Garden designs for modern homes

Johannes van Graan Johannes van Graan
Chelsea Creek: High End Roof Terraces, Aralia Aralia Modern garden Iron/Steel
Loading admin actions …

The days where a ‘garden’ meant nothing more than a piece of lawn with some flower beds, identical to the next-door neighbour’s, are long gone. Gardens these days can reflect current trends and styles as easily as any interior space, especially when it comes to modern design. 

But just what does make a modern garden? If we were planning on designing our own modern garden at home, where would we start and what elements would we include? 

How about some clean lines, a harmonious link with your modern house’s facade, a relaxed atmosphere, and decent amount of character and personality?

But let’s take a look at these seven examples for some more clarity…

1. Easy care

A garden tends to require upkeep and dedication, yet the amount of hard work you need to put in depends on your layout and style.

Fortunately, for the modern garden, one doesn’t need to opt for hectares of lush lawn (requiring regular mowing) and an abundance of flowers and plants (that need hours and hours of maintenance). 

A delicate space of stones, a clean terrace, and a handful of plants, as shown above, can make for an exquisite modern garden – and you won’t need to break your back keeping it intact.

2. Illumination

What’s the use of spending time crafting out a superb garden spot if you can only enjoy it when the sun shines? Once twilight strikes and that magical ambience in the air starts, a garden can become a prime spot to have a sit-down with some company and a drink or two. 

So, opt for some refined garden lighting – not an overtly illuminated glow to rival the sun, just something neat and stylish that can enhance certain aspects of your garden that you would like to draw attention to, such as a water feature, a pristinely manicured flower bed, etc.

3. A less-is-more approach

This example shows how fantastic the modern garden can look without resorting to overkill. 

Don’t drown your exterior space with bright colours, curvy layouts, and too lush plants. A well-maintained lawn, clean lines, a spot of garden furniture, and a neat design is all you need if you want a cutting edge space that radiates calmness and serenity.

4. Geometric details

You don’t need to be a full-blown, expertly trained landscape designer to enjoy a modern garden, although we do have an extensive range of those here on homify should you need to contact one!

Modern architectural design focuses on clean lines, geometric shapes, the absence of embellishments, and an overall clean and straightforward approach. Copy this look for your garden, and you’ll surely be on the right track.

5. Add a sense of cosiness

As we’ve said before, the garden can be a unique space where we entertain and socialise with friends, or just spend some time by ourselves. Either way, we need some comfort and cosiness to achieve this. 

Think of your modern garden as an exterior living room, but considerably tone down the amount of décor you’re thinking of carrying outside. A few comfy seating spots, perhaps a table (or shelf) or two for displaying a few items, et voila!

6. High in the sky

Not all of us are blessed with spacious lawns where we can craft out our own gardens. If your address is located on the 5th floor of an apartment building (or the very top), then you’ll need to resort to more creative measures for that piece of modern greenery. 

Take our example above as inspiration: a handful of plants and flowers neatly organised against the railing of the balcony (remember us mentioning ‘clean lines’?), and you suddenly have a gorgeous garden somewhere between heaven and earth!

7. A mini version

Even the simplest of courtyards can flaunt a little decadence in terms of foliage. This example’s floor space is not much more than a few metres, yet it showcases an amazing vision of plants, flowers, lushness, and greenery. 

Want to revel in some more gardening ideas? Then click through to: Minimalist Garden Designs.

The modern garden: definitely your style, or do you seek something a bit more lush and decorative? Share with us, below!

Need help with your home project?
Get in touch!

Highlights from our magazine