What Color Fence Paint Makes the Garden Look Bigger?
Detailed guide for everyone
What color do you paint your fence to make the garden look bigger? We know the answer!
Those of you who have gardens definitely have fences around them as well. And when you plan the entire look of your garden, you also need to consider the color of its fence.
To some of you this nuance might seem unimportant, however, we can tell you that even the color of your garden fence can significantly change the impression your garden makes itself!
However, choosing fence colors is not so simple! Quite many homeowners feel puzzled when they try to figure out what paint color to apply onto their fence.
Of course, you can opt for something old-fashioned and all the way through traditional, let’s say, white or green. But even in this case choosing a proper shade is important!
So, as you can see, choosing a paint color for your garden fence is no less crucial than choosing an interior paint.
Fortunately, you have come across this article! When you read it, you will learn more about the most popular and universal colors for garden fences.
We will explain why this or that color is good, and also, what other nuances you should take into consideration when going to paint or repaint your fence.
We will share a few tips with you as well on how you could make your garden look more spacious except for painting the fence. With all that in mind, your backyard will look amazing!
Related: 16+ Best House Color Schemes
What Color to Paint My Garden Fence to Make the Garden Look More Spacious
If you decide to paint your garden fence, you need to choose what fence paint colors you are more into. And this is not an easy task!
We would say that there are way too many factors and nuances to take into consideration, and we will definitely familiarize you with them a bit later.
But now, we would like to present the best colors for fences to you.
These are the paint colors that will look great on any fence or any garden. However, you still have to consider the overall color scheme of your garden, as well as the color of your house so that the fence looks harmonious with both of them!
Green Fence Paint
This color actually makes perfect sense – green is the color that will help the fence blend in with your planting instead of breaking it up!
If you really want your garden to look way more spacious than it is now, opt for one of the multiple green hues that will blend into the surrounding area.
Green comes in many shades as you know, and if a deep forest green is not the color you would enjoy, there are still plenty of shades to choose from.
For those of you who are looking for more traditional colors, we would suggest opting for a light shade of green that will complement the already existing colors in your garden and make your space feel larger.
Related: 16 Ideas of the Boho Color Palette
Light Blue
Lighter and cooler paint colors – such as a light blue – are a great option as well, especially for small gardens as they easily provide a more spacious feeling.
Generally, lighter colors are more reflective, but a light blue shade will also add depth. Like this, when using this particular color, you will make your garden feel bigger.
By the way, a light blue fence paint will work particularly well with the surroundings and outdoor furniture of neutral colors adding a fashionable, luxurious and contemporary vibe to your garden.
Cream
A cream fence paint color will also create a bright, airy feel that will form the visual illusion of a larger garden.
Whilst creating a traditional and elegant look, a cream shade of paint will also provide the ideal backdrop for your flowers and plants since a light background will make their vivid and bright colors pop.
Cream is also a great paint option if you want to reflect more light into your garden! It will not only make the space feel bigger but also add to the relaxing and even tranquil atmosphere.
White
Another color that not so many homeowners like because it tends to get dirty way too easy!
However, off-white color will provide a bright, airy feel to your garden.
But you should note that it can also take the focus away from your plants or other garden decor pieces, especially in summer when the sun is shining!
So if flowers are what you want your visitors to pay their attention to, white is probably not your best option.
Soft Pink
This choice might seem unusual, but lighter shades of pink will also make your garden space look bigger, especially in the sunshine and at sunset.
Light pink is a great option for those who are willing to go a bit more daring with their fence paint.
Cool Gray
Painting your fence with a cool gray paint color will allow you to transform the garden space into a stylish and modern area.
Light-gray fence is not only very trendy now, it also has the benefit of providing long-lasting protection to exterior wood from the elements.
In other words, it means that your fence will be looking better way longer!
In addition, don’t forget that gray is a versatile paint color that can be paired very well with everything from modern style fences to classic picket ones!
Related: What Color Paint Goes With a Gray Roof?
Multicolor Mural
Colorful painted fences is a more unusual option that is not for everyone, but if professionally painted, they could look absolutely gorgeous and stunning!
A fence painted with a colorful mural of hyper-realistic flowers and shrubs (for example) can trick the eye into seeing a continuation of your garden bed.
Light Blue-Gray
This color is very trendy these days, especially if you go for a cooler shade that has gray in it. As you know, lighter colors are more reflective, being able to give the illusion of more room.
On the contrary, darker colors tend to absorb more light thus making a space feel smaller.
A light blue-gray can add a contemporary feel to your garden space because it works well with neutral-colored garden furniture and decor. Moreover, gray is incredibly versatile and it can work well with any style of fence and almost any decor.
So now you know what colors will work the best on your garden fence if you need to make it look more spacious.
But it does not mean that there is nothing more left for you to learn on this subject!
Colors You Should Stay Away From When Painting Your Garden Fence
When choosing what color to paint your garden fence with, you should keep in mind some colors you should stay away from.
Those would be all shades of black, and also mauve, brown, dark gray, purple, and navy.
Darker colors can give the unwanted effect of making a garden feel smaller, and that’s exactly the opposite from what you need!
Related: How to Use Mineral Spirits to Remove Paint?
How to Choose Your Color Scheme For the Garden?
When considering a color for your fence, you will surely want to choose lighter, cooler colors, as they give a feeling of space.
At this point, you should consider what appeals to your own interests when deciding on what paint appeals to you.
However, there are a few tips that are good to keep in mind as well. They can help you to define what color will be the best for you.
- Stark white will give the illusion of spaciousness in natural light.
- An eggshell or satin finish to the white will create the appearance of even more space.
- Another color that could have a similar positive impact is light taupe.
- You could also consider blush or peachy pink.
- Any soft shade of pink will make your garden feel light and will be stunning at sunset.
- Tones that could also work well are beige and ivory.
- If you’re looking for an alternative to white, consider cool gray.
Other Ways to Make a Garden Look Bigger
It’s not only paint you can use on your fence in order to make the garden look more spacious than it actually is.
We know a few handy tricks that will allow anyone to visually enlarge their garden space easily!
- A garden mirror is a great solution, especially in small gardens, as it helps to bounce light into dark corners, and gives the illusion of depth and space beyond the wall on which it hangs. Simply hang or prop your mirror against a wall.
- The horizontal space is limited in small gardens so going vertical is the way to use more plants. You can use a vertical rack to place small and medium-sized planters there.
- If possible, you can divide your garden into different zones. For example, create a seating space near the house, with an arch in a border across its breadth.
- A winding path through the plants can create the feeling of more space in your garden.
- Do not clutter with plants since it creates the illusion of less space.
These simple tips will help you to easily make even the smallest garden look more spacious and airy!
Consider Flowers When Planning What Color to Paint Your Garden Fence
When choosing what paint color to use in order to achieve the spacious effect, you should also consider what flowers and plants you have in your garden.
While many flowers can be complementary to the cool tones, there are some flowers and plants that you might want to avoid.
- Certain types of flowers, such as red roses and hot orange dahlias have bright and vibrant colors.These hot reds and bright oranges are bold colors which means that they tend to draw the eye to one focal point. As a result, this can make your garden seem smaller!
- Other flowers that might make your garden look smaller would be the golden daisy Rudbeckias, red-hot Kniphofias, and Crocosmias.
- To help this issue out, you could plant flowers that are in a pastel color scheme instead of vibrant and bold colors. For example, you could opt for white or pink Petunias, or stick to the soft tones of Hydrangeas, or white Gardenias. Blue flowers have a hue that will work great as well.
- It extends the view, so if you plant flowers along the border, it will make your garden appear visually longer. Some classic choices of blue flowers could be agapanthus, hydrangeas, delphiniums or salvias.
- Other flowers that will accentuate your fence include the pink and green Echinacea, the lilac Iris, pink Delphiniums, and pastel Hydrangeas. You could also include any white flowers, such as the Romneya white poppy flower, daisies, or white Periwinkle.
This will make the entire garden space feel bigger and will accentuate the color of your fence.
Make Sure You Have Made the Most Of Your Space
To make your garden look bigger, it is not enough to just repaint your fence and plant the correct flowers.
There are other factors that could contribute to the small appearance of your garden space!
Many of us don’t think about them when planning our gardens, but they still have quite a strong impact.
- The clutter in a garden can change its appearance in size. Consider removing things that are moveable that no longer serve the space.
- Reorganize your patio furniture, planters, pots, and flowerbeds.
- Another way to have your space feel more organized is to add different levels, such as a deck or elevated patio. It can add more space to your garden design.
- Consider your pots. Small pots and paving units make a small garden feel even busier and smaller! Instead, consider using bigger pots.
With all these tips and suggestions, we are sure that, even if your garden is super small, you will be able to make it look bigger and way more spacious by correctly organizing and planning it, and of course, by using the correct paint color on your garden fence!
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Frequently Asked Questions
⭐Can adding a pool make my garden look bigger?
If the garden is very small, then it can’t. In this case, the pool will only take extra space making the garden even look smaller.
⭐How to make a garden look bigger if it has trees in it that conceal most of the space?
Try planting more white flowers and paint your fence white. This can make the space look visually airier and thus bigger. Or cut some trees if you can.
What is the best color for my garden fence if I want to coordinate it with the cherry red garden gate?
What garden fence colors would you recommend for a house with blue-gray exterior walls?
Hello! Could you please recommend me a few modern and timeless fence paint colors? Thanks!
Hello! Well, you will always hit the ten if you paint your fence white or mid-tone gray. Also, darker blues might work well, as well as blue-gray colors. Mid-tone green and red colors may also work as fence colors.
Does it make sense to use black fences in small gardens if the house is white? I don’t want the white fence, since in this case, the house and the fence will look monochromatic!
I guess you can paint your fence black if you like it. It can make your garden seem smaller, but on the other hand, it’s ok unless you mind it. Besides, you could try other fence colors except for black.
Hi! Could you please tell me whether the best fence colors 2022 are still popular in 20223?
Hello! Basically, you should rely on your color preferences, as well as on the size of your garden/property. For smaller gardens/properties, using light colors (e.g.white) is the best idea anytime.
Do dark fences make a garden look smaller? I’m going to move soon and I’ve found a lovely cottage with the garden! But the fence is dark blue, almost black. The problem is that the garden is also very small.
Yes, dark fences make gardens look visually smaller. This effect can be hard to notice only if you have a huge garden. In your case, I’d recommend painting the fence white. It will add space to your garden.
How do you make a fence look attractive? I don’t mean renovations, I mean, how it’s possible to make a regular wooden fence look…well, nice and less boring?
Try to paint something on it! Seriously. Anything you want! If you can’t paint, hire someone who can, or pay to your neighbors’ kids to do that for you. Or you could paint your fence like a rainbow, using different bright colors.
Should I paint my fence dark green if we have a lot of plants growing in our garden? I mean, a green fence might look a bit too much against the green grass and trees and bushes…
Well, it might be indeed. Why don’t you try a lighter shade of green? There are plenty of them that are really nice!
Is GREY a good colour for garden fence? I have recently seen a very nice shade of gray in a store, it’s a light gray, like graphite but somewhat lighter. So now I’m thinking about painting our fence with it. Do you think it’s a good idea?
I guess it’s pretty nice! If I imagine the color correcrtly, then it will not look too dark and gloomy, on the contrary, a lighter shade of gray can make your entire garden or backyard look more spacious to a certain point.
Which colour is best for fencing? I have a fence made of wooden boards and there are also low bushes along the fence. Do you think green would be a good option? Or another color, perhaps?
Hi! I guess it depends on your preferences. I always try to choose the color that will look harmonious with the color of the house and the plants in the garden. Our house is white and so I typically paint our fence white too. This is a universal color since it looks great with any other colors! But as a fence color, I’d also consider green, deep-blue, brown, and gray.
Hi! I have a question for you. Does a small garden need a fence at all? See, I live in a very quiet area, and I know all my neighbors very well. I mean it’s absolutely safe here. And since I have a small garden, I’d like to protect it from the neighbor’s dog somehow. But a proper fence would be too big! The garden is very small so fence’ll make it look tiny!
Well, judging from your situation, I’d say you should consider a lower fence or maybe a net. Or you could plant a hedge! It’s a long-time project of course, but it will look natural, it won’t make your garden look enclosed, plus, the dog won’t get in.
How often do you think it makes sense to repaint a garden fence? I painted it white last summer because I wanted to make the garden look a bit more spacious. And in general, the color is still ok, it didn’t fade or peel off. But maybe it should be refreshed?
Hi! I guess there is no rule for that, to be honest! I repaint my garden fence only when it starts looking like a total mess! I do it once in two or even three years and I often change colors. Last time I painted my fence gree, and before that, it was yellow. If you want to, you can repaint it every year (e.g. if you quickly get tired of the current color).
How to make a long and narrow garden look wider?
For some reason, I thought of mirrors at once. Try to incorporate them somehow into your garden design! I’m pretty sure it will work.
Well, I guess you should try to play with plants a bit. Maybe, add some light-colored flowers? Or paint the fence white. Or you could paint the patio stones white as well! But it’s just my guess.
In my garden, I have a stone patio. The garden is rather small and those stones only make it look smaller! What would you recommend in this case? Shall I remove the stones?