A timeless look

Sleek, stylish and one of the most versatile ways to protect a home, Board and Batten cladding has been adopted around the globe.

Characterised by its distinctive vertical boards held fast by a series of narrower battens (hence the name!) it’s a style that is equally at home in a rural setting or the inner city.

It’s fast to install, eye-catching from the moment it’s on but still easily tweaked to create a unique look and perfect, says The Block’s award-winning architect Julian Brenchley, for creating homes with that “wow!” factor.

“The 'Board and Batten’ external cladding provides a one stop shop for really powerful look,” Julian says.

“It’s just so simple and easy and refined, and calming all at once.

“It’s also not overly tricky to install, very easy to paint, and not overly busy to look at. Win, win, win!”

In multiple Block homes through the years Julian has made extensive use of the James Hardie collection to create a Board and Batten look for the homes, mixing well-known and ground-breaking looks.

In 2022’s Block Tree Change, the semi-rural setting of Gisbourne was perfect for the Board and Batten look with Jenny and Dylan’s long verandah using the Hardie Fine Texture cladding and Axent trims to create a home that looked perfectly placed in the traditional region but with a modern twist.

Again in 2023, the Board and Batten look was the idea choice for Steph and Gian’s Block winning home, using the same versatile products in a very different way.

By thinking outside the box, architect Steph was able to blend the traditional look of Board and Batten with her own Japandi style.

“The Board and Baton is the perfect collaboration of Scandi simplicity and a little bit of the ornamentation of Japanese design,” Steph says.

“We used the Hardie Fine Texture cladding then put the Axent trim on the joins which was very simple, a timeless look, but one that also allowed us to create a framework around features such as windows and door architraves that really elevates the space and makes it look timeless.”

Again, that’s because of the way Board and Batten has been used in Australia through various architectural eras.

“If you look at Victorian or Georgian or even some Federation architecture, all styles that dominate in Australia, they all feature Board and Batten but if you take the best of those eras and just make some subtle changes it can give a really moder look,” Steph says.

“By using the Axent trim to highlight key features for example you create that timeless look that acknowledges the “old school’ Australia but it still looks modern and new.”

The James Hardie cladding is easy for builders to use, versatile given its high fire-rating, resistants to moisture, termites and weather extremes, Steph says, but just as importantly from an architect’s perspective is its ability to make a home stand out.

“You can create something that is really beautiful, something that people will stop and look at because it's different, it's unique,” Steph says.

“The whole point as an architect is you don't want to create a home that you could pick up and put somewhere else, you want to create something that is perfect for its location.

“I think using the James Hardie collection, because there’s such an array of them that you can create something quite bespoke for your house.”

Julian Brenchley agrees, saying that ability to reinvent something as traditional as Board and Batten, to retain the original aesthetic while giving it a new look is a major plus.

“Being able the use the James Hardie collection in both traditional and unique ways is a great opportunity,” he says.

“James Hardie did say it’s 'mix and match', so that’s exactly what we did! What fun!”

And that’s exactly what anyone else can do, Julian says.

“With the long lasting (that’s environmentally friendly right there) James Hardie collection, the opportunities are endless to create and change the look of any house,” he says.

“New build or a re-model, if you are inspired by a style, or want to go your own way, the JH products collection will deliver every time.”

To create your own stunning exterior, visit James Hardie.