50 Modern Front Yard Designs and Ideas

contemporary front yard design

A well manicured front yard helps to frame your home and prefaces the interior and family inside, providing an initial welcome. A well thought out and organised front yard design and landscaping should compliment the natural terrain of the land and enhance the general theme of the home. When designing your front yard landscaping, it is best to consider the amount of work and effort you are willing to invest into it to maintain the surroundings. 

Modern front yard designs are leaning more into the minimalist and sparse look. Gone are the voluminous shapes and profusion of colours. The modern look comprises of clean lines, earth colours, creative use of stone, and minimised use of divergent colours. Here are our favourite 50 front yard designs; 

1. Stepping Stones and Pavers

We've seen a move away from solid pavements and a favour towards cut out pavers lining pathways, interspersed with round stones.

Zen front pathway design

2. Horizontal Fencing

Lines are more pronounced with clean horizontal fencing. Aluminium, vinyl, steel, and wood are popular materials for modern fences.

modern horizontal wood fencing

3.  Metallic House Numbers

House numbers are modern, clear fonts, and made of brass, aluminium, or chrome. Simple and classy.

modern wood and chrome house number

4. Grass Insets

Pavements are laid with gaps to allow grass to grow. The green and white pattern gives a sharper look to the yard.

modern front lawn

5. Cinder Blocks Garden

Gardening is still relevant to front yards, although in a more restrained fashion. This cute block gardening provides an interesting dimension to your front yard.

wood fence and space saving square planters

6. Large Planters

Very prominent among modern front yard designs are the large planters. The larger, the better. Shapes are basic – round, square, tubular, or conical.

large modern concrete planters

7. Rock and Succulents

The use of rocks and stones is prevalent among modern front yards. And what grows and looks best with stones? Succulents!

backyard succulent garden

8. Wall Garden

Do not limit your gardening to the ground. Vivid wall gardens are attractive, innovative, and are major front yard features.

vertical garden yard feature

9. Clumps of Colour

Many contemporary front yards still includes a lot of colourful flowering plants. Keep them controlled and in nice colour clumping to avoid the messy look. Works well when you want less attention to your home.

colourful dahlia shrubs

10. Lighted Pathways

Lighting pathways defines and enhances the design of your front yard. It is also sensible and attractive.

lighted pathway

11. Fence and Seat Combo

Time to take out the ornate iron seats in favour of the more discreet, integrated garden nooks.

wood garden fence with seating

12. Minimalist Fencing

Define your front yard with subdued and minimalist fencing. No more grand curlicues, monogramed gates, and bright colours.

elegant modern front yard

13. Green and White

Modern front yards are all natural colours. White hydrangeas against the lush greens make your front yard more vibrant.

white hydrageas in a lush garden

14. Stone and Wood

Back to the basics. Rough stone and wood planks give the stark lines of modern front yards a defining character.

modern stone, wood and concrete front yard

15. Terraced Gardening

Do not let an inclined frontage prevent you from creating an eye-catching front garden. Make it work for your space like this terraced garden.

contemporary terraced gardening

16. Red Box Planters

Bright red planters against the quiet earthy colours are defiant and striking. Use it when you want to divert attention to certain spots.

bright red wall planters

17. A Modern Pergola

Pergolas are romantic and charming. Create a modern minimalist pergola perfect for your garden.

modern walkway pergola

18. Stone and Stone

Modern front yard designs use a lot of natural elements. The different gradients and characteristics of stones are best showcased together.

modern pocket garden with white peebles

19. Allium Allure

Plants in today’s front yards are structured and strong in character. The allium has the height, the shape, and the colour ideal for front yards.

purple alium flowers

20. Black Planters

Modern planters are large, shaped, and come in basic bold colours – most specifically black.

large gloosy black planters

21. Wood and Succulents Fencing

The rich dark wood tone nicely balances the dark lush green of succulents.

vertical succulent garden on a modern wood fence

22. Xeriscape Feature

An eye-catching xeriscape feature will make a perfect focal point for your front yard.

modern xeriscape garden feature

23. Black and Green

A black and green combination is interesting and dramatic. The black makes the green fresher and more alive.

Japanese style box gardening

24. Wood and Bamboo Front

Basic, classic, and minimalist.

modern wood front fence and gate

25. Four Seasons Garden

Introduce the colours of the four seasons with a vibrant garden.

vibrant and sculptured garden

26. Horsetail Hedge

Horsetails are perfect for hedging, accenting fencing or on its own. The vibrant green hue, clean vertical stalks, and black details create striking detail. 

horsetail hedge

27. Garden Water Feature

Transform an innocuous garden faucet into a stunning and creative water feature. Still serves the purpose, but in a whole new wonderful package.

black garden water feature

28. Corner Gardening

Dedicate one corner of the yard for flower gardening. This option keeps most of the yard sparse and clutter-free, while creating an interesting corner.

colourful pocket garden

29. Lighted Plants

Placing strategic lighting on plants and planters around the garden will illuminate your front yard and highlight spots and features.

garden plants with accent lighting

30. Metallic Planters

Add a futuristic touch to your front yard with metallic planters like chrome, silver, copper, or gold.

modern silver planters

31. Lowered Fence

Highlight your pavement and welcome company with a lowered fence. 

vertical wood front fence

32. Wispy Plants

The right combination of wispy plants softens the harsh lines of modern front yard designs.

clumps of wispy plants

33.  Water and Fire Features

Add a tandem of fire and water features and embrace the yin and yang of your front yard.

water and fire garden features

34. Shaped and Tamed

Contemporary front yard designs include clean lines, clear patterns, and sharp shapes. Foliage are tamed, plants are structured, and areas are defined.

sophisticated front lawn

35. No-Gate Fencing

More and more modern front yards don’t have gates. Strategic placement of fences provides the needed privacy and coverage.

modern minimalist frontage

36. Creative Centrepieces

Miniature centrepieces are ideal for smaller yards. A combination of rock, water, and greens in a large bowl planter will spice up a garden.

garden in a bowl feature

37. Wood, Rock, and Water

Combine three of the most basic elements of nature for a cool, classic, and salient yard. Add a few greens to complete the landscape.

modern Zen frontage

38. Pale Pavers

When you have a striking house to showcase, let your front yard be the complementing background with these lighter pavers. 

modern front pathway with pavers

39. Rock Features

The sparse modern front yard designs are made interesting by adding few surprising features in the nooks.

creative rock garden feature

40. No-Flower Garden

Very common to modern front yards is the absence of flowering plants.

modern front lawn with wood fencing

41. Greens on White Concrete

A profusion of greens is the best stage to showcase a white house. Vary the shades and shapes for a more interesting look.

white frontage with green accent plants

42. A Grassy Perfection

This great assortment of grass brings the wild beauty of the grasslands. Keep your garden maintained as this style can easily look unkempt.

attractive grass garden

43. Dark Wood Fencing

Wood and synthetic wood fencing is attractive, chic, and modern. Skip the paint, opt for a bare or varnished wood to let the natural patterns shine.

attractive wood front fence

44. Creative Lighting

Forget the poles, coloured fairy lights, and spotlights. Modern garden lights are bold and innovative.

large round garden lighting

45. A Hint of Japan

Japanese gardens are the epitome of minimalist garden designs. Inject some Japanese inspiration into your front yard like the wood boxes, water elements, and stepping blocks.

Japanese style front garden

46. Steps and Lights

This style is ideal for steep front curbs. Random steps of different shapes are highlighted and interspersed with pocket gardens. The modern house number serves as a nice focal point.

contemporary steps and lights front

47. Bamboo Groove

A nice bamboo groove against one side of the garden will provide a pleasant background for a relaxing outdoor nook.

modern outdoor living area

48. Sculptural Clouds

Shaped shrubs have remained popular in contemporary landscaping. To modernise your shrub garden, stick to simple shapes, lump different shades of green, and keep the rest of the garden modest.

modern garden with sculptured plants

49. Barren Beauty

The modern front yard favours the dry, dessert feel. Rocks, earth, stone, wispy grass, and structured plants.

beautiful barren front garden design idea

50. Woodbox Corners

Create nooks and corners with wood boxes and plant hedges.

wood box seat and planters

Do you have any exciting modern front yard designs that we haven't covered? Why not discuss it on our RenoForum!