Custom Residential, Landscape Architecture
Footloose and Fency Free
Fences and retaining walls are more than just simple demising lines: they're our walls in our outdoor living rooms. And sadly, so many of the fences that get put up end up being bland, boring, and basic boards. I'm sure that the people who live in these homes AREN'T boring, of course, so what options do they have instead? Plenty. Take a look at a few personalized options.
May 20, 2011
You're welcome to groan at the subject of this post, I think I blame it on the actual sunshine and warm temperatures we're having lately here in Seattle. It is amazing what sunshine does to your mood!
One thing the sunshine and warm temperatures do, as well, is make you realize how important the architecture is that we get to surround ourselves with outside. Fences and retaining walls are more than just simple demising lines: they're our walls in our outdoor living rooms. And sadly so many of the fences that get put up end up being basic, bland, and boring. Very boring. I'm sure that the people who live in these homes AREN'T boring, of course, so what options do they have?
Plenty. Think of your fence just like an interior wall and suddenly there is a myriad of options. And think of your own personality and how you want to represent your house. A fence is often the first thing people see when they come to your house; you should make a statement about who you are and what kind of home you see yourself living in! Here is a sampling of my favorite fences just in my neighborhood courtesy of a fine afternoon of dog walking.
The better white picket fence is what I like to call these kinds of fences. While the white picket fence isn't inherently bad, it is just a bit too normal and precious. I prefer these fences which add a bit of squared-off ness to them that still keep them light and informal but add just a touch of class to them. It is important to think about how private you want your yard to be. These have a nice balance of perceived privacy without any actual privacy which works for some people.
You can even dress up this style with a nice arbor. The fact that the Northwest has such mild weather means that keeping a fence painted is relatively easy as well.
The great thing about open fences is that you can use their openness to help plants weave in and out of your property. This is a great example which keeps the property a little more romantic than it would be otherwise.
Sometimes your budget is a little more generous and stone or brick makes more sense. Stone obviously works well as a retaining wall which helps define a property edge if not obscure it. It also makes for a nice free-standing wall as well or can help you prop up your yard to be a step or two above the sidewalk which is always just enough to keep a feeling of privacy.
Here, a more casual stone wall makes the property feel a bit more organic and Northwestern and helps reinforce a more 'local' planting area.
Brick is certainly more formal, but if kept relatively low and capped with a wrought iron fence like here then it helps keep a property defined while still slightly open.
Stone can also be kept low with no fence above and still nicely define an edge. I've always loved this particular low wall. It is clean, simple, and yet very detailed. The cap here is only at the stairs but could also be along the full wall depending on how formal you wanted the wall to be.
Concrete is always an option but I prefer it when it is kept low and simple like in this small retaining wall. This is also a great way to raise up your front yard.
Metal fences can also be used on top of a nice stone or brick foundation wall or can be used beautifully as a gate for a simple touch. This gate is nice, simple, complements what is around it and has a bit of personality which makes the whole property distinctive. You could easily plant a hedge and just add a nicer gate.
Stained wood fences are the norm around the Northwest and most of the country. Unfortunately, though, we often feel limited by what we can do, due to the number of fence companies and big box home stores that present such easy to pick options. If you have the money, there are other fantastic wood fence options.
Ipe (pronounced like "eBay" with a soft "p" instead of a "b") is a fantastic wood that is often known as iron wood as it can't be nailed because it is so dense. It has a beautiful brown finish when stained or can go to a beautiful silver gray if left to silver.
This is a beautiful fence that conveys a nice modern and tailored yard to the world while still complementing a traditional home. The fence also beautifully hides behind a hedge and turns itself to the inside of the yard leaving the hedge to cover the post side. A really clean and slick solution.
Wood fences that we see every day can also be customized. We've all seen the standard 6' cedar panel fence around Seattle. It is much nicer if you add a slightly custom top/open area to it. I thought this fence was a great example of something really simple you could have any builder do to add a bit of personality to your fence.
Or you could add a custom lattice to the top and alternate the vertical panel boards as I did here on this project (also made nicer by the landscape lights at every post). You could swap out woods too and do this with a finer grain cedar or even ipe at the panels.
Whatever you do with a fence, it is just important to not settle for something less than fantastic. Your fence doesn't have to be everyone's cup of tea but it should be yours. Your house is your little stake in the ground and it should be every bit as dynamic, inspiring, and beautiful as you are. It is your first impression given to the world and a great way to surround your living space outside with something beautiful.
