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My 2¢ worth: it doesn't work. Can't make sense of this wall. What is its purpose? sound barrier?Looks like a barricade. Seems an extreme measure and is not attractive.Plus it must darken the inside of the house.I can't imagine it creating "extra living space" outside if it's noisy...more like "dead" space + no views. Nothing about it makes the house "modern"....just a drab slab of cement.That door is all wrong too...a mismatch. Are you trying to modernize the look of your house by putting up a cement wall like this one?There are other ways of doing this....not this way.Try a metal roof for starters...but can't really advise cuz don't know what your house looks like, distance from street, etc.

Great point, lets not live under a rock kinda thing. Dead space* I can see that! Great input!

Looks like a fortress. Very unfriendly impression, like you fear the neighbors or don't want to interact with them!

Well this is in Dallas Texas, by a 2 lane road. I just don't want to let go. Maybe is you scaled down a lot smaller of a fortress. Use of wood in such.....

Not so inviting...especially if you have guest...I would instead put a fence or something else on their property of the sidewalk, at least they will have a front yard and not have a wall right up against the house.

This not a cement wall , but a retaining wall to hold the garden dirt , this one seems to be made of stone it is very effective, the only drawback of this one is the lack of a garden ,which ,I am sure if you hired a landscaper you could get a very effective and discipline look that would give you the modern look you want, but would also look inviting and beautiful, instead of prison like that this weed concoction gives.Good luck

look at some of the pretty courtyards on houzz to see some variations that might spark your creative ideas. the pictured one just looks drab and uninviting. http://www.houzz.com/spanish-courtyards-homes

Then I agree with you completely , not attractive at all very prison like.

I think with some soft additions it can work. Landscaping the front to soften the hard wall and lights, tons of lights inside and outside the wall to make it more inviting at night as if there were a VIP event happening and everyone would be so lucky to have been invited. Have Fun!

Don't get it. This type of wall invites breakins and home robberies. Also, visually it doesn't seem to work at all.

I think some people are confused, thinking you mean that little stone curb, not the seven foot tall monstrosity that would be acceptable decor in a maximum security detention center, but not for a house.

The lawn is completely wasted on parking. If you reduced the parking area and put in some landscaping, you'd get privacy without looking like a bunker.

I get it! It is the "Fort look", right? All I can think of is all the painting you will have to do when the local hooligans tag that wall every month/homecoming/territory marking etc....

That said, I think concrete is a great medium for walls because it can take any shape! To avoid a fortress look try a curved wall and/or add texture to it and end finials or other decorations. Texas can be tough for landscaping so hard-scape has to do double duty.

You could try other mediums like a veneer of stone over a concrete block wall, or just embrace the whole "I have a castle look" and put up flags and end caps and gun ports...LOL...

I think I would start with the function the wall will serve, privacy/landscape/security etc... and add some curves and textural interest and then draw up pictures and post them here for more ideas.

Have fun, :D

Take the wall down. Period. Then invest in maxing out the front driveway curb appeal. If you wish for privacy then use the small divot in the driveway to plant some italian evergreens. They are thin and tall and would be lovely. Then dig up the cement driveway and put in a patterned driveway that is more visually attractive. Use a tumbled stone. YOU SHOULD ONLY CONSIDER A WALL IF.. you are going ultra modern on the entire house then you could develop something that considered a wall as an architectural feature from jump. Rethink the color of the house (a lipstick red maybe with grey doors and roof. and maybe trim those trees up or eliminate one of them to open the sightlines up a bit on the house.

I'm happy how many Hozz users gave ideas! Thanks you guys! What the hell was I thinking!

I need a house with a true courtyard! That's hard to come by here in Dallas/San Antonio!

Far too tall with the wall. I'd take it down to half and put some plants along it to break up the long rectangle shape.

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Personally I think the walls give privacy, protection and a sound barrier to the traffic noise. I like Cyn222's ideas for plants, but, would leave the walls and if possible in your gardening zone or with water preservation in mind, plant flowering shrubs or tall flowers along the wall, that would discourage 'taggers' and yet give it a less harsh visual appeal.