23 Wood Siding Ideas for Exterior Design

Are you looking for design ideas that can enhance your next wood siding project? The warm, natural feeling of real wood siding can’t be beat. There are 23 exterior wood siding ideas here for inspiration. Plus valuable information on choosing the best siding material for your design needs.

Wood rainscreen with an eye-catching exterior design of diagonal siding installation plus louvered elements. Using a quality rainscreen system allows you to install the siding as you designed it. 

Wood Siding Ideas

A big benefit to real wood siding is the natural variations of color, tones, and patterns it can bring to your project. Exterior siding designs using wood can be modern, rustic, or traditional. 

Hardwood rainscreen siding warms and complements a painted black brick facade. Wood siding material: FSC Certified Machiche wood rainscreen siding

For you: A detailed wood rainscreen siding collection in the "Residential Rainscreen Wood Siding Projects Portfolio" with more design and inspiration and details. Download now. 

Canal Boathouse commercial wood rainscreen project in New Haven, Connecticut. Wood siding material: Ipe wood rainscreen siding. See the Project PDF for this exterior design here.

Silicon Valley business campus featuring wood rainscreen soffits and vertical installation for a warm entryway. Wood siding material: Garapa wood rainscreen siding. See the Project PDF for this exterior design here. 

Check out this article, Award Winning Wood Rainscreen Project in Florida, for a beautiful example using the Climate-Shield Rainscreen System with Garapa hardwood siding to meet the vertical siding design needs.

Vertical and horizontal installation showcases the colors and grain of the natural wood, contrasting with the airy glass front facade of this commercial project. Wood siding material: Ipe wood rainscreen siding. 

View the Wood Rainscreen Siding Projects Photo Gallery for more.

More commercial designs using wood rainscreen for amazing designs in this free download, 

"Commercial  Rainscreen Wood Siding Projects Portfolio"

Horizontal rainscreen wood siding uses random siding lengths to take advantage of the gorgeous tonal wood variations.

Wood siding material: Cumaru wood rainscreen siding

View the Cumaru Wood Rainscreen Photo Gallery here for more

House Siding Design Considerations

How you install your wood siding makes a difference. When considering design elements, its best to keep in mind how those elements will attach to the exterior facade of your residential or commercial project. 

Designing with traditional siding installation

• Traditional siding is a tried and true method and can be a lower upfront material cost.
• The installation of traditional wood furring strips is time consuming and labor intensive.
• Some design elements may require more than a flat facade, and a complicated matrix of furring strips will be needed to accommodate them.
• Wood furring strips can retain moisture in the wall cavity and cause damage to the siding and facade over time. 

There's more information in this article:  Healthy Home Exterior, Traditional or Rainscreen Siding?

This modern take on a barn home uses natural stone and vertical rainscreen installation for a contemporary take on a traditional barn look.

Wood siding material: Ipe wood rainscreen siding

For more on designing with vertical wood rainscreen, see the article Ipe Vertical Wood Rainscreen Rocks Tennessee Home

Grab your copy of this free PDF full of project details and images.

Download the "Residential Rainscreen Wood Siding Projects Portfolio" now. 

This hardwood rainscreen accent is contrasted with stucco for a gorgeous, lively look.

Wood siding material: FSC Certified Machiche wood rainscreen siding.

If you like the rich brown look of Machiche, view the Machiche Rainscreen Siding Photo Gallery for more ideas.

The Climate-Shield rainscreen system easily accommodates design elements that create visual impact, without needing a complex matrix of furring strips underneath.

Wood siding material: FSC Certified Garapa wood rainscreen siding.

View the Garapa Wood Rainscreen Siding Photo Gallery Here

A community center project designed with horizontal rainscreen on the facade and the rear balcony to contrast with the stone design exterior.

Wood siding material: Ipe wood rainscreen. See the Project PDF for this exterior design here

Ready to learn more? Want to know more about where to start?

Download this free resource, "The Ultimate Guide to Wood Rainscreen" here.

U.S. Coast Guard building designed with vertical rainscreen to surround the facade, balconies and the curve around the exterior spiral staircase.

Wood siding material: Ipe wood rainscreen siding.

See the Project PDF for this exterior design here.

Horizontal hardwood rainscreen siding wraps the front of this home gives a warm, welcoming look.

Wood siding material: FSC Certified Machiche wood rainscreen siding.

More to discover in this article, "Best Rainscreen Siding Systems for Wood Siding"

Designing with rainscreen installation

• Mataverde Climate-Shield Rainscreen System is an aluminum profile and hidden fastener clip that eliminates the need for furring strips so installs faster.
• An aluminum rainscreen system has a higher upfront material cost but the labor cost and life cylce cost are lower. 
• A quality rainscreen siding system will gives your design the space to beathe, literally, by allowing moisture to escape up and out of the exterior siding to avoid damage.
• Climate-Shield rainscreen system can meet your design specs by allowing horizontal, vertical and even diagonal siding designs with ease.

The wood rainscreen siding and pergola screen adds a warm accent on a multiple material facade.

Wood siding material: Ipe wood rainscreen siding

Have a commercial wood siding design project in mind?

Get inspiration here, download the "Commercial Rainscreen Wood Siding Projects Portfolio". 

This school incorporates organic curves designed using two hardwood species, easily created with vertical rainscreen installation.

Wood siding material: Ipe and Machiche wood rainscreen siding.

See the Project PDF for this exterior design here.


A custom facade combines stucco and stone with natural wood to soften the exterior entryway.

Wood siding material: FSC Machiche wood rainscreen siding.

See the Featured Wood Rainscreen Project PDF for this exterior design here.

Exterior design using wood rainscreen with a Seal-Once grey finish to instantly "weather".

This exterior can be allowed to naturally weather from this point if they choose, or they can reapply the finish as needed.

Wood siding material: 1 x 4 Ipe wood rainscreen siding. 

See the Project PDF for this exterior design here.

Download the free portfolio of "Residential Rainscreen Wood Siding Projects" now. 

This entryway is designed with natural stone and wood rainscreen for a welcoming, rustic, lodge look. Wood siding material: Ipe wood rainscreen siding. 

A modern wood siding home exterior with Seal-Once gray semi-transparent tint.

Wood siding material: Ipe wood rainscreen siding.

Choosing Exterior Siding

Are you ready to choose the best siding material to bring your design to life? Here are some wood siding material options you might want to consider. 

Exterior Wood Siding Material Options

Western Red Cedar Wood Siding Material

• Western Red Cedar siding has been a popular look and color for decades.
• Western Red Cedar siding has a higher price than many hardwood species. 
• Clear cut Western Red Cedar siding is hard to find, most of today's cedar siding material is "knotty".
• Western Red Cedar siding availability is historically hit or miss and dependent on many industry factors.

ThermoWood Hem Fir and Hem-Fir FR (Fire Resistant) Siding Material

• Thermally Modified Hem-Fir (Hemlock) wood siding is a lower price than Western Red Cedar siding or Hardwood Siding
• Hem-Fir wood siding material that has been thermally modified has an increased resistance to mold, rot, insects, and decay than unmodified softwoods. 
• Thermally Modified Hem-Fir wood siding is a excellent alternative to Western Red Cedar siding in looks, price, and availability.
• Fire treated Thermally Modified Hem-Fir FR wood siding meets International Code Council (ICC) California Fire Code for exterior building materials.

Get your free guide to selecting the right wood siding for your rainscreen project, download the "Ultimate Guide To Wood Rainscreen Siding" here. 

Thermowood Ash Wood Siding Material

• Thermally Modified Ash wood siding material has a lower price point than cedar or hardwood siding
• Ash wood siding material that has been thermally modified has an significantly increased resistance to mold and rot, and is more durable, compared to non-modified softwoods.
• Thermowood is an excellent alternative to hardwood siding species where price and durability are important factors.
• Thermowood can be used indoors or outdoors and on walls, soffits and built ins. 
  
  

Get your free download, the "Ultimate Guide to Rainscreen Siding", now. 

Premium Hardwood Siding Material

Ipe wood siding

• Ipe wood siding is the highest priced hardwood siding species for a reason. 
• Ipe wood is the hardwood siding material standard all other wood siding is compared to for durability and longevity.
• Ipe wood siding has beautiful exotic graining and a medium to deep brown color variation.
• Ipe wood siding naturally has the highest resistance to mold, rot, and insects available in real wood siding material.
• Ipe wood siding has the lowest maintenance needs of any hardwood species, even lower when allowed to weather to natural silver gray. 
  
  

Cumaru wood siding

• Cumaru wood siding prices tend to be lower than Ipe wood, landing in the middle of the price range for hardwood siding materials. 
• Cumaru wood siding offers beautiful tones of chocolate-y brown and medium brown variations, with interesting figuring and patterns.
• Cumaru wood is one of the hardest and most durable wood siding materials you can get. 
• Cumaru wood siding has an very high resistance to mold, rot, and insects, similar to Ipe wood siding. 
• Cumaru wood siding has very low maintenance needs, naturally, even weathered.
  
  

Your free guide to "How Exterior Woods Weather", including looks, maintenance, and more. Download now.

FSC Machiche wood siding

• FSC Machiche wood siding prices are lower than Ipe wood, and in the higher price range for hardwood siding materials. 
• FSC Machiche wood siding material is certified to be sustainably and responsibly harvested by the Forest Stewardship Council. 
• FSC Machiche wood siding gives you deep to medium brown tone variations with gorgeous graining and patterns. 
• FSC Machiche wood siding is one of the hardest and most durable wood siding materials you can choose, with a very high resistance to mold, rot, and insects similar to Ipe wood siding. 
• FSC Machiche wood siding has very low maintenance needs, and weathers to a satiny silver gray patina.

Take a look at Machiche Siding and Climate-Shield Rainscreen in Kansas City.

Garapa wood siding

• Garapa wood siding prices are the lowest priced hardwood siding materials.
• Garapa wood siding has the lowest hardwood durability, compared to to Ipe, but it is rated at the hardness of two times the strength of Oak. This makes it the best hardwood siding material alternatives to cedar siding or softwood sidings for the price. 
• Garapa wood siding boasts gulden-brown tones with fantastic graining and patterns. 
• Garapa wood siding has a naturally high resistance to mold, rot, and insects.
• Garapa wood siding has very low maintenance needs, similar to Ipe, Machiche, Cumaru and Jatoba. 

Grab your PDF of the "Residential Rainscreen Wood Siding Collection Projects Portfolio", download now.