Choose the Perfect Fence for Your House with Some Inspiration

The famous poet Robert Frost once said, “Good fences make good neighbors”. A continuation of that quote could very well be ‘they also make for good curb appeal and improved home value’. Robert Frost did not say that, of course, but many hardscape designers and real estate agents certainly do.

Fences are a lot more than mere barriers. They are an integral part of your home’s exterior and can be stylized to create a wholesome aesthetic that brings the area surrounding your home together. While fences do have their practical uses, there is so much more to do with them in terms of style and design. From different materials, textures, colors, to structure types, fences offer a lot of opportunities for personalization. Do not limit yourself to industry standards. 

The Traditional White Picket Fence

It's a Classic for a Reason, It's the Beloved White Picket Fence

Nothing says traditional home exterior like a white picket fence. It is as reliable as classic curb appeal can get and it invokes a feeling of comfort and coziness. While it may be a little standard and overdone, picket fence panels are practical, easy to put together, and softly accentuate the home’s exterior. While opting for white is as traditional as you can get, you can also paint your picket fence any color to match the external cladding of your home. 

Simple But Sturdy Aluminum Fencing 

Aluminum Fencing May Be Understated but They're Reliable

Metal fences are typically made from several materials such as iron, steel, and aluminum, all of which are very sturdy and will withstand most weather conditions. This simple, yet very practical black metal fence is sturdy thanks to its solid base and is also aerodynamic enough not to get blown over by a strong gust of wind. Aluminum fences also present an extra benefit since, unlike for iron and steel, you do not have to worry about corrosion and rust. While fence companies may charge more for metal fence installation than for a wooden fence, the durability is worth the investment. It may look a little plain, but this allows it to more easily complement the home’s exterior and the surrounding landscape.

Fence Fusion of Rustic Stone and Wood 

Fence Options for Your Home's Exterior

Stone is by far the strongest material you can use to build a fence. It will withstand anything the weather throws its way and will remain standing for years, requiring close to no maintenance. However, heterogeneity is a very important factor in design, from interior to hardscape. By combining wood paneling with stone textured walls, homeowners can create a stylish fence that is simple in design and combines two materials into one rustic fence. The one disadvantage of stone walls is that they require a lot of tools and materials to build, as well as an experienced mason or handyperson to put together. But if you have access to these specialists or have experience in working with stone and mortar yourself, give this design a try.

White Vinyl Semi-Private Fence

White Vinyl Fences Can Be Great for a Flexibility with Privacy

Don’t let its appearance fool you because this fence is not made of wood. It is a kind of plastic called PVC or vinyl, a very popular material in all sorts of construction and DIY projects. Vinyl comes with many advantages, from being very malleable and easy to work with, to other qualities like waterproof and quite sturdy. It may be pricier than an average wood fence installation but considering the aforementioned benefits, this price is more than justified. This simple, yet very sleek white vinyl fence offers the flexibility to have both semi-privacy or complete privacy.

Dark Wenge Vinyl Board Fence

A World of Options Opens Up with Vinyl Fence Panels

Dark vinyl boards can serve as a versatile design element for a home fence that you might want for simplicity or even contrast. The effect it will have will depend on your home’s exterior, but in most cases vinyl fencing panels will complement the commonly found beige, brown, or white exteriors without distracting too much from the overall image of your home’s exterior. In the example pictured above, the vinyl fence is a lot more solid and less aerodynamic than the one mentioned earlier, but it is very sleek and perfectly accentuates the hues and colors of the main structure. The built-in solar fence lights also create gentle landscape lighting that blends in perfectly with the rest of the exterior. 

Minimalist Grey Metal Fence

Fence Designs for a Minimalist Home

Modern design is all about keeping things simple but maximizing their functionality. A simple black metal fence is a perfect example of these desirable features. Using a concrete base for the fence pieces, each part can be separated, allowing for greater customization as well as easy installation. The one downside to this fence is that it is metal which, with the exception of aluminum, does require greater maintenance to keep from rusting. If you are up to the task of regularly checking on the fence and getting rid of corrosion, then a minimalist moody metal barricade is right for you. The horizontal support bars of this fence, however, are not pet-safe, as pets can climb over quite easily. To make the fence pet-safe, consider installing a metal fence with vertical bars instead.

Gothic Black Metal Spiked Fence

When Metal Spikes Can Also be Homey and Inviting

On the opposite side of the design spectrum, is the gothic spiked metal fence. Far more complex in design than most of the fences on our list, this sturdy wall of iron is not only a great way to add character to the exterior of your home but also works as a way to deter people from climbing it. 

Brown Modern Panel Fence

The Perfect Fence Style for Modern and Traditional Fusion

Another example of a simple design that is very visually captivating is this modern brown panel fence. The fence is not entirely connected as the panels are all separated with imperceptible slits. While this does not offer many practical benefits it does make for a very interesting and attractive modern fence, which goes beyond the fence standard we are all used to. The combination of rich brown and dark grey makes for a welcome contrast, but what steals the show is the segmentation. It is an unusual design approach to a structure that is typically all about uniformity. 

Gabion Wall With Natural Stones

Trendy Choices for Your Home's Fencing

The Gabion Wall is a stone wall by definition, however, in practice, the structure is quite different from the traditional kind. While standard stone walls rely on mortar to keep all the pieces together, the Gabion Wall is a wireframe filled with stones of different colors, sizes, and textures. The little pockets and spaces in between the stones inside the Gabion Wall make it more aerodynamic than the standard solid stone walls. This means your lawn can have a little breeze going through it without having to sacrifice your privacy entirely. The one major downside to Gabion Walls is their installation. They are a bit more complex to put together than standard stone walls. For larger full-sized Gabion Walls you will need larger construction equipment to fill the wireframes with stones. The fence installation is quite complicated but if you can spare the time and get a hold of a few professional fence installers that know all the nuances of their trade, it can be a very appealing addition to your home’s exterior.

Faux Privacy Hedge

Fences for Privacy that's Friendly and Neighborly As Well

For those that have a chain-link fence surrounding their home and are looking to give their home's exterior some extra character, an expandable faux privacy fence is a very inexpensive way to do just that. This is a layer of fake plant life that fits onto chain link gates and makes them look like a healthy hedge as opposed to a lifeless metallic net. Faux hedges are a beautiful biophilic design element and complement the home’s exterior seamlessly and naturally.

Smooth Glass Fence

Glass Fences for a Classy Look that Prioritizes Safety

Finally, there is the luxurious and stylish glass fence. This fence is commonly found around pools and is used to segment the landscape itself, as opposed to fencing the outer perimeter of the home. However, they can work quite beautifully around the front lawn as well — especially in waterfront neighborhoods. Contrary to what most people think of glass fences they are quite sturdy. Although, they are still prone to getting scratched and can break if enough force is used. They are also completely transparent so consider their placement during installation carefully. However, the one major advantage of glass fences is how much they open up the atmosphere surrounding the landscape. One problem that standard fences and especially stone walls tend to have, is how they limit the area both physically and visually. Glass fences do not have this problem, as they give your gaze plenty of room to go out onto the horizon, without cedar fence pickets getting in the way. Consider installing glass fences around pools or decks but be careful as they require much more deliberate planning than typical fences, walls, or hedges.