Shake Siding Accents in Minnesota: Where to Use Them
Shake siding works best when it owns a real section of the house. A full gable, an entry wall or a clearly defined front elevation can look intentional. A tiny triangle of shakes added because the design “needed an accent” usually looks exactly like what it is: an afterthought.
By Jason Berrey, owner of Northern Exteriors MN Inc. Contractor since 2001. Minnesota license BC297099. Updated September 25, 2026.
Where do shake siding accents work best?
Use shakes where the architecture already creates a complete shape: a front-facing gable, dormer, entry projection, porch wall or another clearly bounded section. The textured surface gives that area weight. It does not need to be sprinkled around the house like seasoning.
| Location | Usually works? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Full front gable | Often | The roofline creates a natural frame for the texture |
| Entry projection | Often | Shakes can give the entrance more presence |
| Dormer | Sometimes | A small but complete architectural element |
| Whole front elevation | Sometimes | Works when the front is meant to read differently from the sides |
| Tiny triangle over a garage | Rarely | Too little material can feel decorative rather than architectural |
| Several unrelated spots | Usually not | The texture starts competing with itself |
That is the same rule we use for board and batten: change profiles where the house gives you a reason, not wherever there is leftover wall.
A current Minnesota example: let one elevation own the shakes
One Cottage Grove siding design we are building in 2026 calls for LP SmartSide shake across the full front elevation, with 8-inch lap siding on the other three elevations. That is a stronger idea than placing a small patch of shake high in one gable and calling it custom.
The front gets a different texture because it is the face of the house. The sides and rear stay quieter. The design has a reason and a stopping point.
That is also why I would not automatically add board and batten somewhere else on the same house. Once the front is already shake, the roof, trim, windows and color can do the rest of the work. Three siding profiles plus stone plus contrasting trim is how “custom” turns into a sample rack.
Shakes can be traditional or surprisingly clean
The word “shake” makes a lot of homeowners picture rough cedar. That is still one valid look, but current manufactured shake siding can be much cleaner. Straight-edge profiles, restrained colors and smoother surfaces can push the same basic shape toward a more contemporary exterior.
LP’s current SmartSide shake lineup includes a 12-inch nominal profile with a 7-to-10-inch reveal in Cedar Texture or Brushed Smooth, plus an 8-inch nominal Brushed Smooth profile with a 5-to-6-inch reveal. Both can be installed straight-edge or staggered. LP currently lists the Brushed Smooth shake as primed and ready to paint.
Vinyl and polymer shakes are another route. Norandex’s current Home Accents line offers staggered shake, split shake and perfection-shingle profiles, while Rustic Hill includes 5-, 7- and 9-inch shake/shingle looks. Those are different products from engineered wood, with different installation and movement details.
Straight-edge or staggered?
Straight-edge shakes create a cleaner horizontal line. Staggered shakes create more movement and a more informal cedar look. Neither is automatically better. The rest of the house should decide.
| Profile | What it tends to do visually | Good fit |
|---|---|---|
| Straight-edge shake | Calmer, cleaner courses | Updated traditional, transitional and simpler fronts |
| Staggered shake | More texture and irregularity | Cottage, Craftsman and cedar-inspired designs |
| Brushed smooth | Reduces the rustic woodgrain effect | Homes leaning more contemporary |
| Heavy cedar texture | Emphasizes shadow and grain | Homes where the shake is meant to read as wood-inspired |
Do not decide from a six-inch sample held two feet from your face. Put several pieces together. Stand back. A pattern that looks subtle in your hand can become very busy across 500 square feet.
Smooth versus cedar texture is more than a close-up decision
Cedar texture breaks up reflections and small visual inconsistencies. Smooth profiles show the plane of the wall more clearly. That cleaner appearance can be excellent, but it also means blemishes, touch-up work and dirt have fewer shadows to hide in.
This became a very real conversation on that Cottage Grove project because the homeowner was considering smooth shakes while the crew was ready to start the front. Timing aside, the design lesson is useful: decide the texture before the material is on the wall. “Smooth sounds newer” is not enough. See a full-size sample in the actual light.
LP currently lists Brushed Smooth shake as a primed, ready-to-paint option rather than simply assuming it has the same factory-finish choices as every cedar-textured profile. Check the exact current product and finish combination before ordering.
A whole house of real wood shakes is a different animal
Northern Exteriors has been around long enough to have installed true wood-shake exteriors too. The Edina project below is from 2003. It is useful because it shows what real shake texture looks like across a large surface, not because I would copy that exact whole-house treatment onto every 2026 remodel.
Natural cedar changes color, needs maintenance and behaves like wood because it is wood. Engineered-wood and polymer shake products are designed to give homeowners the texture without duplicating the maintenance schedule of a traditional cedar-shake exterior.
Already have cedar shakes? Choosing a new accent is a different decision from deciding whether the existing wall needs replacement. Start with repair-or-replace options for existing wood shake siding at Improve Your Siding, our homeowner education site.
How much shake is enough?
If you have to circle the shake section in the rendering so somebody notices it, it may be too small to earn its keep. I would rather give the profile one complete section than use three tiny accents around the front.
- Good: one full gable over a porch.
- Good: one complete entry projection.
- Good: a full front elevation with simpler lap siding on the other sides.
- Questionable: a two-foot-high triangle above a garage because the plan needed “something.”
- Usually too much: shakes in one gable, board and batten in another, horizontal lap everywhere else, plus stone and three trim colors.
The house does not get extra points for using the entire siding catalog.
Pay attention to the transition below the shakes
Where shakes meet lap siding or trim, the visual line and the drainage detail both matter. The transition needs to be straight, properly flashed for the selected system and located where it makes sense on the elevation. Do not use a decorative band board to hide a transition nobody planned.
LP’s current shake installation instructions set product-specific requirements for clearances, exposed cuts, fastening and moisture management. Those instructions—not a generic online detail—should control an LP shake installation.
Window trim matters here too. A highly textured shake field around a skinny window receiver can make the opening look unfinished. If the windows are part of the accent elevation, decide their surround at the same time. See our exterior window-trim guide.
Should the shake be a different color?
Maybe. A different profile already creates contrast because light hits it differently. Keeping the shake and lap in the same color family can be enough. Changing both texture and color makes the accent louder.
For many Minnesota homes, I would test the same-color version first, then a close neutral, then a stronger contrasting accent. Put the roof and retained brick or stone into every version. A shake color that looks great alone can fight the roof once the whole house is back in the picture.
Our LP SmartSide color guide handles the palette. This article is about where the shake belongs.
If you’re in the Twin Cities and want to see how shakes would look on your actual house, Northern Exteriors can build the siding design around the whole elevation. Call or text 651-230-5103.
Shake-accent questions homeowners ask
Are shake siding accents outdated?
No. The look can be traditional or current depending on the profile, texture, color and where it is used. A well-proportioned full gable can age better than a tiny decorative patch. The bigger risk is overusing multiple siding profiles on one elevation, not using shakes at all.
Can I put shake siding only on the front of the house?
Yes. A front-only shake treatment can make sense when the front elevation is intentionally different from the sides and rear. Define the transition carefully and make sure the rest of the exterior still feels related through color, trim and roof materials.
Are straight-edge shakes more modern than staggered shakes?
They usually read cleaner because the bottom edges create a consistent line. Staggered profiles create more texture and a more informal cedar character. Neither is universally better; compare full-size samples against the actual architecture rather than choosing from a small swatch.
Can LP SmartSide shakes be smooth?
Yes. LP currently offers Brushed Smooth shake profiles as well as Cedar Texture options. The exact profile, reveal and factory-finish availability vary, so check the current product literature before ordering instead of assuming every texture comes in the same sizes and finishes.
Should shake siding match the lap siding color?
It can. The different texture may provide enough contrast on its own. A separate color makes the accent stronger. Compare same-color, related-neutral and contrasting versions with the roof, windows, masonry and trim visible before making the final choice.
Give the shake enough room to look intentional
Shakes are not automatically busy. Bad placement is busy. Give the profile a complete section, choose a texture that belongs with the house, and keep the rest of the exterior disciplined. One strong accent usually beats three weak ones.
For a siding design conversation in the Twin Cities metro, request a Northern Exteriors estimate or call 651-230-5103.
