Following Fire, Architect Redesigns Home 
With Modern Styles, Materials

When Michael McKinley’s 25-year-old home was destroyed by fire from an ember landing on its cedar roof, the architect turned tragedy into opportunity. He set out to redesign his new modern farmhouse utilizing state-of-the-art materials, including fire-resistant products like Boral TruExterior Siding & Trim and Boral composite roofing, and incorporating the knowledge he had gained over three decades as a designer.

“We’re 25 years into the future and, no matter how well you did it then, it’s not the same. All the factors change,” notes McKinley, principal of Michael McKinley & Associates in Stonington, Conn.

At 3,100 square feet, the new four-bedroom/three-bath house is about a quarter smaller—a size much more in tune with the empty-nest lifestyle McKinley and his wife, Kathy Calnen, now enjoy—yet lives larger. 

Light-filled bathroom with Douglas fir tub.

“I’ve fine-tuned my skills in terms of design, becoming a lot more creative with smaller spaces, and thus more efficient,” the architect says. “That’s a key part of the home’s sustainability story.”

Having lived on the property for 25 years, the couple understood the character and movement of the sun and tailored the design accordingly. “The new house is a complete expression of the behaviors of the sun,” McKinley says. “The path of the sun leads you from the kitchen, around the living room, pivoting over the double-sided fireplace, and to the south/southwest-facing conservatory where we’re going to grow trees. This is both a spiritual experience and an energy saver in terms of heat and light.”

modern farmhouse, farm table
Custom farm table.

Along those lines, McKinley and Calnen were intentional in the selection of energy-efficient, sustainable products, including a geothermal system, a solar array, and radiant floor heat. An elaborate drainage system collects rainwater from the roof; water is stored in an underground cistern for use in the garden where Calnen grows enough vegetables to feed the couple as well as to help stock the local food bank. A farm table in the kitchen, positioned near the door to the gardens, has its own sink and bins for ease of use. 

Traditional Meets Modern

Rather than the coastal shingle style of the previous home, McKinley opted for a modern interpretation of the traditional farmhouse, a nod to the surrounding landscape dotted with farmsteads and historic remnants of orchards.  

McKinley’s blending of historic and modern includes a roofscape featuring multiple gables and pitches; the windows are configured traditionally, but with large, operable units that give a subtle nod to the expanses of glass typical of modern homes. 

modern farmhouse exterior, nickel gap siding, poly-ash siding, TruExterior Siding, Boral roofing
TruExterior Siding in the Nickel Gap profile, installed vertically, delivers a modern farmhouse appeal.

McKinley took a similar approach to the cladding, selecting Boral TruExterior Siding in a Nickel Gap profile—but oriented vertically and precisely installed symmetrically across the façades. To eliminate horizontal joints, installers incorporated an overlap, a more traditional feature that transforms into an elegant, solid look, almost like concrete, as you move closer. As the siding reaches higher on the wall, it merges with the horizontal plane of the overhangs, also made with TruExterior. “It’s quite the geometry study,” says McKinley, noting that the overhangs are exaggerated in some areas and kept to a minimum in others. 

For the roof, Calnen created a custom blend of Boral Inspire Classic Slate, using Olive, Ash Grey, Evergreen, and Red Rock to create an authentic look. Inspire Classic Slate’s textured surfaces and deckled edges are modeled from authentic natural slates, imparting a controlled uniformity that epitomizes natural slate roofing.

The decision to use TruExterior siding and trim and Boral roofing was about much more than the aesthetics, however. It was an intentional choice made in part to ensure the home was more fire resistant than the previous dwelling. 

Inspire Classic Slate roofing carries a Class A fire rating, a Class 4 Impact rating for hail, and a 110-mph wind uplift rating. 

Made with poly-ash, a proprietary blend of fly ash and polymers, TruExterior Siding & Trim are certified by the California Building Commission for inclusion on the Wildland-Urban Interface Zone (WUI) Fire Area Products Listing. The product line is part of a relatively small group of cladding materials approved for WUI-designated buildings. TruExterior also resists insects, which will help the homeowners avoid the boring bees they encountered in the wood siding of their previous home. 

Siding colors, vertical siding, nickel gap, poly-ash siding
Under-construction image during homeowners’ color selection process.

Calnen tested two colors on the walls—a barn red and a warm white—and ultimately selected warm white, a further nod to the modern farmhouse style. It’s one more touch on a home that combines comfort with performance, authentic design with durability.

Photos: Jason McGrail 

Kleer Lumber’s New Extruded Beadboard Offers Clean, Authentic Look

Kleer Lumber, beadboard, cellular PVC trim

Enhancing a porch ceiling or soffit has never been easier. Kleer Lumber‘s new beadboard is extruded as one piece and sealed on all four sides, which eliminates any open cells that may be prone to dirt intrusion. It can be painted or contractors can leave it brilliant white, eliminating extra steps to save time and money.

Kleer Lumber, beadboard, cellular PVC trim

Made with expanded cellular PVC, Kleer Beadboard offers the look of wood while remaining impervious to moisture and insects. It is backed by a limited lifetime warranty against splintering, rotting, delamination, and swelling.

The cellular PVC technology and the new extrusion process combine to ensure builders and remodelers can install the new beadboard without having to prime, paint, or seal.

The new extruded beadboard features a center bead and a reversible tongue-and-groove profile with a shiplap nailing flange that increases installation speed while providing a more finished look. Two widths are available, 4” and 6”, each 16’ long.

Kleer Lumber, beadboard, cellular PVC trim

Kleer Beadboard cuts and fastens with standard tools and can be installed in direct contact with the ground, masonry, and other potentially wet surfaces.

How Color Trends Are Shifting—and Staying the Same—in 2020 and Beyond

The dawn of a new year—and a new decade—naturally brings out the predictions for what trends will dominate the landscape. But when it comes to color, it’s not always that simple. While some colors heat up and cool down quickly (perhaps bold hues sparked by pop culture), for the most part, shifts in color preferences happen more gradually, easing in and fading out over a number of years or even decades. 

Still, it’s important to know what’s happening, so we checked in with strategist and trend forecaster Renee Labbe, Director of Foresight Strategy at Broadside Studios, to find out what we can expect in exterior color trends during the upcoming year and beyond.

New Neutrals

Neutral hues that began trending three, five, even eight years ago are still around as early adoption has merged into mass market appeal. And “neutral” doesn’t simply mean beiges and grays, it can mean subtle colors that are quite muted. Where colors in the ’80s and ’90s were heavily saturated, today classic yellows and creams and oranges lean closer to neutrality on the color wheel. Similarly, white is still a leading house color, but it’s a softer white, a trend Labbe says we’ll see more of this year. She also expects the appeal of contrasting whites and blacks to continue.

One of the reasons for a shift toward neutrality is lifestyle: Americans have become overwhelmed by technology and social media, resulting in sensorial chaos. Neutral tones are less busy and not as distracting, allowing the eye to rest and the brain to relax.

This is also likely the driver of home style trends like the Gabled Modern. This style represents simplicity, with limited use of color, material, and ornamentation, creating a sense of peace and a contrast to the “pinnacle of success” approach that has dominated real estate in recent decades. 

“Design imitates emotion,” Labbe says, noting that society is shifting as we emerge into a new decade focusing on solutions instead of division. “Neutrality is necessary as we slow down our focus. The healthy palettes start to trickle in.”

Foundry Staggered Shake in Harvest Wheat

The Rise of “Healthy” Color Palettes

Indeed, the popularity of neutrals will influence increasing interest in colors derived from nature, though Labbe says it’s too soon to know how the hues within those colors are going to evolve. “I think healthy palettes are part of a bigger trend toward ‘entanglement,’” she explains, “where we see the built environment and the natural environment literally beginning to grow into each other.”

Changing Grays

While gray has been a mainstay for a number of years, classic gray is starting to fade from favor. Instead, it’s finding its way into other colors, such as an undertone for brown that makes the rustic hue more suitable for contemporary designs without losing its warmth.  Tinted grays also are becoming more important, Labbe notes, such as gray with a hint of blue or green.

Foundry Perfection Shingle in Vintage Taupe

Reds Fading

Labbe says red undertones for exteriors, such as siding, roofing, brick, and pavers, have been downtrending and will continue to downtrend, in favor of undertones that create a more neutral feel.  For example, a brown that had a lot of red undertone will now see a gray undertone replace it; a tan would be less warm and more muted (gray undertones). 

Black Shifting

Similarly, though classic black has been popular for progressive neighborhoods, Labbe predicts some blacks with a bit of tint, such as brown-black or bluish-black. 

Above all, it’s crucial to use color correctly. A color is rarely completely “out,” but in her research Labbe often sees popular colors integrated in the wrong way. For example, combining three different grays on a contemporary house will come off stark and cold, but pairing a smooth gray stucco with wood elements can create something warm and beautiful. Gray with tan is another effective combination. 

As you design your homes and develop your streetscapes, consult with a color expert who can ensure you’re selecting hues that are on trend yet timeless and are integrated in combinations and configurations that elevate, rather than detract from, your exteriors.