We also used Azek as trim with our pre-painted HardiShingles and are glad we did. Our builder really liked working with Azek since it's light-weight and so consistent (no knot-holes, etc.). He even did some bending of it, although that was quite a challenge! Although it technically doesn't require painting, we painted it with a 50-year BM exterior white paint so it would match the white of some of our decorative trim pieces (brackets, crossheads, etc.). We also caulked the nailholes, although they weren't as obvious as we expected because our builder used smaller nails. We're hoping the Azek will never need to be repainted! By the way, we were very glad we got our HardiShingles pre-painted and we didn't have any problems. They were painted by a company called Weiss who gives a 25-year warranty. Weiss has a nice range of colors or will paint a custom color. They're a good company that stands behind their product. Here's a photo showing some of our Azek trim next to HardiShingles. Even the flower box is made from Azek! I should mention that the paladian crosshead in the photo is not Azek. It's by a company called "Custom Decorative Moulding" ("CDM"). We really like CDM products and found their company to be extremely helpful. Their products can be made to custom sizes (as this crosshead was) and they come pre-painted in white - - although not the same shade of white as Azek. P.S. If you decide to paint Azek, our painter learned that it takes special prep first. Not hard, just different.

It depends on what you want. Solid color will cover up the wood like a paint does. Semi transparent will let the texture of the wood show through.

+1. You will be the one staring at it for a lifetime. Unless it is going to detract from the sale value, get the color you want.

If you feel the driftwood is too dark paint the adjacent siding black, it will immediately get lighter. If you want the driftwood to look darker paint the adjacent siding light. I would go all dark for the painted elements…