have James Harding fiber cement siding on my Michigan house.It is large around 4500 sq Ft. 17 years old…It has come cracking and splitting near the ground.’We have very cold winters and the house is built into the hillside and near the lake.

      • Jay

        I too, have had a bad experience with James Hardie siding. Our siding along the angles of the rooflines has chipped, cracked and peeled like eggshells.

        • Miss Mustard Seed

          Oh no! Is it still under warranty? They seem to stand by their products for a long time, so I would contact them.

    2. Nika

      Both are nice, but the contrast of the grey tone with the white trim just is so happy!! I dream about doing this same upgrade to my house someday! I hope you get to do it soon!

    3. Robbyn Mendleski

      I love the Light Mist with White Trim; especially since you have stone detail on portions of the house they relate to each other very well. My husband says I’m in my “bold” phase since I painted our home Forest Green with White Trim and a Black roof . . . so the moodier colors draw my eye.

      • Marian Parsons

        Oh, I bet that’s beautiful, though! There are some dark blue/gray houses in our neighborhood, with bright white trim, and they look so sharp!

    4. Heidi

      At first glance I liked the “white” however I prefer the “grey” it’s more grown up! If that makes sense. It’s chic and shows a sense of style! Only my opinion

    5. carswell

      Definitely the grey.

    6. Lydia

      We have it on The Maine Country Home and barn. I just love it.

    7. Julie

      For sure the grey and white, so pretty with the contrast.

    8. Bonnie Irvine

      The light gray with the white trim is so crisp and clean looking…more inviting and welcoming. It also shows the pretty lines of the house better. Tough decision 🙂

    9. Patricia

      I like the white, with classic black shutters and a black door ( or dark navy blue).
      Or I like the dark siding with crisp white shutters. The gray is fine, but the polar opposites would make me happiest.
      Ace Bandage- that’s a good one Marian!
      BTW, is this the first time we’ve seen the entire outside of your house?

    10. Jenn

      I like the darker color for your home! It offers more of a contrast and interest to the eye, but of course it needs to suit your taste. Your new home is a fresh challenge that needs to be “mustardized”!

    11. Doreen

      I like the gray with the white trim. I am not usually a fan of all white. I would have loved to see what the darker color would look like. I think it would be stunning.

      • Marian Parsons

        Yeah, and I think I would even seriously consider a dark color. There are some dark homes in our neighborhood that look really sharp…especially against the white snow!

        • Charlotte

          I think that is a really great consideration, to think about the colour in all of the seasons. White homes look beautiful in the spring, summer and autumn, but can look a little blah in the winter – IF you have the pleasure of having snow : ) I kind of like the Boothbay Blue – classy …and couldn’t you just picture it all decked out with greenery and twinkle lights at Christmas!

    12. Laura

      We have the same siding on our 20 year old home in NC and it is amazing. No problems with it and like you said, it just looks like a higher quality siding.

    13. Rebecca

      I vote for the Light Mist with white trim.
      You will make the right decision and I’m never disappointed with your choices. Perhaps you were thinking of a different trim color with the white siding…? The all white seems too stark for me.

    14. Kathy K.

      We installed Boothbay Blue Hardi plank in 2013. It still looks brand new. I have a taupe trim which blends in nicely
      with the booth bay. I highly recommend hardi plank . Everything they claim seems to be true. It is worth the investment.

      • Sherry Hull

        Can you post a pic of the boothbay? I’m stuck between boothbay, pearl grey, and light mist

    15. CJ

      I know this isn’t an option, but I’d do white with mist trim and blue door. We have aluminum siding (in PA) and need to do something, we are thinking of getting it painted….which is still pricey!

    16. Donna Doble-Brown

      LOVE the gray and white but was hoping to see the blue example too haha! ?

    17. Lori Worley

      I LOVE the Light Mist w/Artic White trim!! It’s so fresh and inviting & really makes everything else pop!! So pretty!! Looks like you!!!!

    18. Shirley

      I have Jamie’s Hardie siding on my home which is much, much better than vinyl siding which does warp. You can’t go wrong with the white.

    19. Deb C

      We live in Egg Harbor, WI & built our home 6 years ago using James Hardie siding. We used Mountain Sage & Countryside Red. We went bold & love it. We still receive compliments on our siding colors to this day. The siding is holding up extremely well. A great product. My choice for your home would be Boothbay Blue & Arctic White trim. I think the contrast would be stunning. The other choices are fine but too safe. ?

    20. mary m

      You say tan in Minn. in NH it is gray with white trim. Our house has been gray for 32 years and I am not tired of it. We have long black shutters (custom made) by the front door in and a red
      front louvered door. Did you know that a “red door” means that it is paid for and a “blue door” you have
      an eligible daughter. Not your problem! M.

      • Marian Parsons

        Oh my gosh, so funny about the door colors! I didn’t know that! I love the NH color scheme. I would fit right in there!

    21. Andrea

      I have Artic white Hardie PLank smooth clapboards and white trim on my house in Massachusetts. The style is an expanded Cape Cod style, and I love that it is all white. But with the style of your house you could go either way.

    22. Maggie

      Hi Marian,

      Maggie here from PA. We built our custom home with Hardie Board as it’s called. It is the best investment you can do for your home. We did the color Boothbay Blue and did the Field stone front to look like a farm house from revolutionary times. The blue looks like the colonial Williamsburg era.

      We love it. Makes things a little sound proof too. Great, great product. I say be different go for color!

    23. Amanda

      We have the same stuff (I think!) here in the South and my husband calls it hardiplank. It wears like iron and after repainting 10 years ago hasn’t needed a bit of touch up (the wood trim hasn’t fared nearly so well!). I grew up in a wood sided home and the upkeep was year round; I’d definitely recommend it to anyone. It looks like wood (our home inspector was fooled) but without the maintenance.
      The darker choice Light Mist is really nice, especially in contrast to the lighter interior.

    24. Roylyn Parks

      The Light Mist is my favorite!

    25. JC at the uncommon pearl

      Hands down, the Light Mist! It makes everything pop! We put James Hardie cement plank siding on a home we built 18 years ago. We no longer live in it, but I bet it still looks great. You will love it! Plus, your home owner’s insurance should drop a bit because it’s fire resistant too!

    26. Karen K from Buffalo

      How about white with blue shutters?

    27. Catharine

      Definitely the gray, the white is a bit washed out. Like others, would have loved to see the dark blue color. My house is a very similar blue color with a very pale butter trim. Not my choice, but it is pretty. I got to pick the color next door on our rental and I went with a dark gray with white trim and it’s very pretty. I painted the front door a deep aubergine, and did my front door the same color. Get lots of compliments on the daring purple! I think your Hardiplank siding will be a very wise investment, as well as pretty. Your home is beautiful!

    28. Vickie DeYoung

      Definitely the gray and white. Such a nice contrast!

    29. Sandra

      I like the white better. You will have more color options for window trim, etc.

      The gray looks like you are trying to match the gray of the roof shingles. Since the siding and the roofing materials are not the same, the weathering of the two gray colors will be different and you may not like the overall appearance of your house several years after the siding has been installed.

    30. Judi

      now i’m the strange bird. i would have loved to see it in the blue.

    31. Janet in Kansas City

      Show us the blue sample too!

    32. Kim

      Hardiplank as my contractor hubby calls it is a wonderful product and a great investment. Just be sure u have a top notch contractor install it. Or u will have splitting and cracking all over the place! He gets all the repair jobs,lol. I believe it is only warranted with certain contractors who are licensed to install it. That does again add to the cost.

    33. Connie J from GA

      I’m loving the white!! Weird since my house is gray and I do still love it. But there’s a newly-built but historic style house down the road that is white with black shutters and I have to stare every time I pass it. We replaced our wood siding with hardie board about 10 years ago and it still looks great even with the heat and humidity in Atlanta! The wood window trim – not so much…

    34. Pamela

      Definitely white… a classic that will never go out of style!

    35. Susan

      That gray and white is a winning combination on your house!

    36. Deedra

      We used the James Hardie siding in Woodland Cream and I love it! It’s such a warm inviting color. Out of the two you have selected, I vote for the gray. Usually I like white houses but it reads a touch bland imo. I also have seen the siding in some absolutely beautiful deep colors trimmed in white and I think that would look really good!

    37. Lucy in TN

      Definitely the white. So classic. Looked good on homes 100 years ago and will look good 100 years from now. Hardiplank is a great product.

    38. downraspberrylane

      I’d go for contrast to show off that nice trim. The darker blue would be my preference. And for the record, the houses you see in Minnesota aren’t beige because it’s popular, but for lack of other color choices in vinyl siding. I don’t know how old your house is, but I can say that, having built a home in 1998, we HAD to choose from various shades of what I call “putty”.

    39. Gloria

      I like them both. But I would probably go with the gray because I have had two white houses and they are tough to keep looking clean. Everything shows, we were always washing them. I had a beige house too and I hated it. My home now is stone…so no changing!

    40. Elizabeth

      We used LP smartside on our house and we love it. It’s easier to work with than Hardie because it flexes. You might look into that down the road, and it’s very affordable.

    41. phyllis

      I think it’s an omen that you posted this today as I just picked my 3 free samples last week and need to find an “assistant” to handle creating a photoshopped version of our home. I’d love to go with a dark blue with white trim, but we have a 2 story home with little architectural detail and one mid-sized tree, so a large blue home with 2 main windows on the front might look more like cookie monster than the traditional look I’m going for.
      We have already used James Hardie siding on our northern MI cottage in the gray with white trim and black roof and I love the look, but I thought I should try another option for our main home. At the time we renovated, we ordered primed siding and then applied a spray painted high quality paint to the outside which has held up extremely well for over 10 years. I couldn’t find the exact gray I wanted, so this was a way to have it my way. I did a very dark gray/blue color for our doors, including a small shed and it really pops with that addition of my favorite color.
      I love the gray and white look for your home. I hope you try out all of your favorite options even if it means getting more samples and doing more renderings. I know you have an eye for exact colors, so now is the time to do all of those as well as the option of having the siding painted. It really does hold up well and you may as well get exactly what you want. James Hardie has lots of homes to view on their site to give you and your readers many ideas. I’m getting excited to move forward on our project and to hear about your decisions as well. Good luck!

    42. Linda Charlton

      I love the darker blue in the one photo. I believe that’s the one I would choose.

    43. Lolly

      I wonder if this is from the same company….we have hardi board outside….with strips of wood going down to make it look like board and batten siding! I didn’t realize it was a company….just thought it was a generic name, like plywood, lol!

    44. Chris Moore of Seattle

      I can attest to James Hardie siding. In 2014 I had a house fire. Thanks to a great insurance company, I got a new house from the old one. I have the Hardie siding, It is painted a dark color, like your third option. Peppercorn by Martha Stewart with white and lime green trim. The Seattle/Northwest doesn’t get the extremes of temps you do, but we get a lot of rain. So far, this has held up amazingly. The paint-Sherwin Williams has held up well and I’m very happy. The only thing is, the siding is hard to ‘decorate’. You have to drill rather than nail to put up a wreath or a basket of dries grasses and the holes in the siding are unsightly. No push pins!

    45. Betsy

      I personally love the Boothbay Blue color the best of the three, although I know you’ve ruled it out. Between the Arctic White and the Light Mist, I’d definitely opt for the Light Mist. But I’m definitely a color girl – my New England expanded cape is painted a medium sage green (think Boxwood with a dollop of Lucketts Green) with a warm ivory trim. And my home office – where I’m currently sitting – has the fireplace wall painted as an accent wall in Benjamin Moore’s Raisin Torte (the other three walls, all trim and the French doors are painted Benjamin Moore’s Dove White.)

    46. Michelle O

      Love the Light Mist, but would love to see the Boothbay Blue photoshopped on your house to make a final decision. They are both crisp and fresh and would look great with the white trim. Anxious to see which one you choose. Your home is coming along beautifully.

    47. Jennifer

      My house here in Oregon needs new siding as well. It was built in 1981 and has the original cedar siding, but it’s severely cupped and weather checked, and allows all manner of bugs in. The windows also need replaced which is going to break the bank since we’ve got 31 windows! 2700 square feet on the house. We looked at the Hardie products and will go that route when we finally do the siding! I haven’t gone so far as to order samples yet but I think I definitely should after seeing yours. I like the grey for your home. The white is toooo much white overall.

    48. Linda

      I love Hardie board. We have it on our lakehouse in Red. I would have liked to see it in the darker color. I think theres more of a contrast there.

    49. Rose

      Look at Fixer Upper episodes for great exterior inspirations. They have done lots of fabulous makeovers in white and in grey.
      My opinion for what it’s worth is white but add some warmth with cedar (shutters, posts, etc) and black accents in lighting and front door. Such a classy combo.

    50. B. Folk

      What a beautiful home you have! All the colors you chose have their pros and cons. As others have said, you may want to do more renderings, since you have time to dream.
      Supposedly, “hardieplank” is tough to cut. I’m supposing that’s because it is so much more durable/harder than other options. So, installation may cost more? You may want to factor in more cost for a certified installer who works with it often?
      I have only heard good things about it. Of course, I’m not a contractor, just a “geek” for all things home:-)

    51. JaneS

      Oh definitely the gray with white. All white is classic but too blah.

    52. Jan Newton

      Light Mist definitely

    53. Deb Pelton

      I like the white. It seems EVERYTHING and EVERYONE is all about the gray but I, for one, think this trend will go by the wayside. White is ALWAYS a good choice for a home.

      • Sylvia

        Gray and white are classic exterior colors. These two colors are used all over New England. So, I don’t think they will “go by the wayside” any time soon.

    54. Char

      I really like your house in the white, and it will never go out of fashion.

      I love Hardy board! We have an addition on our brick bungalow in HB.

    55. Susan

      Love the light mist with white siding. Fits your style.

    56. Rebecca

      Hi Marian! I’ve had two homes here in NC and have had “Hardie Plank” on both!! It wears extremely well and you can paint it if at sometime in the future your tastes change. It’s wonderful!! I would play around with your colors a little bit… great choices, but not quite the full blown Miss Mustard look yet! ? the base colors you’ve picked out are wonderful. I would play around with trim and door colors, and don’t forget, you now have garage doors!!! Have a fabulous time and you won’t regret going with James Hardie. It’s more expensive in the front end, but it is low maintenance and I can attest to the fact that’s it’s a definite boost when it comes time to sell!! Right now, family health issues are consuming me, but it’s such an escape to feel your excitement and remember how much I love making our home special and “ours!” Hope you and your family are showered in blessings!!

    57. Maryanne

      I love the white. It lights up the house and is very classic.

    58. Lynda

      Light mist with white trim is my vote. I think the white on a large house looks too, too white. The gray tone is classic.

      We’ve had our Hardi plank siding on since 1997 –20+ years of every kind of weather and exposure–and haven’t had to repaint yet. You won’t regret it.

    59. Mary

      I like the gray and I, too, would have liked to see a pic with the dark blue. I love white houses but in your picture, I don’t think it does your house justice, imo. You have such great taste, I know you’ll pick the best look for your house.

    60. Wendy Y

      We resided a little house with this product a couple of years ago that we have on our property and use as a storage building and wood shop. Our home sits about half way back on a one acre lot, and this little building is just to one side of the back yard. We put two different designs of the siding up ourselves and then painted it. We love the product, it looks great, and it even dresses up the yard! It is heavy, but it is so nice to know it is extremely durable. (I like the mist background with the white trim better. Nice contrast!).

    61. Perri Williamson

      I’m not a jealous person…but outlets in your soffits—now you’re just showing off!!!! Seriously, J.E.A.L.O.U.S! ?

      • Marian Parsons

        Ha! It is such a thoughtful feature!

    62. katybee

      Here in VT, I changed my old cape from white to grey with white trim and the are doors in Benny Moore “Rosy Apple.” I love it. Time to paint again this year and will probably stick with the grey. That’s full disclosure for when I say I strongly prefer the grey.

    63. Lori

      Both colors look nice, light mist has more bones to it with the lines of your home. I thought the blue home with white trim even looked nice in the example photo.

    64. Jeannie

      Gray! Long ago I fell in love with a gray house, white trim & black shutters. I still drool every time I go past it. Also like the blue with white trim. I think all white is too plain…no “oompf”.

      Love seeing all the adventures in your beautiful new home.

    65. trish

      Light mist with white trim looks the best to me. The all white just seems a little generic, although I’m sure it would still look good. Surprised you didn’t try the white with that dark blue trim….? Or vice versa? Could be beautiful! Whatever you select will look wonderful – you have such great taste!

    66. Jan Fusco

      Light mist, white trim

    67. Liz M

      Surely you will do what you like best, you have great taste- but you asked and I vote for the grey. White is all the rage right now, but is generic, in my opinion, and ends up looking grimy over time. I notice many white houses with dirty streaks from the dirt running off the roof and sills in rain or melting snow. Maybe it’s different with siding? I’m not sure how all those white wall lovers keep their walls clean with kids and animals around, even using satin paint. I used to be a taupe girl but I’m a new grey lover.

    68. Teresa

      Hardieplank is no doubt premium siding and used a lot in high end homes in my area of central VA. We built our house in the early 90’s and Masonite wood siding was being used then. However, there was problems down the road with this product rotting. There was even a class action lawsuit by homeowners. We got some money from this settlement as we had rot occur on the northern side of our house where there was less sun so it was more moisture prone.

      We replaced it with Hardie board and have been very pleased. Its a cement based siding and much stronger and not prone to rot although some have experienced other problems with chipping, etc. I would strongly recommend it over vinyl any day but then again I have never been a vinyl siding person and if its installed incorrectly it looks awful and can cause major problems with mold and moisture.

      Hardie siding is not cheap so I was somewhat surprised when I saw you doing a sponsored post for them. To replace the vinyl on a home your size with Hardie plank would be a major investment and their product is already very well established so I am puzzled why they need further endorsement.

      • Marian Parsons

        They are not replacing the siding on my home, but just paid me for this post. I did my own research, though, and this is the product we would use when the time comes to replace our siding, so this was an endorsement that felt authentic. When the time comes, I’ll be a paying customer, just like everyone else. 🙂

    69. Shirley Housepitality

      We have James Hardie siding…mainly on the back of the house…the other 3 sides are brick…it looks as good as the day it was installed….we plan to use it in our next home…We seem to dub is “Hardie Board” around here…..I love that you can buy it pre-painted now! Love the white and must say that more and more homes in my area are being built with that pretty blue Hardie board…

    70. Patti

      We have brick on three sides and hardiplank on our back wall – it looks good and wears well. Lots of people use it here in AL. I would choose white – I’ve always loved white houses with black shutters/trim.

    71. Debbie

      Light Mist with white trim 100%. The all white is nice but does not pop like the Light Mist with white trim.

    72. Lillian

      I love the grey & white contrast with blue accents.

    73. Elaine Magee

      Light mist has my vote. Good luck.

    74. Suzette

      Love the gray, but would love to see a pic. of it with that pretty blue!
      PLEASE!

    75. Monica

      I like the light mist with white trim, but if you wanted to do a white house, why not do the trim in a different color, rather than white on white. What about white house with the light mist as a trim, or even a lighter grey?

    76. Kimberly

      Marian, your new home is beautiful! You must be happy with the extra space — your former home was just so lovely, as is the new one, but the new one seems to be more expansive and spacious. As far as colors, I too would like to see it mocked-up in the darker blue, just for comparison’s sake. The all-white is pretty, but it would need to be mocked-up with more detailed trim work and colors on the front and garage doors — it’s a bit plain as is. The other option is very striking, but I think that’s because of the contrasting trim. My reservation on the darker one is what someone mentioned up-thread — that it might be too close of a match to your roof, and it remains to be seen how well the colors would age together. Regardless, Hardie is supposed to be a great product, very durable, so whatever color you choose will be a material upgrade to your new home. Good luck!

      • Marian Parsons

        We do love the extra space. This house is so perfect to accommodate our family and my business.

    77. R

      I have vinyl. Always have, always will. Works fine here in Illinois even in direct sun and winter weather.

    78. Karen

      I vote for Arctic White with Light Mist trim. It reminds me of your lovely classic Farmhouse paintings!

    79. Deb

      I hope you don’t mind me giving my 2 cents, if you go with white, and think about adding the brick or stone around the garage towards the front porch. Beef up the porch posts. And maybe add scallop siding to the gable ends. I would go with the gray. The only white houses I like are painted brick. Either way you go it is a beautiful house and those choices are both pretty safe.

    80. Kathy

      It looks like I’m in the minority, but my pick is white. I love all white houses!

    81. Brooke

      The gray would be best. But can you do a mock up with that blue color? I really thought that blue looked sharp.

    82. Colette J.

      I LOVE the light mist, although the white would be stunning as well and make it look more like a modern farmhouse. We are considering Hardie when we replace the old shingles on our old cottage. We’re looking at a silvery/blue color to contrast with the red brick. Can’t wait!

    83. leila

      You do know you can paint the siding and then get whatever color you want don’t you? I have hardie siding and it is painted SW westchester for a terrific cape cod looking grey with white trim. Also if you run that siding vertical like board and batten it will give the house a great modern farmhouse look.

    84. Sandra k Haymart

      No competition. Light Mist with White or have you considered Light Mist with a darker gray? I do not like 2 shades of white as that appears unfinished. I would never wear 2 shades of white in my clothes so would never ask my house to wear it.

    85. Susan Schneider

      Hi Marian- My sister’s house was built in 2000 with James Hardie siding. She lives near Ocean City, MD. They just had it replaced last year with vinyl. It had gotten splotchy and mildewed in so many places that it was really unattractive. I never said anything of course, but I was shocked at the shortness of its useful life. We recently re-sided our house and went with vinyl, though I had long admired the Hardie Plank siding. I wonder if they improved on it. Hers was blue and it could have been re-done 3-4 years ago. I hope it’s a better product these days. Your new house is lovely. Hope all is going well.

    86. Karina

      I’ll chime in on this one. We built our house almost two years ago, and we went with Arctic White Hardie planks. It looks fantastic from afar, but I will say that we wouldn’t do it again. The Hardie itself is fine, but bugs and their droppings are a huge problem for us. Spiders build their webs all over it, and then other bugs get trapped in the webs. It makes it look quite dingy in spots. We do live on the lake, though, so spiders are all over the place. If we could choose again, we’d go with a darker color (at least not the white). Good luck! I’m sure whatever you choose will look fantastic!

      • Miss Mustard Seed

        Yes, that’s my hesitation with white. I imagine it would need to be cleaned regularly.

      • Gabrielle

        I would go with the white. Everyone has grey and white. In the future it would look like the beige on your house does now. The white houses of the past still look magnificent 200 years later. You can do contrast with cedar shutters or use the darker blue as a trim

    87. Chick Voice

      I’m sure you know that if you get “primed” cement siding (not sure of brands) then you can paint the house any color you like. Our new 2005 built house was built with this and it’s extremely durable. We picked a paint scheme offered by the builder and loved it. In 2012 we had a terrible hail storm that came through in June. It was so bad that everyone in the neighborhood had to replace their roofs. But the siding needed no replacing. Did have to be repainted, but the cement siding held the new paint so well, that 6 years later it still looks like it’s freshly painted.

    88. Judy Lincicum

      As far as curb appeal goes, there is a pop value in the Light Mist with white trim. The first choice did not “POP” as much. Love these colors together!

    89. Sara

      Definitely the light mist with white trim. Maybe a navy or aqua door?

    90. Laura

      The gray! But can you choose a wider size? The 4” is too small for the scale of your house.

    91. Camille

      We love the Hardi Plank and this is the second house we put it on. No matter what color you decide, it’s paintable! We chose just the plain and then chose a gray that was in my color palette and used black trim. I wasn’t too sure about that, but it looks really good! For a pop of color, I chose a turquoise for the front door. The white with a navy trim would look nice on your house as would the mist with a navy trim.

    92. DeAnna

      I’d go for the white because I like it but also to avoid the stark contrast between body color and trim. I’m not a fan of white trim running all the way down the corners of the homes, breaking up the color where the two walls meet up. That’s what makes it look like it’s not an authentic wood shingle home to me. All white with painted shutters, painted front door and maybe copper gutters.

    93. Joan

      If you go with the Arctic White with matching white trim you can put any blue you want WITH it,
      if you go with the Light Mist with white trim you’ll be locked into THAT blue so when you decorate with different blues/paints in benches, urns, wreaths,or whatever, etc, it won’t be as flexible.
      Ever notice that houses with dark blue and white trim usually don’t have different blues in their decor outside…? just in plant material most times? but it limits you when your house is blue, in my opinion, maybe not the best if you look at it that way, like painting all your walls blue…maybe…
      sometimes there can be too much blue! did I just say that…! LOL

    94. melissa

      I used Nichiha siding on my house in florida, bought at Lowes. Loved it and was much less expensive. The contractors liked it since they didn’t have to wear mask. You can’t tell the difference. There are other brands that will save money. They all look he same.

    95. Lea

      We are in our twelfth year of primed JH cement fiber board painted with Benjamin Moore Exterior House paint. I. We have no regrets. It is a wonderful product with a true environmentally minded focus and the paint has adhered and had minimal fading even on our southern exposed facade. I highly recommend this product!

    96. Victoria

      I have the white with black doors and shutters a center hall colonial two story. I love our color combo.
      My neighbors have a custom painted gray Hardie plank. Which is pretty with pale aqua door and shutters.
      I live in South Carolina where it seldom snows. Since you have snow for a several months you might want to consider that when choosing your colors. Just a thought.

    97. Lisa Ronan

      A girl can dream about her new “Hardie” boy love can’t she? I was so excited when I saw the picture of the front of your new home. We’ve got a front facing two car garage and have been debating about adding a third but wasn’t sure if it would look like too much garage. The front of my house is almost exactly like yours with the left side peak, partial porch, etc. I’ve got to know what’s above your garage? Right now our bedroom closet and garage attic storage are the only thing, but we’d like it to be living space in the future.

    98. At Rivercrest Cottage

      White reflects heat and darker colors soak it up. Since you live in a colder climate, I might go with darker. On a person preference, the white would seem washed out in the snowy periods in your area, which seem to be A LOT of the time. For me, I’d go the darkest I was comfortable with, even if it was just gray over white.

    99. Dice View

      Very helpful and Great information,
      we appreciate advise especially coming from a professional.
      Thanks again and keep up the great work!

    Hello!

    Marian Parsons - Miss Mustard Seed

    I’m Marian, aka Miss Mustard Seed, a wife, mother, paint enthusiast, lover of all things home and an entrepreneur, author, artist, designer, freelance writer & photographer.  READ MORE to learn more about me, my blog and my business…

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