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.

2. Horizontal Fencing

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

3.  Metallic House Numbers

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

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.

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.

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.

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!

8. Wall Garden

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

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.

10. Lighted Pathways

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

11. Fence and Seat Combo

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

12. Minimalist Fencing

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

13. Green and White

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

14. Stone and Wood

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

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.

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.

17. A Modern Pergola

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

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.

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.

20. Black Planters

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

21. Wood and Succulents Fencing

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

22. Xeriscape Feature

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

23. Black and Green

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

24. Wood and Bamboo Front

Basic, classic, and minimalist.

25. Four Seasons Garden

Introduce the colours of the four seasons with a vibrant 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. 

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.

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.

29. Lighted Plants

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

30. Metallic Planters

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

31. Lowered Fence

Highlight your pavement and welcome company with a lowered fence. 

32. Wispy Plants

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

33.  Water and Fire Features

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

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.

35. No-Gate Fencing

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

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.

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.

38. Pale Pavers

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

39. Rock Features

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

40. No-Flower Garden

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

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.

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.

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.

44. Creative Lighting

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

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.

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.

47. Bamboo Groove

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

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.

49. Barren Beauty

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

50. Woodbox Corners

Create nooks and corners with wood boxes and plant hedges.

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