Mixing Plastic & Wood structures on layout

My layout is all mixed up - plastic, wood, ceramic, and metal!  Here is metal and wood together, followed by plastic and ceramic together.

Mine are of all the materials, including some plaster "stone" ones with wooden wings,

etc., which is what you see out in the real world...stone, brick, wood...all intermingled.

If all were made of clapboard, or were, all, say, Korber "brick", that would destroy

realism.

Wood, plastic, resin.....yes to all 3.  If done well, it doesn't really matter since then it's pretty hard to tell which is built from what...

The Orbisonia Station is a detailed wood kit.  The grain elevator is plastic and the Walthers Feed Store is also plastic.

If you paint the plastic building with the same kind of paint that's on the wood buildings, and the plastic building is at least semi-realistic, they will blend. Plastic buildings that haven't been painted (or at least received a coat of Dullcote) tend to stick out. Here's a Plasticville coal tower that I painted with Floquil. A high-end scale piece it's not, but it doesn't scream "Plasticville" either. This is a fill-in until I get time to build a nice wooden one. 

Thank you all for the replies, ideas and especially for the pictures

I think what really got me wondering about this was the first couple structures I've purchased 'built up' for my layout thus far, and thoughts about the next structure(s) or kit(s) I'll add.

One of my first procurements was a wooden coaling tower, and the other is a resin/plastic MTH Country station.  As far as the designs (or eras as Lee mentioned) they fit together well enough, but the thing I notice most about these first two structures is that the sheen, and monochromatic colors of the resin/plastic station really contrast with the natural and uneven staining of the wood structure quite a bit.

This is probably the normal point where I should progress to adding detail (perhaps in mixed mediums of wood, metal, etc) to the stock plastic structure(s) along with "weathering"  (which intimidates me a bit) ,  in order for it to get the desired fit.  Much like Southwest Hiawatha did with his Bachmann coaling tower, or Mike CT did with the grain elevator.  I also really like the setting TrainsRMe did with old style trailer next to the rustic log cabin.

Thanks as well to rattler21, mwb, coloradohirailer and all you folks for the great suggestions.  I have a tendency to homogenize design, which I think doesn't incline me to be naturally artistic, so I guess I should use this as an opportunity to branch out and experiment.

BTW, this is one of a couple structures I'm considering adding.  It looks like it's a Menards' version of a Bar Mills Tavern kit I saw being discussed in another thread...

And another is this Woodland Scenics (that I've read good things about)...

The main area of my layout will be more country or rural with an urban-esque setting bordering the side(s) & backdrop.  Just a couple nice possibilities for built-ups, but can see now where some 'built-ups' and kits could benefit from additional accents and personalization to get the desired effect

Thanks,

Robert