Hamptons Deep Dive: Exterior Walls – Part 1

Cool coastal colours, open-plan living, plush interiors and a show-stopping façade – the lure of the Hamptons style knows no bounds as far as Australian homeowners are concerned.

The appeal of the Hamptons style lies predominantly in the show-stopping facade. From dramatic rooflines to complementary exterior colours, elegant cladding, and manicured gardens, the exterior facade of a Hamptons style home always impresses the eyes. Here we explore how to nail the exterior look of your Hamptons home in part one of our Hamptons Exterior Series.

WHILE TRADITIONAL HAMPTONS IS SHINGLES, IN AUSTRALIA WE USE WEATHERBOARD

No Hamptons style home is complete without a cladded exterior. Traditionally, Hamptons style homes have favoured a timber exterior with horizontal cladding or shingles. Australia’s harsh climate makes using timber externally very tricky, especially when regular maintenance is concerned. To invoke the coastal charms of a timber-look exterior without actually having to use timber, a cement composite weatherboard is the best alternative.

Weatherboard cladding is a trademark Hamptons style. The clean horizontal lines invoke the laidback essence of the beach while the charming shadow lines imbue continual summer vibes. Linea™ weatherboard by Scyon™ Walls is a highly durable cement composite weatherboard that mimics the traditional timber-look cladding of Hamptons style homes, making it ideal for both coastal and country areas.

WHICH WEATHERBOARD WIDTH?

Installing weatherboard on all exterior walls is essential to creating a standout façade – the hallmark of Hamptons style. Aside from being highly susceptible to Australia’s harsh climate, Linea weatherboard’s 16-millimetre thick profile creates a consistent deep shadow effect on a home’s exterior, which invokes that high-end exterior look renowned along the Hamptons coastline.

If you’re building or renovating a moderately sized home, the 150mm Linea weatherboard is a worthwhile choice to add as much coastal charm as possible to a smaller area.

TIP: If you’re fond of both profiles and struggling to choose, you can dress the majority of your exterior with the 180mm size boards and use the 150mm boards in a concentrated area, such as a feature wall in a verandah, outdoor room or pool house.

LINEA WEATHERBOARD CORNER TRIM OPTIONS

Intricate details are what make a Hamptons style facade, and Linea weatherboard is all about the details particularly when it comes to corners and trim. A range of corner trim and window trim options can be used to enhance the elegance of a Hamptons style facade.

Axent™ trim is made from the same cement composite as Linea weatherboard and creates the same crisp, clean lines that evoke a Hamptons style vibe. Axent trim can be used to frame windows or for corner trim options where solid lines are needed or to add contrasting colours to the weatherboard or roofing.

The owners of this Hamptons home used 89mm Axent Trim as an exterior architrave around custom designed aluminium sash windows.

Other corner options include a Linea corner soaker that is attached to each corner of weatherboard individually, a Linea slimline box corner that runs vertically along the corner of the weatherboard without any breaks, and the Axent trim boxed corner that runs vertically along the weatherboard and has a thicker profile.

BARGEBOARDS

Kick the embellishment factor up a few more notches with bargeboards. Traditionally used to strengthen the gable end or side of a roof, bargeboards can also dramatically increase the aesthetics of a home’s exterior. Like corner trimming, some bargeboards are made from durable cement composite and give you the option to add contrasting colours to your weatherboard or roofing for that extra bit of pizazz.

Here, bargeboards have been fastened to the gables to add a clean finish to the roofline.