5 Design Tricks to Make Small Front Gardens Feel Luxurious
Before even getting the chance to step indoors, your guests will have already formed an opinion on the design of your home, based solely on your front yard. And, despite what you may believe, you don’t need buckets of space to make a good impression. To the contrary, sometimes, the smallest front yards can be the chicest, so long as you know how to design it.
For all the effort and consideration we pour into our garden designs, when it comes to planning our front gardens, that level of care seems to be completely abandoned, swapped out for a laid-back nonchalance, placing convenience over aesthetics. And while it may be true that your backyard will be where you spend the majority of your time, the front garden is what sets the tone for your home, and should be designed as such. Even the smallest front gardens deserve an extra touch of love and care. After all, the less space available, the more important each decision becomes, so you’ll want to ensure you’re making the best choices for your home.
Here to help you in that task, our experts have shared all their favorite tips for making a big impact in a small space with me, explaining exactly how to turn even the smallest front yards into a luxurious entrance, setting the tone for what’s to come.
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1. Remember Restraint
In this home, terracotta tiles bring some gentle warmth to complement the bright, white façade.
(Image credit: Gavin Cater. Design: Davide Casaroli)
Much like with designing any small space, the more you try to squeeze in, the worse it will look. Remember: when you’re working with limited space, less is always more.
“Small front gardens work best when the design is restrained,” agrees Sophie Bertrand, who has had plenty of experience with making the most of small, London front gardens as the head of design at Rosebank Landscaping.
In smaller spaces, the more you do, the more cramped it will feel. An overfilled, overwhelming design is one of the worst front yard mistakes you could make, so operating with a degree of restraint will serve you well in creating the most attractive front yard. “Rather than trying to include too many features, focus on a clear layout with a limited palette of materials and planting,” she says. Selecting a few key features and materials allows each individual design choice a stronger impact, offering them the space to shine rather than forcing them to compete for attention.
Explaining how to achieve this, Sophie shares, “We tend to favour a restrained palette of high-quality materials with plenty of texture.” Natural stone pavers, gravel paths, and clay tiles all work well for this. Pick one primary material, and allow that to occupy the majority of the space, with small trims and details to complement.
Sophie Bertrand
With multiple medals from the RHS, as well as global recognition as one of the leading names in landscape design, the team at Rosebank Landscaping are well placed to offer advice on all things outdoors. As the head of design, Sophie plays a key role in transforming outdoor spaces across London and the Cotswolds, where Rosebank have their studios.
2. Lead The Way
Curved planting leading towards the front door is an excellent example of this technique.
(Image credit: Sadolin and Sandtex)
Your front garden is, ultimately, a lead-up to the main event, so it only makes sense to design it with this in mind.
No matter how gorgeous your front garden is, your home is the real focal point, and this should be communicated within your design by positioning your front door as the clear destination. “A clearly defined path gives the garden structure and makes the entrance feel welcoming,” explains Gina Taylor, from East London Garden Design. Creating a clear path towards the front door is one of the best things you can do to make your front garden more welcoming, providing a clear visual cue for guests to follow.
This is a technique Sophie follows, too, suggesting to “treat the journey to the front door as a design feature,” using paving and planting to frame the entry and naturally guide visitors towards your house in a way that feels more intentional.
3. Draw The Eye Up
A blossom tree and climbing roses lend a magical, fairy tale feel to a front yard.
(Image credit: Alister Thorpe. Design: Rosebank Landscaping)
One of the best techniques for making a small space look larger is to draw the sightline upwards, and nowhere does this work better than in a small garden or front yard.
Unlike in small kitchens or living rooms, where there is a natural height limit, in the outside world, the sky, quite literally, is the limit, and you can use this to your advantage. For example, Sophie says, “A carefully positioned multi-stem feature tree helps draw the eye upwards, softening the relationship between the house and the garden.” Just one taller tree can be enough to introduce this element of height into your design, helping to create the illusion of a greater amount of space.
As well as small, multi-stem trees, Gina also recommends climbing plants for the front of your house and evergreen shrubs, as they can “draw the eye upwards and create a sense of depth without taking up too much ground space.” As an added bonus, these plants also work great to provide some more front garden privacy, too.
Plants that grow up, rather than across, are always the best choice for smaller outdoor spaces, bringing plenty of verdancy and lushness without overwhelming the limited space available.
4. Plant For Year-Round Beauty
Combine different heights and textures within your planting for a more varied look.
(Image credit: Alejandro Peral. Design: LMARQ)
“Evergreen planting provides the backbone of a successful front garden, ensuring it feels welcoming throughout the year,” argues Sophie, and we can’t help but agree.
In smaller spaces, every plant has to work twice as hard, so filling your front yard solely with flowers that bloom in summer probably isn’t the best choice. Sure, your house may look gorgeous in June, but by the time winter comes around, it’s likely to look rather lacklustre.
Instead, the experts suggest opting for a healthy dose of year-round shrubs and plants, allowing for a consistently attractive front garden design.
Offering an example, Gina says, “Evergreen structure might come from yew, pittosporum, sarcococca, ferns or compact grasses, depending on the aspect.” Pairing this with some perennial flowers, like lavender, makes for a beautifully rich planting scheme. Then, for some ‘seasonal softness’, Gina says, “I love hardy geraniums, astrantia, Japanese anemones, hellebores, foxgloves and spring bulbs such as narcissi and alliums.”
For added texture, Gina suggests combining evergreen shrubs for your front yard with “softer ferns, ornamental grasses and shade-tolerant perennials to create depth and texture without making the space feel busy.” This combination should help to create a space that flourishes all year round, with plenty of texture and intrigue.
5. Invest in the Details
Beautiful, antique planters will always earn their place in a front yard.
(Image credit: Shannon McGrath. Design: Hindley & Co.)
With less space, every choice means more, so in your small front yard, there’s all the more reason to put a little extra effort into choosing the oft-overlooked details.
Finding the most elevated versions of features you may have otherwise left for last is the very thing that can help set your front yard apart from the rest. For example, “Beautiful house numbers, discreet bin storage, a well-chosen wall light and attractive pots can elevate even the smallest space,” explains Gina.
Finding ways to communicate your personal style through these features allows you to set the tone for what’s to come, without taking up too much space. Beautiful plant pots and small, elegant touches, like a modern front door number, can come together to form a more considered, intricate design, no matter how small your space is.
DBKD
Outdoor Terracotta Plant Pot Terra
For a Mediterranean touch, these gorgeous aged terracotta plant pots would be the perfect addition to your front garden.
Anthropologie
Odessa Bubble Polished Chrome House Numbers
Bring some personality to your front door with these lovely, bubble door numbers from Anthropologie.
Garden Universe
Wheelie Bin Storage Unit
Nothing will ruin the look of your front yard as quickly as bulky, ugly plastic bins. This grey, wooden storage unit keeps them discreetly tucked away.
Nordlux
Dimmable Outdoor Wall Lamp Dion
Simple and elegant, these outdoor wall lights look far more expensive than they really are.
Anthropologie
Arthur Door Knocker
Far more intriguing than your typical door knock, this gorgeous star design is an eye-catching addition to your front door.
nkuku
Affiti Clay Tapered Pot
This gorgeous clay pot brings so much warmth and texture to your front yard, without taking up too much space.
The way you design your front yard will play a major role in determining the curb appeal of your property, so if you’re thinking of putting your house on the market any time soon, it’s well worth spending some time upgrading your outdoor area.
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