All fences provide privacy, security, and a beautiful backyard focal point. However, there are some fencing types that have an additional aesthetic focus.
If you want to add a decorative fence to your yard, but need some inspiration, this guide is for you! Below we will cover our favorite decorative fencing options to help you get inspired for your next fencing project.
For a modern spin on a classic wood fence, consider a horizontal wood fence. As opposed to the wood planks being installed vertically, the planks are installed horizontally – either flush or with gaps in between.
Horizontal wood fences can be stained in a variety of colors to complement your home’s aesthetic. Horizontal wood fences can also have elements of metal – either as posts or accents – for an additional contemporary touch.
A staple in Austin neighborhoods across the country, ornamental iron fences can be fully customized to fit your home.
Ornamental iron fences, or the more affordable aluminum variation, can have both modern and traditional designs.
The modern variation doesn’t typically include any post caps or finials, while more traditional variations boast quad, fleur-de-lis, and butterfly scrolls.
Iron fences have gaps in between the rails, which don’t provide as much privacy as other fencing options and the gaps can allow unsupervised pets to escape.
However, ornamental iron fences are extremely low maintenance – only requiring fresh paint every couple of years.
Charming and classic, lattices can be added to the top of a wood fence or can make up the entirety of the fence.
Lattice fences are constructed using strong lattice wood panels attached to sturdy wooden posts; they also will have top and bottom rails surrounding the lattice for stability and a finished look.
Lattice fences can be stained similarly to any wood fence variation and with decorative posts and post caps you can add an extra layer of customization.
Split rail fencing and its updated alternative post-and-rail fencing (estate fencing) are created using three horizontal rails with wide gaps in between.
While typically constructed using wood, vinyl is an alternative material choice. Split rail and post-and-rail fences were historically used on ranches and other sprawling properties, but have since been adopted on smaller tracts of land.
Don’t limit yourself to just one material choice! Many homeowners opt to use stone posts with wooden rails, metal posts with wooden pickets, and stone posts with iron fence panels.
When done correctly, using a combination of fencing materials can offer a unique and truly custom look. However, you don’t want to use too many materials to prevent the fence from looking chaotic.
Modern fence designs have moved past the neutral white or natural wood. If you want a unique look in your backyard, try adding a pop of color to your fence.
It’s best to complement your home décor and landscaping with your color choices.
For example, if you have a lot of greenery, charcoal adds gravity to the space and makes the greens pop, while dark gray offers a softer aesthetic.
Light blues, greens, and yellows capture natural light and make your garden look larger. If you’re really adventurous, try two-tone colors like aqua and gray or pinks and coral oranges.
Adding art to your fence adds visual interest and personality to your outdoor space.
Weather-resistant art pieces like metal sculptures, wall hangings, paintings, signs, flower planters, faux windows, birdhouses, and ceramic tiles are simple additions that can make a world of difference.
You can also paint your fence with a mural or a geometric pattern using stencils. Experiment a little to see what works best for your aesthetic.
You can soften your fence’s straight lines by placing planters along the fence.
Consider curving beds of plants or layers or planters with short plants in the front, medium-sized plants in the middle, and tall plants in the back.
Hanging planters or climbing plants also add color and visual interest to a standard fence.
Go beyond the already modern-looking slatted fence by breaking the slat fence panels with a decorative element.
Venetian fence panels used as fence topper panels allow light and air to flow through into the garden.
You can also combine fence panels with a trellis or fence panel topper to personalize the look of your fence.
Well-placed trellises or metal fence inserts help bring more light into your yard without compromising your privacy.
Some landscaping elements can be challenging to work around, such as large trees or steep inclines.
Instead of tearing up your yard, work your fence design into the natural landscape.
You can get creative by using tree trunks as part of your fence or creating tiered fence panels along slopes and drops. Then, plan the shrubs and flowers you plant to complement the fence and landscape.
Contrasting colors create unique looks with your fence. Black and white fencing or natural wood with striking black metal trim updates the classic fence design with a more contemporary look.
You could also play with color and use sharp contrast like dark gray with green or blue, pastels with natural wood, or white with rich jewel tones.
Climbing plants break up the monotony of a privacy fence and give your backyard a garden oasis feel. Ivy is a great choice if you like greenery, but you can add pops of color with plants like wisteria, honeysuckle, clematis, bougainvillea, and roses.
You should leave some distance to allow the fence and plant to breathe. It’s best to place each plant about a foot apart, since they’ll grow up instead of along the fence. Strings can help you shape the plant in the direction you want it to grow.
If you want a twist on the classic picket fence, there are plenty of options. You can get a rustic, charming look with irregular oak pickets, or make it modern with a combination of alternating long and short spears.
The curved wave design with symmetrically heightened pickets is popular for picket fences. French Gothic fences that create convex or concave shapes add a lot of visual interest.
If you want a combination of metal and wood fencing, decorative metal panels add a touch of elegance to your yard or garden.
You can get laser-cut designs that give your yard a modern or rustic look, as well as unique gates and balustrades.
Adding a decorative metal gate breaks up the look of your fence without the major overhaul of adding decorative metal panels.
This is ideal for backyards or front yards with privacy fencing, but you get some extra light and shadow from the metal gate. It also breaks up the look of fence posts.
Living fences are becoming a popular alternative to chain link. They’re made of living plants, such as shrubs or trees, and can be used as a privacy screen or windbreak.
They often require less maintenance than other types of fences while still providing shade and blocking sound and wind.
If you don’t need the security of a full fence, you can “fence in” your whole yard with living fences. Conversely, just a few panels of living fence can be beautiful when incorporated into an existing fence design.
A black fence is a bold and striking style that highlights your backyard. Whether you want to shift focus to your gardening or you want a clean, polished look to complement your yard décor, a black fence can be the ideal choice. It’s also easier to keep clean since it hides dirt and dust.
Offering both aesthetic and functional appeal, glass fencing is becoming more and more popular for modern homes.
Glass fencing uses tempered glass panels with posts and an optional handrail that resembles a balcony or terrace. You can use all glass or just include some glass panels to your existing fence design.
Glass fencing is particularly attractive with contemporary backyards and minimalist designs.
Wood fences never go out of style, but you can personalize them and change up your outdoor aesthetic with stain.
From color tint to rich tones like mahogany or dark walnut, you can transform the entire look of your backyard in just one afternoon.
Another nice touch is to put your house number on the outside of your fence with hardware colors that suit the stain and your home décor.
Abstract fence designs look more like an art piece than a fence, giving your backyard a truly one-of-a-kind look.
As this example shows, you can get creative with your fence to complement a mid-century modern design.
If you want more privacy, decorative metal sections or irregular posts can give you the high-art look without compromising your privacy and security.
Monochromatic design is a color scheme with different shades, tones, or tints of a single color.
Though simple, monochromatic designs are clean and uncluttered, creating a harmonious, visually appealing look for your backyard.
It’s also a great design choice for a small backyard, as monochromatic hues add space. Though earth tones are often the most popular, you can be bold with shades of pink, blue, or green.
Few things are more relaxing than sitting in your backyard on a summer evening with twinkling lights.
You can add lights to your post caps or solar domes to your fence. Sconces and lowlights are popular for more luxurious designs, while fairy lights and lanterns perfectly complement a rustic yard.
In addition to vines that grow on your fence, shrubs and flowers at the base can add some plant cover and privacy without blocking out all the light.
Best for slatted or picket fences, brightly colored flowers that grow to different heights is an ideal way to add a pop of color to your fence and make your backyard more welcoming. Consider bright flowers like tulips, roses, dahlias, hibiscus, chrysanthemum, and irises.
Not every fence needs to be designed with straight panels in square or rectangular shapes.
Whether you prefer a more unique look or you have some yard elements to work around, playing with your fence shape is a surefire way to personalize your fence.
Sculptural fence designs are ideal for contemporary décor but also offer the functional benefit of building around trees or shrubs.
Similar to living fences, living walls break up the look of your fence and give you more space for greenery and nature.
You can do this a number of ways, including installing a trellis along your fence or using a wall planter in between your fence panels.
Live panel modular systems are also an option to maximize your garden space, especially in a small yard.
If you don’t need full privacy the French window design is one of the most upscale and unique designs you can choose.
These fences have wide square panels that are open to allow natural light and ventilation in. If you need more privacy in certain areas, you can easily grow plants within the fence or block the view with potted shrubs and flowers.
Spacing out the wood planks removes some privacy, but it allows more light and air to pass through your fence to open your yard.
This fence has a very rustic look and works well in smaller yards, front yards, and gardens. In this example, the fence slats that don’t connect provide a structural aesthetic that complements the landscaping elements in the yard.
Using a fence as a backdrop for a seating area creates privacy and a sense of seclusion in a mini “room” in your backyard.
Placing your seating in a corner with a privacy fence on both sides offers a nice privacy screen, but you can create a similar effect with flower trellises.
Keeping some space between your fence and your yard elements or plants adds visual space and makes your yard feel larger.
You can get a similar effect with a privacy fence that has open slats, board-on-board design, or decorative cuts that let light, shadow, and air into your yard.
There’s a reason black and white has been a classic design for decades – it works.
Black and white fences work with virtually any fence design, from picket fences to decorative metal fences, and suit both austere and heavily landscaped backyards.
This high-contrast look is easy to pair your décor with as well, whether you want to continue the aesthetic throughout your yard or you want to use a lot of color in your deck furniture and plants.
The white picket fence is a classic design that’s stood as a symbol of the American Dream and success. It’s perfect for many different home styles but works especially well for charming cottages and traditional homes. You can also tailor the design to your decor with different post caps and picket shapes.
If you’re in the Austin area, Austex offers a wide variety of fence installation services. No matter if you want something simple or extreme, the experts at Austex are up for the job. Give us a call for a consultation today!
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