Cedar Shake Siding Ideas: See the Look on Your Own House

Cedar shakes can be a small accent in a gable or the whole wall. Upload a photo of your house and describe where the shakes go and what finish they have, natural brown, dark stain or weathered silver-gray. AiExterior draws them on your photo and usually keeps the windows, roof and doors in place, so you can compare looks before you ask for quotes. This page also covers shakes versus shingles, upkeep and roof colors that go with a shake house.

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Before and after examples

Example images are AI-generated: both the sample houses and their redesigns. Results change from render to render, so treat them as concepts, not exact product matches.

AI-drawn generic stand-in of a two-story house with light gray horizontal vinyl siding, white trim, a small gabled porch roof over a white front door and a dark gray shingle roof — Example 1 (prompt 1 below; the before is an AI-drawn generic stand-in house, not a real photo): natural medium-brown cedar shakes now cover the center front wall under the main gable, around the upper window, plus the small gable over the front door. The gray lap siding on the side walls, the white trim, the windows, the white door, the porch posts and the dark gray roofs stayed in place. Not as asked: the prompt named the small gable over the door only, but the shakes also spread to the upper center wall and ran down as a strip on both sides of the door to the ground, and the lawn was redrawn. It still shows the idea of a shake accent on a gray house.

The same house with natural brown cedar shakes on the center front gable, the small gable over the door and the wall strips beside the door; gray siding elsewhere — Example 1 (prompt 1 below; the before is an AI-drawn generic stand-in house, not a real photo): natural medium-brown cedar shakes now cover the center front wall under the main gable, around the upper window, plus the small gable over the front door. The gray lap siding on the side walls, the white trim, the windows, the white door, the porch posts and the dark gray roofs stayed in place. Not as asked: the prompt named the small gable over the door only, but the shakes also spread to the upper center wall and ran down as a strip on both sides of the door to the ground, and the lawn was redrawn. It still shows the idea of a shake accent on a gray house.

AI-drawn generic stand-in of a Cape Cod style house with beige horizontal vinyl siding, white window trim, two dormers, a white front door under a small porch roof and a dark brown shingle roof — Example 2 (prompt 2 below; the before is an AI-drawn generic stand-in house, not a real photo): the beige vinyl on the main walls and on both dormers is now silver-gray cedar shakes in overlapping rows. The white window trim, the windows, the white front door and porch posts and the dark brown roof stayed in place. Unrequested changes: the AI added dark streaks and uneven patches to the shakes, so they look dirty and stained, not like even weathering, and the lawn was redrawn. We asked for a roof that stays brown after a first try changed the roof color.

The same house with silver-gray weathered cedar shakes on the walls and both dormers; white trim, white door and brown roof kept — Example 2 (prompt 2 below; the before is an AI-drawn generic stand-in house, not a real photo): the beige vinyl on the main walls and on both dormers is now silver-gray cedar shakes in overlapping rows. The white window trim, the windows, the white front door and porch posts and the dark brown roof stayed in place. Unrequested changes: the AI added dark streaks and uneven patches to the shakes, so they look dirty and stained, not like even weathering, and the lawn was redrawn. We asked for a roof that stays brown after a first try changed the roof color.

AI-drawn generic stand-in of a two-story farmhouse style house with white horizontal vinyl siding, black-framed windows, a front porch with white posts and a black metal roof — Example 3 (prompt 3 below; the before is an AI-drawn generic stand-in house, not a real photo): the second floor above the porch roof is now dark brown stained cedar shakes, with white lap siding left on the ground floor. The porch and its white posts, the black windows, the black metal roof, the brick chimney and the front door stayed in place. Unrequested changes: the shakes also wrap the right-hand gable side wall (the second floor of the side), they have dark streaks and uneven color, and the lawn was redrawn. The prompt named the second floor above the porch roof, so the side wall is a borderline spread; check the sides of your own house.

The same house with dark brown stained cedar shakes on the second floor, front and right side; white siding on the ground floor, porch and roof kept — Example 3 (prompt 3 below; the before is an AI-drawn generic stand-in house, not a real photo): the second floor above the porch roof is now dark brown stained cedar shakes, with white lap siding left on the ground floor. The porch and its white posts, the black windows, the black metal roof, the brick chimney and the front door stayed in place. Unrequested changes: the shakes also wrap the right-hand gable side wall (the second floor of the side), they have dark streaks and uneven color, and the lawn was redrawn. The prompt named the second floor above the porch roof, so the side wall is a borderline spread; check the sides of your own house.

What the AI can and cannot do

It can show how a shake look, such as a gable accent, a shake second floor or a full weathered wall, sits on a photo of your house, while usually keeping the windows, the roof and the doors.

It cannot tell shakes from shingles, show how a real wood finish will age, or say whether wood siding is allowed on your street. It can also spread the shakes past the area you named, and it tends to draw dark streaks and uneven color, as the examples below show. Treat every result as a picture of the look, not a plan.

Cedar shakes vs cedar shingles

Type	How it is made and how it looks
Cedar shingles	Sawn, thinner at the butt than a shake. Flat, uniform and tapered, an ordered look. Fixr: sawn smooth on both faces.
Cedar shakes	Typically split from the log, thicker. Rough, irregular, with deeper shadow lines. Fixr: thick, hand-split, a rustic look; heavier; may need structural checks on some homes.

Fixr rates both as high-difficulty to install, because every piece goes on one at a time, and rates cedar clapboard (bevel siding) as the easiest cedar style. This Old House agrees that shake and shingle work is harder than other cedar lap styles and says most homeowners hire a contractor.

Sources: Fixr, "Cedar Shake Siding Cost" (fixr.com, updated March 20, 2026); Modern Mill, "Cedar Shingle and Shake Siding: Profiles, Performance, and Alternatives" (modern-mill.com, July 2026; the company sells its own composite siding); This Old House, "How Much Does Cedar Siding Cost?" (thisoldhouse.com, updated June 5, 2026).

Cedar shake looks to try

This part is general guidance, not taken from the sources above. The picture settles the question quickly, so try two looks on your photo.

A gable accent: shakes only on a front gable or over the door, siding elsewhere. It is the smallest change and the first example. Ask for the gable by name and check how far the AI spread the shakes.
An upper-floor two-tone: shakes on the second floor with plain siding below, as in the third example. Name the line where the shakes stop, for example "above the porch roof".
The whole house: shakes on every wall, as in the second example. It is the biggest change.
Finish: natural brown, a dark stain, or silver-gray weathered. The finish changes the mood more than the cut does, so name it in the prompt.

Upkeep and lifespan

Upkeep (Fixr): clean once a year, reseal every 3 to 5 years, fully restain or repaint about every 4 to 6 years. Fixr says unfinished cedar grays and degrades within a few years.
Lifespan: Fixr says cedar can last 30 to 50 years with proper care; This Old House says 20 to 40 years for cedar siding in general.
Compared with other materials: This Old House says real wood needs more upkeep than engineered wood or fiber cement. See our types of siding guide for the other options.
Fire rules: check with your local building department before you plan a wood exterior. This page does not give local code advice.

Roof colors that go with cedar shakes

IKO, a roofing maker, says cedar shake homes, which weather to a grayish hue over time, are best paired with neutral roofing colors such as charcoal, deep brown or slate gray (IKO learning center, April 22, 2025). Try two roof colors on your picture after the siding; our roof shingle colors guide and roof visualizer guide explain how.

How to try cedar shakes on your house

The examples on this page used the same idea, one photo plus one written edit, but were run directly on an image model, not through this tool, so your results will look different.

Photograph the front in daylight, straight on, from far enough back that the whole house fits in the frame, from the ground to the roof peak.
Open the photo enhancer, upload your photo, keep Standard Enhancement and click Generate Enhancement. This gives you a sharp copy of your house as it is.
Click Edit (the pencil button above the result) and paste one of the prompts below into Edit Instructions, or write your own. Say which walls get shakes, the finish, and what must stay: the trim, the windows, the roof and the doors.
Check the whole image. Compare the windows, the trim, the roof and the doors with your photo, and check how far the shakes spread. If they went too far, run it again with clearer words.

The enhancement and the edit each use credits, so this route uses both free renders. To restyle the whole outside at once instead, use the exterior designer.

The exact prompts behind the examples

These are the edit prompts used for the three examples, word for word. Paste one into Edit Instructions and change the walls and the finish to suit your house.

Prompt 1: brown shakes on a gable

Change only the small triangular gable wall above the entry door: replace the gray lap siding in that one gable with natural medium brown cedar shake shingles in overlapping rows. Every other wall, including the whole second floor and the area around the windows, must stay light gray horizontal lap siding. Keep the white trim, the dark gray roof, the white front door, the house's exact shape, the lawn, shrubs, sky and camera angle exactly the same.

Prompt 2: silver-gray shakes on every wall

Change only the wall siding: replace the beige horizontal vinyl lap siding on every wall and the dormer fronts with weathered silver gray cedar shake shingles in overlapping rows. Keep the white window trim, every window, the dark brown roof, the white front door and stoop, the dormers' shape, the house's exact shape, every window, the front door, the lawn, shrubs, sky and camera angle exactly the same. The roof must stay the same dark brown asphalt shingles.

Prompt 3: dark brown shakes on the second floor

Change only the second floor walls above the porch roof: replace the white lap siding on those upper walls with dark brown stained cedar shake shingles in overlapping rows. The ground floor walls behind the porch must stay white horizontal lap siding. Keep the porch and its white posts, the black windows, the black roof, the brick chimney, the front door, the house's exact shape, the lawn, sky and camera angle exactly the same.

Before you start

Get real samples. Hold a shake or a stained sample against the house in daylight; a picture cannot show the texture or the color of your light.
Ask about finish and upkeep. Ask the installer which finish they use and how often it needs redoing.
Get two or three local quotes for the same area of wall, and show the installers the render so they know which look you mean.

Who this is for

Homeowners who like the cottage or lodge look of shakes, people deciding between a gable accent and a whole-house shake wall, and anyone who needs a picture to show a contractor or the rest of the family.

More exterior ideas

Add a stone or brick base with our stone veneer visualizer page or the brick veneer visualizer page. For a full list of updates for a dated home, read how to update your house exterior.

You can also read the siding colors, the cabin exterior ideas and the A-frame house exterior ideas pages.

Frequently asked questions

Can I see cedar shake siding on a photo of my own house?

Yes. Upload a photo of the front of your house, then describe where the shakes go and what finish they have, for example "natural medium brown cedar shakes on the front gable only". AiExterior draws them on your photo and usually keeps the windows, roof and doors in place. It is a picture of the look, not a building plan.

What is the difference between cedar shakes and cedar shingles?

Modern Mill, a siding vendor, says shingles are sawn and shakes are typically split from the log, so shakes are thicker with a rougher, more irregular face while shingles look flatter and more uniform. Fixr gives the same split: shingles sawn smooth on both faces, shakes thick and hand-split with a rough face.

Will cedar shakes turn gray?

Fixr says unfinished cedar will gray and degrade within a few years, so it should be finished. This Old House quotes Tom Silva saying western red cedar will go gray without proper sealing. IKO says cedar shake homes weather to a grayish hue. The silver-gray example above shows that look, but real weathering is usually less streaky than the AI drew it.

How much upkeep does cedar shake siding need?

Fixr suggests cleaning once a year, resealing every 3 to 5 years and fully restaining or repainting about every 4 to 6 years (its own FAQ says 3 to 5, so the sources are not exact). This Old House says real wood needs more upkeep than engineered wood or fiber cement.

How long does cedar siding last?

Fixr says cedar can last 30 to 50 years with proper care. This Old House gives 20 to 40 years for cedar siding in general when it is maintained. Both depend on climate, finish and upkeep.

Is cedar shake siding hard to install?

Fixr rates both shakes and shingles as high difficulty because each piece goes on one at a time. This Old House says cedar shake and shingle installation is harder and costs more than other cedar lap styles, and that most homeowners hire a contractor.

How much does it cost?

Published figures do not agree closely, and they change with the region and the job, so this page does not give a price. Get local quotes for your wall area. This tool does not measure your house or price it.

Is wood siding allowed where I live?

This page cannot tell you. Fire rules for wood exteriors, including wood shake roofs and walls, differ by place. Check with your local building department before you plan a wood exterior.

Is it free?

Signing up is free and gives you 5 credits, which is enough for 2 renders in most countries. Free renders carry an AiExterior watermark. If you want more renders or clean images, paid plans are available on the pricing page.

Do I need an account?

Yes. You need to sign in before a render starts, with an email code or your Google account. That is how the free credits are attached to you.

Try it on your own house

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