As we finish up architectural drawings and consider landscape elements and overall assembly of colors and materials for our mountain project, we are gravitating toward this unique metal product for the cladding that looks exactly like real wood. However, unlike real wood, it comes with a 40-year warranty, is eco-friendly (made from 70% recycled materials and 100% recyclable), never needs to be painted or stained (joy!), and features hidden fasteners and a built-in rain screen. The product is Bellara by Vicwest and is created from super high quality scans (not images) of carefully selected pieces of real wood, from species like walnut, to boards taken from old barns. Cool, right? B and I are suckers for grey, aged wood (we were once like kids at Disneyland when we happened across a huge property full of salvaged wood being sold for pennies per foot) but, as beloved as it is for salvaging and repurposing – mantles, table tops, headboards – it is certainly not a choice for exterior cladding which is constantly subjected to heat, cold, snow, rain, and sun.
The detail is pretty incredible. Multiple color layering helps to achieve this, and it’s coated with a UV protectant at the end. 24 or 26 gauge steel means it is much less prone to denting or warping than is an aluminum product.
It comes in some beautiful solid colors as well and is all-around an ideal fit for for a Modern Cottage – proving low maintenance can be beautiful!