Linea™ Weatherboard transforms a dated home into beautiful modern farmhouse

A semi-rural home situated on three acres of rolling paddocks with mountain views in Hobart was transformed into a modern country farmhouse. The design inspiration came from the surrounding natural environment and owner Lydia Thompson’s love of old weatherboard houses dotted around the Tasmanian countryside. Lydia led the design direction and partnered with builder JJ SACCO Building to make her vision a reality, leveraging the durability and quality of Hardie™ exterior cladding to successfully turn the 90’s style house into a contemporary weatherboard farmhouse. The biggest transformation was the exterior, where dated peach and tan bricks were covered with Linea™ Weatherboard to modernise the façade.

The family of five (along with a menagerie of animals) desired a beautiful but functional light-filled open plan family home with plenty of storage and easy to clean surfaces to feature in the interior. “Overall we wanted to enhance the county feeling on the outside whilst having a modern feel on the inside but still being able to connect the two spaces together. The existing bricks made the front façade very dark and flat. Also, the property was set down the driveway with a deep front porch, which made the house look small. I was mindful of these factors when choosing an option for the façade,” explains Lydia.

Builder Jarrad Sacco suggested Linea™ Weatherboard to cover the existing brick. “It was evident the best option was to use Linea™ Weatherboard to create the modern farmhouse design my clients were seeking. This product is made of Hardie™ fibre cement, is rot resistant and deemed non-combustible. The weatherboards also add a layer of insulation over the bricks,” says Jarrad. Designer Lydia was in complete agreement: “The 180mm Linea™ Weatherboard was the perfect choice as it added texture, made the façade feel higher and added interest along the front patio.” The Linea™ Weatherboard was painted in Dulux® Lexicon® Quarter and visually contrasted with roofing and gutters painted in Dulux® Shale Grey™.

Not only did the Linea™ Weatherboard completely transform the home and ensure long lasting durability, but it was also both a cost effective and time saving option for the project. “My clients saved money by selecting Linea™ Weatherboard, as they only had to pay one trade (installing only requires one trade) and it’s a faster method than bricklaying and rendering. The alternatives are a longer process and these trades are in high demand as there are less of them in the building industry,” explains Jarrad. From installing the battens onto the brickwork and framing out the windows and doors to installing the boards, the process was a breeze. “The builders found the product easy to install and if I had my time again I would clad the whole house in Linea™ Weatherboard, not just half!” exclaims Lydia.

Mitre10 was the trusted supplier of Hardie™ products throughout the project. A long-standing relationship between JJ SACCO Building and Clennetts Mitre 10 ensured a smooth collaboration. “I also liaise with the trade representative there who is exceptional at delivering the products to me on time and always ensuring availability. My experience using Hardie™ products has only been positive, as they are simple to install and I can rely on their durability,” says Jarrad.

Since completing this beautiful renovation, the house was recently sold to a local family. “The real estate listing was the number one viewed property in Tasmania and seventh overall in Australia. From this, the most popular question we got asked was if we rebuilt it as it looks like a brand-new house. It’s truly amazing what one product can achieve,” says Lydia.

Linea™ Weatherboard is a product from the Hardie™ Architectural Collection, a curated range of distinctive textures and profiles. Other products within the Hardie™ Architectural Collection include Hardie™ Brushed Concrete Cladding, Hardie™ Oblique™ Cladding and Hardie™ Fine Texture Cladding, and well-loved products Axon™ Cladding, Stria™ Cladding, and Matrix™ Cladding. The Hardie™ Architectural Collection embraces the endless design possibilities of curated cladding combinations and enables homeowners, architects, builders and designers alike to create their dream home from the ground up – without compromise.

Credits:

Builder: JJ SACCO Building

Owner/Designer: Lydia Thompson

Distributor: Clennetts Mitre 10

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