Stylish, Subtle Backyard Privacy Solutions

Even friendly neighbors deserve boundaries. Fences and walls work, but freestanding screens, wood slats, pergolas, and plants offer privacy with personality. Landscape architects Bruce Clodfelter and Stephanie Bartron agree: placement is key. Putting screening closer to the house—not the property line—makes the yard feel larger.

Artistic Decorative Panels

Custom screens block views and become focal points.

Arched Trellis for Overhead Privacy

In cities, an arched trellis blocks views from towering neighbors.

Wood Slat Wall Addition

A partition on an existing concrete wall gives a small deck full seclusion.

Outdoor Curtains on a Pergola

Easy to open or close, they add decor and seclusion.

Screened Hot Tub

Corrugated acrylic panels enclose a spa; backlighting adds romantic glow.

Vertical Flower Trellis

A tall metal trellis bolted to a garage wall, clothed in Orange Clock Vine, blocks two-story views.

Fireplace Flanked by Arborvitae

A tall fireplace with evergreen screens hides an entertainment area.

Living Wall on a Fence

Vertical garden modules on a tall fence add privacy and style.

Borrowed Views

Clodfelter leaves small openings in jasmine-and-ivy trellises for occasional "borrowed views" of neighbors' yards.

Potted Plant Border

Medium-height pots on a balcony railing offer inexpensive, movable screening.

Unique Materials

Bamboo on a retaining wall enhances an Asian aesthetic while screening.

Raised Planters on Low Walls

Planters atop a low brick or concrete wall add vertical cover and color.

Covered Patio with Fireplace Wall

A pergola paired with a strategically placed fireplace wall blocks neighbors' sightlines to dinner parties.