DON’T LET YOUR FENCE BE A BARRIER TO YOUR STYLE
Residential and commercial design doesn’t stop at the exterior walls. It continues (or should continue) through your landscape design, which includes fences or property boundaries. Make sure your fences enhance, rather than detract from, your overall design.
Use Fence Styles That Complement Your Architectural Design
When you’re ready to design – or replace – your property’s fence line, consider your overall architectural style when choosing a style for your fence. You will want to balance that aesthetic need with function. That is, what else is your fence for? Is your fence purely for looks or should it provide privacy, a sound barrier, or structural support for climbing plants or espaliered trees? These factors will also need to be taken into consideration when choosing your fence style.
While your fence should obviously serve it’s function, it should also serve to bolster your overall design. Source: Houzz
Here are a few different examples of complementary architectural and fence styles to give you an idea of what we’re talking about.
The Contemporary Home.
The Sudbury Steel House is a prime example of a contemporary home, which prioritizes clean lines, ample windows for natural daylighting and sustainable materials. Did you know steel building components are made largely from pre- and post-consumer recycled products, and that they can be recycled at the end of their lifespan? The result is a home that requires a contemporary fence style. Contemporary fences often read like walls, because they are as much about aesthetics as they are about privacy or creating boundaries. Materials will also be more modern, like steel or pre-fabricated recycled materials, and designs will be very linear or may even incorporate geometric designs.
Choose a tall fence (6-8 feet high) with flush boards and no horizontal rails that will look good and deter anyone from trying to climb it. Source: Houzz
The Traditional Home.
While we designed the Newton House in the modern era, the design was very traditional in its conception. In fact, once of the catch phrases we came up with when working with the family was, “Old meets New meets Old,” A home like this requires a more traditional fence. Traditional fences were typically made of wood, although “modern” traditional fences are largely made from vinyl or more sustainable products, like Trex fences. The latter are composites made from reclaimed/recycled products (making them a green option) designed to look like wood. These modern options are more durable and maintenance-free than classic wood counterparts, but offer options resembling traditional fence styles, like the classic white picket fence.
The Natural Look.
Natural fences are another green option, often designed using what is on-hand at your building site, whether that be wood, branches, stone, or any combination of the three. While there is a traditional aspect to a natural fence, that style can just as easily be used with a more contemporary home design. An example of this is the Maine House, which was built in a natural environment and, although the design is contemporary, has a natural wood exterior as well.
Your team at Leslie Saul is a great resource for anyone looking to design their dream home. Source: Houzz
Are you planning to build a new home, renovate the one you’re in or are you ready to add a fence to your property? Consult with Leslie Saul & Associates Architecture and Interiors so we can deliver ideas and fence styles you’ll love.