Privacy Screening Made Pretty
Craving a secluded escape in your own backyard? Check out these stylish solutions for privacy walls and screens
Houzz Contributor. Debra Prinzing is a Seattle- and Los Angeles-based outdoor living expert who writes and lectures on gardens and home design. She has a background in textiles, journalism, landscape design and horticulture. A frequent speaker for botanical garden, horticultural society and flower show audiences, Debra is also a regular radio and television guest. Her five books include Garden Writers Association Gold Award-winning Stylish Sheds and Elegant Hideaways (Clarkson-Potter/Random House, 2008) and The Abundant Garden (2005). She is now at work on her new book about seasonal, local and sustainably-grown cut flowers with photographer David Perry. You can read more about it at www.afreshbouquet.com.
Debra is the new contributing garden editor for Better Homes & Gardens and her feature...
Houzz Contributor. Debra Prinzing is a Seattle- and Los Angeles-based outdoor... More »
Even if you adore your neighbors, there are times when you just want to enjoy your deck, patio or porch with a little privacy. But how can you create a "cone of silence" around you and still experience all that the great outdoors has to offer — trees, flowers, sunshine, sky and even resident wildlife?
Inspired by the many excellent tips in Marty Wingate's new book, Landscaping for Privacy, I took a tour through Houzz to discover the best ideas for screening, buffering and creating a little visual distance from the outer world.
See the first installment of this two-part story
Inspired by the many excellent tips in Marty Wingate's new book, Landscaping for Privacy, I took a tour through Houzz to discover the best ideas for screening, buffering and creating a little visual distance from the outer world.
See the first installment of this two-part story
by Incorporated
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This is a cozy, inviting patio space, but look how close the building next door stands, making it impossible for neighbors not to notice you. A simple row of planters, filled with verdant palms, does the trick to screen the view. Once you and your guests are seated in this cozy outdoor living room, you'll truly feel private, thanks to that living green partition.
| Add a wow factor to an enclosed patio with a stunning three-dimensional metal screening system. Perforated metal bands with a bronzy patina have been "woven" in and out of upright posts to form an extraordinary garden wall. Add a few trees and some strategically placed uplighting, and the space becomes dramatic and thoroughly private. |
A spacious deck is essential for backyard entertaining. But without the clever privacy screens on the right, the owners likely would feel on display. Just the right height to make al fresco diners feel less exposed, the slatted wood panels are cleverly mounted to the foundation.
Sometimes all you need to do is pull the curtains closed. Oh, wait — no curtains on your deck? No problem. This porch was converted instantly into a sweet outdoor hideaway with the addition of affordable metal rods and panels of all-weather fabric on rings. It's a great privacy solution and a smart way to protect yourself from gusts of wind.
An off-the-shelf bamboo pull shade turns a tiny balcony into a spalike space for lounging. This is an affordable solution for renters or people who want instant screening without a lot of tools.
I love the bands of semiopaque glass that alternate with openings along this metal privacy fence. The horizontal lines create an attractive motif in this modern rooftop garden, echoing the arrangement of the dark hardwood decking and planter boxes.
Shhh! This narrow space feels like a secret garden where you might want to speak in a hushed voice. While the property is situated very close to the neighboring one, the lush, textural row of clumping bamboo converts it into a beautiful and private path enclosure. The only sounds you'll hear are the crunch of your sandals across the gravel path and the rustle of bamboo fronds when there's a breeze.
| Here's another affordable, easy-to-create solution when you need to divide or enclose a garden space. Check it out: The planters are actually galvanized tubs, the type you can find at the hardware or farm supply store. Punch drainage holes in the bottom of each tub, line them up in a row and plant each with something uniform and tall. Any grasslike plant will do. When or if you have to move, you can take this green screen with you. |
This corner seating area is furnished with two custom concrete block sofas facing a beautiful copper fire bowl. The space gains more privacy from the narrow ipe lumber installed in sections behind each sofa. The overall design forms an exotic, tropical enclosure that will transport its occupants far from the outside world.
by The Brick House
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This simple midcentury brick house has a deep overhanging roof that protects its occupants from the harsh sun. With simple screens at the outer edge of the porch, the exterior space is transformed into an open-air corridor. It's all the more effective thanks to the banded shadow play when the sun shines through the open horizontal slats.
| Planting a green hedge often is the easiest way to screen a neighboring property from view. The lines of this tidy hedge echo those of the patio, making it feel more like a freestanding architectural screen rather than an ominous wall. As a bonus, the hedge becomes a lovely backdrop to the perennials and ground covers planted at its base. |
Here's an entry garden that gains excitement from a row of slender Italian cypresses emerging like exclamation points in front of a solid hedge. Privacy? Yes. But this is also a gorgeous way to welcome guests and give them a beautiful journey to the front door.
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by Urrutia Design
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| Rather than a solid fence, how about a planted enclosure that feels like a green tapestry? Generously scaled teak armchairs and a love seat are situated around a modern fire table, and those who sit here feel protected by the tall, leafy hedging. More: Privacy Please: Outdoor Walls 12 Great Fences and Gates The Perfect Poolside Landscape |
Comments
CAROLE MEYER These are very nice. Privacy is so important and hard to get too.....We made sure our terrace was as private as possible....then I did a painting and covered it with epoxy resin to make it weather proof. I think it helped make our private area more beautiful! 
15 months ago · Like
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srieves Beautiful...what a great Idea!
15 months ago · Like
Lynne Barton Bier - Home on the Range Interiors I love all of the different ways you highlighted to create privacy in an outdoor space. The three dimensional metal screening system by Randy Thueme Designs was particularly creative!
14 months ago · Like
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storklady Carole, thanks so much for sharing. I have a HUGE floral painting I love but have nowhere to display it. I now know what I can do with it! I have a wall outside I can display it on. I'm going to buy some epoxy resin this week. Is it easy to apply? Any tips? Thanks in advance. p.s. is your painting on canvas? Mine is.
14 months ago · Like
CAROLE MEYER Hi Storklady....yes, the painting is on canvas which is why you need to coat it with epoxy resin. I just did mine on the front and I take it down and store it when it starts to rain a lot here. Please read the instructions on the resin and wear a good mask and work outside if possible because of the fumes. Have fun!
11 months ago · Like
Anne Pratt I've been tossing over prospects for privacy on my patio. I keep wondering about outdoor curtains, though. Seems to me they'd be filled with spiders in no time - not something I'd want to sit next to or, horrors, try to pull the curtains. Granted, I dislike spiders more than some folks . . . I have the same concerns about hanging mosquito netting, like from a pergola. Anybody have this outdoor fabric?
11 months ago · Like
Susan Wiliams What is your wall made of? I love the painting idea! I am needing a privacy wall between our patio as we live in a duplex and share a 6 foot vinyl fence between our yards. So wanting a privacy wall for in front of the fence so he stops peeking over our shared fence. Want it to be a solid fence which looks like your is.
5 months ago · Like
Ideabook published on March 28, 2012.
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