Have you got a whole lot of front yard space that you wish you could utilise more but are surrounded by nosey neighbours?
There’s more to life than a white picket fence.
The obvious choice would be to install a perimeter fence to block off the view from the outside world, but this also means you lose your view.
It then becomes a game of what is more important, your privacy or your view? And if you have a beautiful beachside view, this can be quite a dilemma.
So how do you get the best of both worlds?
From plants and translucent panels to hedges and freestanding walls, here’s how to create a little privacy in your front yard without transforming your home into a prison.
Freestanding walls
Who said you needed all four walls? Staggered placement of single free-standing walls can provide you with much needed privacy without walling you in.
They come in a wide range of materials including steel, wood, brick, and limestone, giving you limitless options to be creative with your style and design.
Consider using various height ranges, staggered placements and the type of material, and adjust accordingly to what you’d like to keep private and what you want people to see.
Freestanding walls are perfect for creating small seated enclosures or the start of something grander where you could start to think about adding vertical gardens.
Hedges
Unlike your freestanding walls, which require zero maintenance, hedges will require trimming, watering, and fertilising, did we mention you have to wait for them to grow?
You can opt to purchase instant hedges that are already fully grown and ready to be planted, but you can expect to pay a little more too.
Various forms of hedges can provide different levels of privacy. For example, a solid hedge (arborvitae, green juniper, cherry laurel) that is heavier will provide sound suppression as well as a screen. Whereas lighter hedges (fern pine, silver sheen) allow light and sound to pass through.
Hedges are excellent for creating a little privacy while maintaining a beautiful all natural front exterior.
Layered materials
Learning to layer different types of materials allows homeowners to get really creative with the process and build something that adds colour and texture, depth and dimension at different heights ranges.
Consider layering different elements together, such as a concrete wall that features a vertical garden with a fountain at the base. Not only does this wall now suppress sound, it also adds a new element of it’s own sound into the mix from the fountain.
Vertical garden
You may have seen us mention vertical gardens about three times throughout this article and that’s because we can’t get enough of them!
Vertical gardens are perfect for those who lack the space for a garden bed and could be just what your landscape needs to create a little privacy and add a splash of colour and green.
Did we mention they have a whole heap of health benefits? Studies have shown that vertical gardens, also known as ‘green walls’, can reduce anger, pain, anxiety, and stress, particularly for those who live in an urban environment.
Some plants to consider include Begonias, Hostas, Japanese Iris, Hoya Carnosa, Orchids and Ferns.
Outdoor blinds
Who says outdoor blinds was only for the backyard? Outdoor blinds provide a simple solution to help you transform your front yard into a private sanctuary.
Outdoor blinds come in a wide array of materials and design to help you achieve a desired outcome. For example, there are complete block-out screens for privacy or you can opt for a mesh screen that maintains a beautiful view of your landscape while giving you an added layer of privacy.
There are cafe blinds, zip screens or PVC screens which can enclose an area, protect you from the outside elements, and create an all-year round entertainment area.
What about your garage space?
Are you one of those people who have to park their car outside because their garage space is so cluttered? It all starts with us storing one item, this then leads to another and by the time you realise it, you’ve turned your garage space into a storage container.
Your car no longer fits, you can barely walk in and out of it without tripping over something, but if you dedicated a day to declutter your garage space you might actually be able to use it.
Custom garage doors gives you an opportunity to add ventilation, natural light and an exterior makeover to transform your garage space into a habitual room.
You could pursue a hobby, turn it into an office space or maybe even park your car in it again.
