When it comes to enclosing your garden or backyard or separating your home from the neighbors, there are many different ways to go about it. Fences are the most common, and the easiest. However, there are many different types of fences, and different styles or looks that you can go for!
Nowadays, horizontal fences have become incredibly popular, with more and more people opting for this type of fence. But even within horizontal fences, there are multiple different ways you can go about it, to achieve different aesthetics or styles.
The truth is, a fence doesn’t have to be plain and boring. It is going to become a part of your home, a landmark in your garden. So it makes sense to want it to look good, you know?
So to help you out, we’ve compiled 10 of our favorite ideas for making your horizontal fence stylish and visually appealing, as well as remaining effective, of course.
Let’s get right into it!
What Is A Horizontal Fence?
Before we go ahead and tell you about our amazing and stylish ideas for your horizontal fence, let’s clarify what a horizontal fence is exactly.
Okay so the typical image that people have of a fence, is a vertical wooden structure. So in vertical fences, you have posts set 6 to 8 feet apart, and then you have vertical wood panels attached to these posts, or individual vertical boards added individually.
However, with a horizontal fence, it’s a little different. You still have posts set up 6 to 8 feet apart from one another, but the wood boards are usually 1×3, 1×4, or 1×6 width boards, with a smooth surface (as opposed to the common rough cut of the vertical boards).
So instead of it looking like it has wooden structures placed vertically all along the length, it looks more like a smooth horizontal surface that has been put up.
The thing with horizontal fences, as well, is that they can very easily be made out of other materials, such as corrugated metal or vinyl. Although wood is still the most popular and common material used.
It is also worth noting that horizontal fences, on average, are more expensive than vertical fences. However, they tend to look a lot better, so the people that choose horizontal over vertical are thinking of the end result and the appearance, rather than the price!
10 Stylish Ideas For A Horizontal Fence
Now that we’ve clarified what a horizontal fence is, and now that you know that they are mainly chosen over the vertical fence option because they are more visually appealing…it’s time to finally get into our top 10 ideas for making your horizontal fence the prettiest one in the neighborhood! Or at the very least, making it as stylish as possible.
Here are our top 10 suggestions:
1. A Dark-Colored Horizontal Fence
One of the easiest ways to make your horizontal fence more stylish is to simply use darker-colored wood. Using a darker brown, or even a black color for the wood, instantly makes the fence look elegant and subtle, and it is ideal for gateways and private gardens.
2. Horizontal Fence With A Barn Door
If you have a pretty boring and plain horizontal fence, and you’re looking to add something to it that will instantly give it a boost in appearance, in order to draw the eye, then a barn door can be the answer.
You essentially just add a simple barn door structure to where the door in the fence is, and it will instantly look artistic and well-designed.
You could also even hang accessories from the barn door, turning it into a cute little door to walk through.
3. Horizontal Fence With Container Garden
It is really easy to accessorize a fence, and horizontal fences are perfect for easily hooking on containers. In these containers, you could then plant different flowers or vegetables, turning your fence into a handy raised garden!
Not only will it look beautiful, but it will also be super useful!
Besides, the containers can easily be switched around or replaced depending on the season of the year, so it is very easy to customize and change up every now and then.
4. Horizontal Fence With Corrugated Metal
This type of fence leaves the posts and frame to be made out of wood, but the rest is all metal. You can choose different corrugated metal shapes, and it will add a great level of privacy to your garden.
However, the metal will enhance the heat from the sun, so be careful with planting things right by it.
5. Horizontal Fence With Shelving
This is by far one of the most modern and stylish options for a horizontal fence. Adding shelves to a smooth wooden surface can allow you to accessorize in a number of different ways. You could install garden lights, place potted plants, bird feeders, and much more!
It is more like a wall than a fence, but it keeps that wooden garden feel to it, and the options are so infinite that you can personalize it to be your dream aesthetic.
6. Horizontal Louvered Fence
A louvered fence is perfect for when you want to be able to look outside, but you don’t want people to be able to look in. All of the horizontal boards are angled in a specific way so that you gain visibility to the outside, but outsiders are blocked from peeking into your garden.
Kind of like when you angle blinds in a window just right!
7. Horizontal Wood Fence With Metal Accents
This type of fence essentially mixed wood with metal. So some parts of the horizontal fence will be made out of wood, and some out of metal, providing an interesting contrast of material and appearance that can be quite striking, and to many, quite fashionable.
As a bonus, this might actually make it cheaper, as the parts made out of metal will cost less than the wood.
8. Horizontal Wood Fence With Varying Width
Horizontal wood fences that have varying widths are very eye-catching, and they are a very simple and subtle way of adding variation to your garden or backyard.
Essentially, the horizontal boards placed as the fence are of different width sizes, so that it looks more like it has been mixed and matched, instead of it being perfectly measured out and assembled.
Adding this little touch of chaos makes it look far more stylish, and can also give it a rustic feel. It will cost a little extra, however, due to the complexity of fitting different widths together.
9. Shadowbox Horizontal Fence
The shadowbox horizontal fence is the go-to for when you want your fence to look stylish on both sides, and it is the option that your neighbors will favor the most. With this type of fence, there are wooden boards on either side of the posts, sort of like creating a double layer.
So it looks the same on both sides.
10. Stepped Horizontal Fences
If your house is on a hill or incline, or you have a graded yard or garden with various different levels, then a stepped horizontal fence is one of the best options for you. Basically, as the horizontal fence goes along, it will vary in height, giving that stepped effect.
Not only is it effective considering the layout of your garden on different levels, but it will also look good within the setting!
In Conclusion
Horizontal fences can be designed in a large number of different ways, in order to meet different aesthetics and styles, so that you are fully satisfied with the end appearance.
Some of the designs and styles also provide you with certain uses and efficiencies, so that is worth looking into!
