Black and Natural Siding Finishes Create a Striking Contrast

Location: North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Architect: Shelter Residential Design

Photography: Sama Jim Canzian

Tucked into a sloping lot that backs onto a heavily treed ravine, the Bluebonnet is unmistakable from the street. It’s subtle, but bold. Yet, in no way is it ostentatious. Clearly, a big part of what makes the home’s cedar exterior so distinctive is black and natural siding finishes.

“With this project, we struck a perfect balance of dark and light, opacity and transparency, and scale within the natural landscape,” explains project lead, Mark Simone. “For the exterior cladding palette, we wanted something that would feel harmonious with the natural setting. We settled on a combination of black and clear stained Tongue & Groove cedar, punctuated with large glazed openings and black brick accents.”

“Cedar cladding felt like a natural choice due to its low carbon footprint and for its natural aesthetic qualities.” Mark Simone, Architectural Designer

Siding Finishes the Complement Nature

Naturally, the effect is gorgeous. Black stained cedar volumes bookend the façade as the clear stained cedar draws you towards the entry. Interestingly, this strategic interplay of black and natural siding finishes is easy to achieve. That’s because Real Cedar is pitch and resin free, which means it accepts and holds a wide range of finishes beautifully. But that’s not the only reason Simone opted for nature’s most versatile material.

“We felt that the natural beauty of cedar was the perfect complement to the natural beauty of the forested site,” he says.

In addition to color interplay, Simone specified different grades of cedar to create even more texture and visual interest.

“We used KD Select Knotty and clear mixed grain with a ship lap profile throughout,” he says. “Knotty cedar was suitable for the vertically oriented boards which were stained black.  We liked the variation and warmth of the clear mixed grain for the clear coated horizontal boards and soffits.”

Subsequently, the Bluebonnet is a standout… and for all the right reasons. And that’s no easy feat.  The North Vancouver neighbourhood hosts an eclectic mix of homes with some original oddities.

“A home entirely clad in cedar is a very unique thing,” concurs Simone. “Everyone who’s seen it has been blown away by the final product and the response has been outstanding.”

WRC Specifications

Grade: A Clear, smooth face, Select Knotty, resawn face

Pattern: Tongue & Groove

Size: 1 X 4 and 1 X 6

Fasteners: Stainless steel, blind nailed over a rain screen

Finish: Transparent stain and semi-transparent black stain both by Sansin