Smart choice. We have Maibec Nantucket cedar shingles. Look great but when the sun hits them we get constant popping sound. Saw where there was a class action suit not too long ago. Building a garage and don’t want to make the same mistake. Did you go with board & batten?

My opinions only. OP, it's a little difficult to know what you mean by making the siding more modern. But to answer your specific questions: 1) Should I alternate siding materials? No. IMO alternating siding material can be done well but for the most part is poorly executed. From what I have seen it becomes a jumble of materials that detracts from the house. 2) Should we incorporate stone? No. Board and batten siding is classic and timeless. Stone is a passing fad in its current application, especially now with it being added to places where it doesn't belong. Don't get me wrong, stone can be appropriate and also classic, but not the way it is thrown about now on the exterior as some sort of stick on applique. Scroll through houzz's images to see which contemporary board and batten home appeals to you. Here is one in white that is contemporary. Naturally you would look for colors that you prefer (dark) rather than the white shown below. This is just to give you an idea of contemporary board and batten siding appearance.

I’ve received 3 quotes in the last month to replace our siding with James Hardie cement fiber board. I had all start with a quote that was for all lap siding. After the first proposal I asked for the price if I changed the 2nd story to board and batten. The prices didn’t change. One company told me board and batten required more labor because the panels must be held by 2 people when installed so they don’t bend or crack. I ran this by the other two companies who said it wouldn’t matter because they always have at least two people on site for installation. Based on the cost, I didn’t explore shingles because all 3 told me it would cost a lot more and the quotes were all more than I anticipated and 30% higher than the quotes I received in 2020.

Thanks! Good considerations for us. Option 2 is just keep the vinyl. @millworkman Azek seems pretty awesome. I like buying hard to recycle materials. @Travis Johnson I will research your installation suggestions. Thank you. I like cedar shake a lot but I think it would look a little random (we have a busy farm with more buildings in more colors than ideal). We chose a vertical white for simplicity- it repeats the soffits and trim color/patterns. @res2architect The climate is Wisconsin, north-facing (I did include this). We're just looking for siding material suggestion; not really all the things you think we should change in this photo, so please don't get too carried away: https://www.houzz.com/discussions/6286459/ugly-house-fix-front-door-awning