Bringing the homeowner’s vision to life: Hardie™ Oblique™ Cladding for a Modern Farmhouse

There’s a growing contingent of homeowners who want to leave the bustle of urban living behind while still being close enough to the city to support their lifestyle. They want large, double-storey homes or acreage properties in a large-format design that will accommodate multi-generational living, and the needs of different age groups under one roof.

Enter the Modern Farmhouse design, bringing together the best of the classic farmhouse style with modern amenities and functional floorplans. As homeowners and builders to this project, the desire for both modern functionality and the comfort of traditional design and craftsmanship was a firm priority on the brief for Bellevue Design & Construction. Here’s how the builders turned owners delivered their ‘Summer Farmhouse’ masterpiece that caters to hybrid working and a leisurely lifestyle – just a hop, skip, and a jump outside the Brisbane CBD.

Bringing acreage design closer to the city

For those unfamiliar with the style, Modern Farmhouse is a contemporary expression of classical farmhouse architecture. From eye-catching pavilions to the classic gabled roof.

So when Brisbane-based Bellevue Design & Construction wanted to design a home that could deliver the best of acreage living just 15 minutes outside of the Brisbane city centre, Jak Lok and Phil Chak knew that a Modern Farmhouse would deliver the greatest appeal.

“After the COVID lockdown here in Queensland, we wanted a place that had everything on-site,” says Lok. “We wanted this house to be different and to stand out from the rest… a unique house design in a premium location.”

While the primary focus for the new home revolved around lifestyle and entertainment, the owners also sought to incorporate spaces for farm animals such as horses, alpacas, and chickens. Additionally, the builders turned homeowners envisioned a modern farmhouse equipped with nice-to-have amenities, including a resort-style pool, sunken fireplace, outdoor pool house, tennis court, gym, and theatre room.

Incorporating Hardie™ Oblique™ Cladding for a modern farmhouse

Bellevue Design & Construction had an inspired vision for this build: a modern American-style inspired farmhouse with wide frontage, charming materials, and a high-pitched gable roof with vertical profile cladding. At the centre of it all: Hardie™ Oblique™ Cladding.

This Modern Farmhouse caters to homeowners desire for grand, open living spaces. Lok wanted a standout product that would take this Modern Farmhouse build to the next level, and Hardie™ Oblique™ Cladding had the unique straight and bevelled groove edges that evoke standing seam metal cladding, ultimately putting a unique Australian ‘shed’ twist on the more traditional American farmhouse look.

Bringing out the best in Modern Farmhouse

To enhance the monochromatic and minimalist aesthetic of Modern Farmhouse design, the owners incorporated essential elements such as a neutral colour palette, expansive black paned windows. The use of bold proportions and contrasting materials on the façade is a must for this style. It’s also elevated when contrasted with black or metallic accents – so using Hardie™ Oblique™ Cladding made perfect sense to fit their brief.

Balance, symmetry, neutral tones, and contemporary open-plan living define the cohesive and refined design aesthetic for the Modern Farmhouse look - all achieved effortlessly with the use of the right materials and products.

Bellevue Design & Construction used both the 300mm and 200mm profiles of Hardie™ Oblique™ Cladding on all the external walls of the Summer Farmhouse, which Lok says immediately brought to life the grand, classic and cohesive charm of the Modern Farmhouse style.

“We could not find a better product,” he says. “We wanted vertical cladding almost like the Axon™ Cladding but with a more visible profile, which would give the farmhouse a bit more character.

“If it wasn’t for the Hardie™ Oblique™ Cladding, we wouldn’t have been able to achieve the look that we were after.”

As both the homeowner and builder on this project, Lok loves the seamless balance of traditional design and contemporary elements the finished home encompasses. With a neutral colour palette which allows for the materials and textures to be the focus, the property exudes the modern farmhouse style, packed with added functionality and a calming serenity.

Bellevue Design & Construction extracted the very best of luxury farmhouse designs and created a home that balances the classic foundations of traditional living with a clean, minimalist aesthetic – all just a short drive from the Brisbane CBD.

Are you inspired by the Modern Farmhouse design and want to integrate some of the hallmarks of this style into your own project? Learn more about Hardie™ Oblique™ Cladding and order a sample kit today.