Neutral siding colors rule the suburbs—they’re safe and sophisticated at the same time. When selecting your home’s exterior hue, it’s important to look around and playoff your surroundings. Are other homes on the block neutral? Do tall trees surround your home? You should connect your siding and trim selections with the look of your environment, not necessarily mimic it.

If you want something a little bolder than a cream or beige, look into brown hues. Turns out, Midwest homeowners prefer brown siding more than the rest of the nation, and there are more shades of brown available than you may have figured.

The color of a fallen leaf, a cup of rich espresso, the bark of a cedar tree—each one is a different shade of brown, colors that seem to evoke warmth and natural surroundings.

Whichever shade you choose, you can feel secure knowing the siding color will stay vibrant longer with less maintenance compared to field applied paint. James Hardie^® siding and trim offer the option of ColorPlus^® Technology, which helps to resist damaging UV rays that can usually dull the finish over time.

Here’s a peek at a freshly built Midwest home clad in an array of siding styles in the colors Rich Espresso and Night Gray:

Sophisticated in the Suburbs

This Minnesota home is clad in straight edge HardieShingle^® siding and HardiePlank^® lap siding in Night Gray and HardiePlank lap siding in Rich Espresso. The home’s trim is bold and crisp in HardieTrim^® boards in Arctic White (with matching white shutters).  We love the brown garage door that complements the rich brown siding. The brown and gray stone foundation and deep gray roof tie the home’s entire exterior together nicely.