You’re ditching that awful vinyl siding, right?” asked a stranger on the internet upon seeing a photo of our just-purchased farmhouse.

We enjoy sharing our projects with the world at large via social media, but the occasional cutting comment can stop you in your tracks. The original wood siding of our old farmhouse had long been covered with white vinyl siding. We thought, perhaps with the help of a good power washing, the siding might look okay. Evidently, the internet disagreed. 

In retrospect, that critical follower wasn’t wrong. But it wasn’t merely the vinyl siding that needed a major fix. The charm of the farm couldn’t distract from ugly aluminum storm windows, rotted wood shake roofs, and peeling garage doors. This exterior renovation called for more than a light freshening. 

 So we went big, bringing the aesthetic we loved on the interiors—a blend of American West, mountain lodge, and Connecticut prep that sounds crazy but nonetheless works—to the exterior. We renovated the home in a way that respects its history but adds character, which required lots of brainstorming and planning. Because we are by no means experts on exterior work, we collaborated with renovation wizards Sarah and Jorge Cano at Rooforia Home Exteriors to put together a plan.

A quick investigation revealed that the original wood siding was unsalvageable, and that wood rot existed at multiple points around the house. We opted to beef up the durability and insulation of the home using LP SmartSide lap siding in a bold blue on the east and west walls and naturally pest-resistant cedar shake on the north and south walls.  

  This two-finish style may be uncommon locally, but it's frequently found on traditional properties in New England and on more modern structures in the Pacific Northwest. Rooforia’s team painted the windows and railings to match the siding and continued the hand-cut cedar on the front and back porch roofs. We matched the galvanized metal roof on our barn with a rust-proof standing seam metal roof on the side porch, and added coordinating galvanized gutters and downspouts.

Our garage had also been wrapped in white vinyl, but we wanted to distinguish it with the look of a carriage house. We applied durable wood siding over the vinyl and added trim to create a board-and-batten effect. The garage got a fresh coat of paint in army green, which, in addition to being one of our favorite colors, helps it blend better with the surrounding greenery. Replacing the doors wasn’t in our budget, so instead of new, stained-wood doors, the originals were repainted a deep brown. Rooforia finished the garage with stunning slate-effect shingles from DaVinci.

The final touches often pull a project together, and they certainly did in this instance. We finished with all-new plantings around the house, created a “welcome garden” outside the front door, installed new light fixtures, repainted doors, painted the foundation and sidewalks, and fashioned a plaid “area rug” on our side porch cement floor. The end result is a one-of-a-kind farmhouse that honors its notable history while embracing elevated finishes and a stronger connection to the beautiful land around it.

Until next time, Roger and Chris, at Double Heart Farm.   

This article is part of a series chronicling the home renovation of Roger Hazard and Chris Stout-Hazard, furniture designers with Roger+Chris. Read more on doubleheartfarm.com or follow along on instagram.com/dblheartfarm.