Modern Heritage
Modern Heritage is a rich, multi-dimensional aesthetic that blends heritage character at the front with sensorial richness at the back. Deeper tones and tactile materials elevate the home’s historical soul with a contemporary edge, while an immersive layering of history, texture, and colour invites intimate family moments.
This is a home that honours its past while embracing modernity, offering comfort for all generations. Original house details like masonry, arches, and timber panels are thoughtfully preserved, anchoring the home in timelessness. Framed glass panels and sliding screens allow spaces to shift fluidly between open, social zones and private retreats. Extensions are seamlessly integrated to the heritage structure, ensuring the home can evolve gracefully with future needs.
A palette that is grounded yet eye-catching features ginger reds, mulberry, and navy, with bright green accents for timeless appeal. Tactility is highlighted through grooved surfaces, brushed metal finishes, and the rich interplay of marble, tile, and natural-look materials. Large windows welcome sunlight, and rounded forms soften silhouettes, creating a strong sensory experience that restores, not overwhelms. Modern Heritage homes celebrate the interplay of old and new, layering comfort, character, and a sense of story into every detail.
Style Evolution
Modern Heritage is stabilising in 2026, evolving into a richer aesthetic that integrates old-world charm with modern functionality, layering multi-sensorial detail and bold finishes. Deeper, more profound hues amplify the home’s historical soul, while tactile materials and modern craftsmanship create warmth and comfort for all generations. The style now welcomes enveloping, tactile design and deep, calming colours, honouring history while embracing modernity.
About the Trend
Design Features
Flexible roof: Roof designs either complement or contrast with the original structure, using matching flashings and bargeboards. Minimal trim preserves heritage features while allowing modern extensions to integrate seamlessly.
Modern extension: The style allows for revelation of the existing building and celebrates the original materials and the history of alterations. The modern extension should complement the character of the home whilst blending into modernity.
Dual exterior: Heritage facades are preserved, while extensions use modern cladding to create contrast. This duality allows the home to evolve while honouring its original character.
Statement junctions: Bold transitions through colour, form, or architectural detailing visually bridge the old and new structures. These junctions celebrate the home’s layered story and create moments of expressive contrast.
Integrated outdoor zones: Large windows, sliding doors, and sheltered courtyards connect heritage interiors with modern outdoor zones. These layered spaces support family life and bring light into older layouts.
Interiors: Extensions feature simpler cornices and joinery, contrasting with heritage detailing. Coordinated furniture and finishes create harmony across eras, blending comfort, character, and contemporary function.
Recommended products
Oblique™ Weatherboard: The unique square and angled edges evoke a bold, contemporary aesthetic which juxtaposes perfectly against heritage facades.
Stria™ Cladding: The deep, 15mm-wide grooves create strong, sleek lines ideal for contemporary designs that require a bold but pared-back aesthetic
Axon ™ Panel Grooved: The vertical groove lines make an impact to simple box designs by bringing variety and textural interest to external walls.
Linea™ Weatherboard: The strong shadow lines of this weatherboard nods to a traditional heritage weatherboard with a modern twist. Painted dark with Linea™ Aluminium Corner Soakers differentiates from a more traditional look which has trim covering the corners.
Options in select areas:
Hardie™ Groove Lining: Use for feature interior walls and ceilings and externally on eaves and soffits.
Theme Insights
Multigenerational Living
Modern Heritage supports multigenerational living through adaptive extensions and layered zones. It balances privacy and connection, allowing families to evolve together while preserving the home’s character.
Creative Living
This style celebrates expressive contrast fusing old structures with bold extensions. It invites storytelling through design, turning the home into a canvas of history and imagination.
Recommended paint colours
Exterior
Dulux
Morrinsville
Morrinsville
Dulux
Mt Hutt
Mt Hutt
Dulux
North Head
North Head
Dulux
Rakaia
Rakaia
Dulux
Moonlight Creek
Moonlight Creek
Dulux
Happy Valley
Happy Valley
Interior
Dulux
Morrinsville
Morrinsville
Dulux
Mt Hutt
Mt Hutt
Dulux
Rakaia
Rakaia
Dulux
Moonlight Creek
Moonlight Creek
Dulux
Okains Bay
Okains Bay
Dulux
Happy Valley
Happy Valley
Dulux
Ponsonby
Ponsonby
Dulux
Pātea
Pātea
Stria™ Cladding
Global GreenTag™ GreenRate™ Level A and Product Health Declaration™ PHD Platinum Health mean our products have passed the world's toughest standards for health, eco performance and safety.
Feature case study
Reverent Revival, Stria™ Cladding
Historic from the front and contemporary from the back, this church-conversion, modern heritage project used Stria™ Cladding painted dark.
The Design Book
BUILD YOUR MODERN LIFE
The Hardie™ Cladding Collection has a wide variety of products to select from, creating design versatility, in which It’s Possible™ to Make Modern™ like never before. It’s a movement that’s reshaping perceptions and changing the way New Zealand builds. Whether you are planning a renovation, new build, or extension, this forecast will be an invaluable tool on your journey. Welcome to the James Hardie Design Handbook. It's time to Build Your Modern Life.
Where
To buy our products
Get
The James Hardie Product Guide
See
James Hardie's Modern Design Forecast