You should include a to-scale plan sketch explaining your question as there are countless details not mentioned. We can't tell where the lilac bush is. Or how you're going to run the fence "after" it.

Time to remove some lower limbs of trees.

Here's a sketch. The dotted line is a proposed fence but we are not in love with it. Mixing the fence types would probably make more sense if we ran the fence from the front of the yard (to the sidewalk) and then along the property line where the lilac bush is planted on the west side.

Please don't put up chain link!!! Even vinyl would be a better choice.

I don't see a problem with your plan. Running one type of fence facing the front and a different kind of fence along the sides or back is done all the time. Just as houses often have one kind of wall surfacing at the front face and different materials along the other faces. The fact the you are screening where the two different fence types meet will even further make it not a problem. I would not bring the fence to any point in front of the front house face.

Thanks Saypoint for the photos and idea! Your yard looks really nice. I'm considering that idea, however we plan to start a family soon and I wonder how that would work for keeping kids within the fence. Did you use welded wire fence around the entire perimeter anywhere there were shrubs?

Thanks Yardvaark for your feedback. We are considering doing that fence layout on both sides of the yard. My husband thinks that it would look better with the symmetry and style of the house.

Are there any other configurations that you would recommend outside of our idea?

The welded wire enclosed one entire side of the property and included the back door and the whole side yard. It excluded the driveway and parking areas. It was safe for dogs (lots of dogs, I fostered) and visiting grandkids. 4x4 posts were used at (3) gates and corners, metal stakes were used in shrub borders where they virtually disappeared. Some of the shrubs were existing, more were planted to hide the rest of the fence and add more privacy.

It’s a lot of shrubs/small trees to plant, but we wanted the privacy anyway. If you feel the chain link is the best option for you, you can still plant things on and in front of it to camouflage it, but I think it’s a bit harder to hide than a more open fence material. How about a rail fence with wire on it?

Mine was not elegant by any means, but by focusing on planting on the outside first, neighbors were spared looking at for long. Plantings on the inside followed. You could even plant first and fence later. Not my photo.

My favorite fence. Next house.

We had a similar issue. We fenced our entire back yard, staring behind the house, and chose a black welded metal fence and used it from our house to the property line and then along the property line on both sides of the house. Across our densely wooded back property line, we used black chain link. It is has shrubs obscuring it on our yard and also our neighbors back yard. It is virtually invisible. We didn’t feel that our lovely side neighbors would appreciate seeing chain link fence. Nor would we. It was worth the extra money. One word of advice, be sure that you install a gate somewhere that is wide enough if you need to have a truck or mowing equipment enter your back yard.

"Are there any other configurations that you would recommend outside of our idea?"

No ... not without specific needs being known.

Thanks Saypoint for sharing the photos. I like planting around the fence but it will probably be more of a phase 2 plan with the remodeling going on in the house. I think we are going to go with this fence style from Lowes.

Thanks ptreckel for the advice and idea for black chain link! I will keep you posted on what we decide for configuration.

That will look nice with your style of house.

You do have beautiful house, however I have no comments on the fense per se. However in deciding what type of and its location you may wish to consult your HOA, and the city rules. In our area, fences beyond the front of the house toward the street would not be allowed.

I like Saypoint idea of integrating the fence into a hedge, with attractive gates.

As to your question about toddlers and fences, you will have to teach the child what the acceptable play area is, as with out training and enforcement, the fence will just be another obstacle to overcome or a piece of play ground equipment. Once I had to pull my 2 year old off of a 8' fence that she was about to swing herself over the top.

So what fence did you decide to use?