DH and I are picking out siding, gutters, etc next week. The attached picture is our jumping off point. The differences between the picture will be that we will have a flatter roof pitch than pictured (8/12), no shutters, and the stone will be an aged limestone

1. We like the look of cedar shake, but will be living in the middle of a pasture that will undergo controlled burns once a year, so real shakes are out. We have looked at cement board siding (Hardie, Nichiha, etc) with Diamond Coat. While the color looks good, the cost of the coating seems ridiculous. Should we just bite the bullet and spring for the pre-coated? Our builder is suggesting going with the primed cement board and painting with a color similar to cedar shake. Thoughts?

2. Since we have flattened the roof, we won't have the wood detail along the roof line. I'm considering black trim and gutters. Thought?

3. What color would you go with for the front door? Black if choosing the black trim? Wood to go with the "cedar shake"? Red?

All comments welcome!