A Naperville homeowner came to us wanting more than new siding for their 1990s-built home. They wanted an exterior that looked intentional from the street, in a color that felt calm and grounded rather than trendy. We landed on Mountain Sage, James Hardie’s understated green from the Statement Collection, carried across the lap siding, gable shingles, and trim. The finished project won “Best Exterior Design featuring Hardie® Products” in James Hardie’s Fourth Annual Exterior Design Week, and it’s still the one we point to when homeowners ask what a color-drenched exterior actually looks like in person.
A Naperville Project James Hardie Took Notice Of
This wasn’t a quick color swap. Getting a project like this right starts with planning, not paint chips. We walked the homeowner through James Hardie’s full Statement Collection lineup, talked through how Mountain Sage would look against the home’s rooflines and landscaping at different times of day, and mocked up the shingle and trim pairing before a single piece went up.
That planning process covered:
- Color testing in context: viewing large-format samples against the home’s actual roof, brick, and landscaping, not just a swatch card
- Shingle and trim pairing: mocking up gable-end shingle accents and trim tone before ordering material
- Light and orientation: checking how Mountain Sage would look in morning shade versus full afternoon sun
That upfront work is a large part of why James Hardie recognized the finished result, and why it’s become a go-to reference point when other Naperville and Chicago-suburb homeowners ask what’s achievable with the Statement Collection. “I have many options available to help personalize and design my clients’ homes, with tons of color selections with the Statement Collection and the Dream Collection,” says Greg Bednarski, Owner and Production Manager of Siding & Windows Group. See more completed exteriors like this one in our project gallery.
Why Color-Drenching Works So Well on Naperville Homes
Color-drenching means using one main color, or very close tonal variations, across siding, shingle, and trim, then reserving white for a single accent rather than spreading it across every trim board. On the Naperville project, that meant Hardie Plank lap siding and Hardie Straight Cut Shingle both in Mountain Sage, with the shingles accentuating the home’s twin gables and Hardie Trim carried in the same Mountain Sage across most of the body. Arctic White trim was reserved for the windows, where it reads as a deliberate accent against the sage rather than the default trim color. The effect looks more architectural and less like a paint job, and on homes with strong rooflines and gable detail, that kind of restraint highlights features a busier color scheme can flatten:
- Foursquare homes: deep-set porch columns and symmetrical window trim
- Colonial homes: rooflines, dormers, and shutter placement
- Craftsman homes: exposed rafter tails and gable-end shingle work
What Makes Mountain Sage a Smart Choice for Chicago Suburbs
Mountain Sage isn’t just a pretty color. It’s part of James Hardie’s ColorPlus Technology finish, which is baked on in a controlled factory setting rather than sprayed on site. That matters in a climate like ours, where siding faces humid summers, freezing winters, and everything in between.
A factory-applied finish holds up differently than field-applied paint:
- Consistent adhesion: the finish is cured under controlled conditions, not weather-dependent site conditions
- Fade resistance: deep, saturated colors like Mountain Sage stay closer to day-one appearance over the years
- Lower long-term upkeep: less chipping and peeling means fewer repaint cycles
For homeowners weighing a bold color against long-term upkeep, that durability is often the deciding factor.
Bringing This Look to Your Own Home
Not every home needs the exact Mountain Sage combination from this project, but the underlying idea travels well:
- Start with your home’s rooflines and window shapes
- Pick a Statement Collection color that complements them
- Resist the urge to break up the exterior with too many competing tones
Our team at Siding & Windows Group helped thousands of homeowners across the Chicago area work through that decision, from color selection to a finished, cohesive exterior, and it’s usually a shorter process than people expect once the direction is set. A project like this one is proof that a single well-chosen color, applied with intention, can do more for curb appeal than a dozen small fixes.
Ready to see Mountain Sage on your own home? Get a free quote today and bring us a photo of your exterior, we’ll help you find a Statement Collection color that fits it best.
