Clapboard siding can elevate your home’s appearance, giving it a different look and feel depending on the type of wood you use. You can choose between pine, spruce, oak, cedar, and other softwoods. These can be treated or untreated, though untreated clapboard can be less resistant to the elements. You can also paint, stain, or char it to give it extra character or even let it naturally weather over time depending on your preference.

No matter what type of clapboard siding you use, it is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint, using natural materials that are locally sourced to breathe new life into your home. It’s slightly more expensive than vinyl, so it is an investment. However, clapboard siding has a lifespan of between 20 to 40 years with proper maintenance, so you’ll get your money’s worth over time.

Let’s take a look at some modern clapboard siding ideas to help give you inspiration on how to take this classic siding choice into the 21st century.

White Clapboard

White clapboard can brighten up your entire home. It is a timeless siding that will never go out of style – and for good reason. The clean lines of the horizontal clapboards pair well with the pristine coloring of the panels. It gives your home a vintage yet modern vibe, great for any style. It’s often spiced up with colored shutters and doors, helping give a pop of color without a larger commitment.

To achieve this look, you can either get white pine clapboards or paint cedar or another type of wood. It is easy, readily available and more likely to withstand the test of time over other trendy clapboard styles.

Read also: How clapboard siding compares to vinyl?

Untreated Clapboard

If you’re going for a rustic look, you can always use untreated cedar clapboard. This can be stained or left to naturally weather, helping your home to resemble the log cabins of yester years. This style lets the natural beauty of the wood shine through with all the lines, knots, and other design elements that lend character to the wood.

Keep in mind that truly untreated wood is less rot and insect resistant, so it’s important to make sure your clapboards have some type of treatment to preserve their function while maintaining their all-natural look and feel.

Painted Clapboard

An awesome feature of clapboard is that it takes to painting really well! This yellow farmhouse  has been transformed to a modern haven with a simple coat of paint, and the pops of color around the trim and detailing help elevate it even more. With the paint, it almost resembles vinyl siding, as there are more color options given they are synthetic.

Read next: How clapboard compares to dutch lap?

Just make sure that your clapboards are primed. If they already have paint on them, you will need to scrape them and reprime them to get a uniform look. Keep in mind that you may need to touch it up over the years as paint can fade or chip due to extreme weather conditions.