A successful exterior is rarely the result of simply choosing a fashionable color or adding another material. The strongest designs feel intentional. Their colors relate to one another, their textures support the home’s architecture and their accents help the eye understand which features matter most.

This is where shake and scallop siding can be especially useful. Gentek’s Fairhaven Sound Single Select collection recreates the texture and irregular character associated with natural cedar while using high-performance polypropylene construction. The material can be used across a larger wall area, but many Quad Cities homes benefit most from using it selectively—as an accent on a gable, dormer, porch or other architectural feature.

The goal is not to add detail everywhere. It is to place detail where it gives the home greater balance, depth and personality.

What Are Gentek Fairhaven Sound Shakes and Scallops?

Fairhaven Sound Single Select is Gentek’s collection of cedar-look shakes and scallops. Although homeowners may casually search for “vinyl shakes,” the panels are identified by Gentek as polypropylene. That distinction is worth making because accurate material descriptions help homeowners compare products and understand the specifications they are actually purchasing.

According to Gentek, the collection uses natural cedar textures, multiple mold patterns and concealed side tabs to create a more varied, nearly seamless appearance. Longer panel designs help reduce interruptions across the wall, while an integrated locking system is intended to hold adjoining panels together uniformly.

These are meaningful aesthetic details. A cedar-look product is most convincing when the pattern does not appear mechanically repetitive and when visible panel connections do not distract from the overall elevation.

Understanding the Four Profile Choices

Gentek currently presents four Fairhaven Sound profiles. Each creates a different visual rhythm, so the best selection depends on the home’s architecture and the amount of emphasis the homeowner wants to create.

Not every profile is offered in every color or market. Final product selection should be based on current local availability and an actual product sample rather than a computer or phone screen.

Where Shakes and Scallops Work Best

Shake siding works best when it helps define the architecture. Before adding it, identify the natural focal points of the house. These are usually the areas already shaped differently from the main walls.

• Front-facing gables: Texture can distinguish a gable while preserving simpler horizontal siding below.
• Dormers: A shake accent can give a small roof feature greater presence without dominating the entire exterior.
• Porch areas: Shakes can help visually frame an entrance or reinforce the sheltered character of a porch.
• Upper stories: A material change can reduce the perceived height of a tall façade and create a clearer visual division.
• Bump-outs and projections: Changing the texture can help a projecting room look intentional rather than appended.

On a simple ranch home, one well-defined gable accent may be enough. A larger two-story home might support shakes on several related upper sections. The number of accent areas should follow the architecture rather than a desire to use every available surface.

Choosing a Color That Belongs on the House

Color should be evaluated as part of the complete exterior—not as an isolated siding swatch. The roof, brick, stone, windows, garage doors, soffit, fascia and trim already establish much of the home’s palette.

A reliable approach is to begin with the least changeable materials. If a house has brick, identify whether the brick reads as warm, cool or neutral. Do the same with the roof. The shake color should then either relate quietly to one of those existing tones or provide a deliberate contrast.

A practical color-selection process

1. Identify the permanent roof, masonry and window colors.
2. Decide whether the shakes should blend with the main siding or create a distinct focal point.
3. Narrow the choice to two or three physical samples.
4. View the samples against the house in morning light, afternoon light and shade.
5. Confirm the trim color and transition details before placing the final order.

Gentek offers both classic neutrals and deeper designer colors. Darker shades can make a gable feel more prominent, while a closely related shade creates a quieter, layered look. Neither approach is automatically better. The right choice depends on how much attention that section of the home should receive.

Coordinating the Shakes with Trim and Other Siding

Trim is not simply the border around the siding. It is the visual framework that makes material changes look finished. Corner posts, window surrounds, transition bands, soffit and fascia all affect whether a shake accent feels integrated with the rest of the home.

Gentek’s Color Clear Through collection is designed to coordinate colors across siding, trim and accessory products. That can simplify the selection process, particularly when the goal is a closely matched exterior. A contrasting trim color can also be effective, but it should repeat consistently enough to feel purposeful.

Pay special attention to the point where shakes meet horizontal siding. A clear, well-proportioned transition gives each material a defined place. A poorly planned transition can make even attractive products look like unrelated additions.

Avoiding the Most Common Design Mistakes

• Using too many accent materials: Shake siding, board and batten, stone and multiple horizontal profiles can compete when they are all given equal importance.
• Creating unrelated color changes: Every color should connect to another visible part of the exterior.
• Ignoring the house style: The profile should support the home’s form rather than force it into a style it does not naturally possess.
• Selecting color from a screen alone: Screen settings, photography and changing light can all alter how a color appears.
• Treating installation as separate from design: Alignment, transitions, trim and seam control directly affect the finished appearance.

Questions to Answer Before Ordering

Before finalizing a Gentek shake or scallop selection, homeowners and contractors should confirm a few practical details:

• Which profile best supports the architecture of the house?
• Will the product cover a full wall or serve as a defined accent?
• How will it transition to the main siding and surrounding trim?
• Have actual samples been reviewed beside the roof, brick or stone?
• Is the selected profile and color currently available in the Quad Cities market?
• Are the current Gentek installation instructions and appropriate accessories included in the project plan?