Modern Front Yard Ideas
A modern front yard trades a big lawn for clean lines, a limited plant palette and crisp materials. The result looks sharp, is easy to maintain and suits contemporary and updated traditional homes alike.
Try this style on your yardModern Front Yard: before & after
Same house, same angle. Only the landscaping changes.
Before
AfterWhat makes a modern front yard
Plants
- Ornamental grasses (feather reed grass, Mexican feather grass, blue fescue)
- Clipped boxwood or other evergreen shrubs in rows
- Sculptural accents like agave or yucca in warm climates
- One multi-stem feature tree
Materials
- Large-format concrete or porcelain pavers
- Gravel or decomposed granite between pavers
- Black steel or aluminum edging
- Horizontal slat fences and smooth rendered walls
Features
- Geometric planters in black, gray or concrete
- Low, warm path and step lights
- Linear fire pit or water feature
- Clean, uncluttered layouts with repeated plants
Design tips
Repeat a few plants
Modern landscapes rely on repetition: the same grass or shrub planted in rows or blocks. Pick three to five plants and repeat them rather than mixing many varieties.
Make the walkway a feature
Wide pavers with gravel or low ground cover between them turn the path to the door into a design element instead of a plain concrete strip.
Shrink or remove the lawn
Replacing most of the grass with mulch, gravel and grasses cuts watering and mowing, and gives the house a cleaner frame.
Light it for the evening
Low path lights and a few uplights on a tree or the facade make a modern front yard look finished at night.
See a modern design on your own yard
Upload a photo and we’ll preselect the front yard and modern style for you. New accounts get 3 free designs.
1. Upload a photo of your yard
2. What are we designing?
3. Pick a style
Your redesigned yard will appear here.
Frequently asked questions
Is a modern front yard low maintenance?
Usually yes. Fewer plant types, less lawn and gravel or mulch ground cover mean less mowing, watering and weeding than a traditional front yard.
Does modern landscaping suit a traditional house?
It can. Softer modern designs with grasses and simple beds often work well on traditional homes. Generate a modern design on your own photo to see if it fits.