House Exterior with Wood Cladding and Vinyl Cladding Ideas and Designs

Black Timber House is an award-winning eco home set within the South Downs National Park. Designed with sustainability in mind, it features locally sourced materials, passive energy strategies, and striking charred English larch cladding using the Yakisugi method. The house consists of two stacked volumes, creating dramatic overhangs and a sheltered veranda. Large picture windows frame views of rolling meadows, while a vaulted first floor reaches into the tree canopy. With a handcrafted kitchen made from surplus oak flooring and a zinc worktop, the home blends contemporary design with natural textures, ensuring harmony with its rural surroundings.

Front entrance approach which also serves as a south facing garden. Raised brick beds with large fronded plants to create height and interest and be seen from inside.

This modern rear extension was designed with one goal in mind: to bring in as much natural light as possible while creating a seamless connection between indoor and outdoor living. The result is a stunning, L-shaped structure that wraps around the rear of the home, offering a bright, open-plan space perfect for family life and entertaining. The extension features three large sliding glass doors that frame garden views and allow natural light to pour in from multiple angles. These doors not only create a strong visual connection to the outdoors but also open fully to blur the boundaries between inside and out, ideal for warm-weather living. A distinctive corner window adds an architectural flourish, inviting light from a less conventional direction and contributing to the airy, expansive feel of the space. Above, three strategically placed skylights draw daylight deep into the interior, ensuring the home is bathed in sunlight throughout the day. To complement the glazing and add warmth to the modern design, the exterior is finished in natural timber cladding. This choice not only gives the extension a contemporary yet inviting appearance but also helps it sit harmoniously within its garden setting.

Caroline Berloquin

Peter Bennetts

Shift of Focus

Åke E:son Lindman

Waterfront house Archipelago

Matthew Heritage