The Art of Mixed Material Cladding: How Wood Siding Combinations Are Reshaping Exterior Design

Mixed Material Exteriors Are Here to Stay

If you drive through any newly built neighborhood, you’ll see home exteriors thoughtfully designed with a mixture of materials. Today's most striking buildings feature carefully planned combinations of wood, stone, brick, metal, and stucco. Together, these materials create something far more interesting than any single material could achieve alone.

This isn't just a trend. It's a fundamental shift in how we think about building exteriors. It started with high-end architecture firms like Olson Kundig, Lake Flato, and Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, but has now spread throughout the industry (thankfully!). Now builders from California to Tennessee will tell you that mixing materials isn't just about creating visual interest. It's a smart strategy for managing budgets, solving practical problems, and giving buildings real character.

Why Mixed Material Cladding Make Sense

Creating Visual Hierarchy

The best mixed material designs create a clear visual story where each material has a specific job to do. Think of it like casting actors in a movie. There’s a lead, supporting characters, and extras, all working together to tell the story.

Typically, this means using heavier materials like stone or brick at the base to ground the building. Wood siding often takes the starring role at eye level, where its warmth and texture have the most impact. Then lighter materials like metal or glass provide accents that add contemporary flair. This approach makes for appealing design because our human psychology draws us to natural materials at our own scale.

Telling Stories Through Materials

Every material choice says something about a building and its place. When architects use reclaimed barn wood, it’s a nod to agricultural heritage. When they specify local stone to be used, they're literally building with the landscape’s offerings. These choices create buildings with genuine character. And that will always resonate with both clients and communities.

Learning from Architectural Leaders

Leading architecture firms have paved the way for this trend to flourish. Top designers and architects continue to push the boundaries of what it means to build with the natural environment, and it almost always includes mixed materials for the exterior. 

Olson Kundig's award-winning Studhorse residence in Washington's Methow Valley demonstrates how salvaged barn wood siding paired with weathered steel creates compositions that age gracefully into their landscapes. Tom Kundig's philosophy of creating "experiences of place" resonates through material choices that respond to environmental conditions while maintaining architectural integrity.

Lake Flato Architects, recipients of the AIA's 2024 Gold Medal, showcase similar principles in their Fall Creek Residence. The project employs Texas-sourced post wood alongside charcoal Lueders limestone and weathered steel, creating what Architectural Record describes as a masterwork of indoor-outdoor living and regional modernism.

Bohlin Cywinski Jackson's celebrated Ledge House combines stonework, logs, and heavy timber with galvanized steel connectors, demonstrating how exposed construction elements can become design features when handled with sophistication.

These high-architecture examples have inspired practical applications across the country, with builders adapting these principles to their local markets and budgets.

How Different Regions Are Applying this Trend

Mountain Modern Style

We’ve spoken with builders in Boise, Denver, and Park City, who have developed the Modern Mountain aesthetic. It’s a sophisticated balance between rustic roots and contemporary living. The Boise Modern Mountain projects show how builders use wood siding to bridge the gap between built environments and natural settings. Clients want homes that feel both grounded and current, and thermally modified wood has become particularly popular because it handles mountain challenges while maintaining an authentic look.

The Evolution of the Modern Farmhouse Style

When Luke and Lea Brown set out to build their Knoxville Dream House, mixed materials took the center stage. This home combines white brick with wood siding in unexpected ways. Notably, the horizontal application of Black Forest and vertical application of Lost Trail brown. The white brick provides that solid modern feel, but varied wood siding applications add contemporary energy.

Coastal and City Solutions

Coastal and urban projects face unique challenges that make material mixing especially valuable. By using durable materials like fiber cement for the majority of the facade and saving wood for protected areas (such as under eaves, recessed entries, covered porches, etc.) builders create homes that are both beautiful and practical. In many cases, city projects are required to mix materials due to fire codes and zoning requirements, but they get the added benefit of more curb appeal.

Take The 808 Project in California, where builder Asiri Perera selected Thermally Modified Wood specifically for how it would weather and age over time. The material develops character as it responds to its environment, creating a living finish that evolves with the building.

Making It Work: Practical Considerations for Mixed Material Cladding

Getting the Details Right

The difference between a mixed material facade that looks professional and one that looks patched together comes down to the transitions. Modern building products have evolved to make these transitions easier. Today's wood siding systems offer end-matched profiles that eliminate visible joints, trim pieces designed to integrate with other materials, and consistent dimensions that maintain clean lines even when mixing orientations. Investing in products with these features will make a noticeable difference in the final details. 

Coordinating the Work

Unlike single-material jobs, mixed-material projects require careful choreography. For example, the stone mason needs to finish before the siding crew starts. This means more crews and more intricate timelines to manage. The coordination takes more planning, but the investment pays off with the finished result.

Managing Moisture and Movement

Since every product handles moisture and the elements a bit differently, it’s important to consider this dynamic from the very beginning. Investing in products that are durable and natural is ideal, such as thermally modified wood, which offers stability similar to synthetic materials but keeps wood's natural beauty. 

The Business Case for Mixing Materials

Smart Budget Management

You don't need expensive materials everywhere to create a high-end look. Rather, you can use premium materials strategically to create a stand-out exterior. Perhaps it’s beautiful wood siding at the entry, stone at the base, and standard siding on side elevations. You can create tremendous visual impact while keeping budgets in check. The wood siding at the covered entry will last for decades with minimal maintenance. Using stone at grade level eliminates repainting and repairs in high-wear areas. 

Standing Out in the Market

In competitive markets, mixed-material facades offer clear differentiation. Builders consistently report that homes with thoughtfully mixed materials sell faster and for better prices. This matters especially in production building, where material combinations become the primary way to create unique character. Even simple moves such as adding wood accents to a primarily fiber cement facade can dramatically improve market response.

The Competitive Edge of Mixed Material Cladding

The movement toward mixed materials may represent a permanent shift in how we design and build. As products improve and installation systems get better, the possibilities keep expanding. Digital tools let designers and clients visualize combinations before committing, reducing risk and encouraging creativity.

What's particularly exciting is that innovation isn't just coming from high-end architecture firms anymore. Production builders, regional contractors, and local designers are pushing boundaries and finding new solutions. This democratization of good design benefits everyone. It raises quality, improves neighborhoods, and advances the entire industry.

For builders and designers, understanding the theory of mixed materials has become essential. The ability to combine materials effectively to balance looks, performance, and cost, increasingly separates successful firms from the competition.

Ready to explore mixed material strategies for your next project? 

The Edge AI Design Visualizer helps you experiment with material combinations and see how different materials work together. See how you can transform your exterior house design from ordinary to exceptional with the right material mix.