Embrace the dark side – highlight the vibrancy of your outdoor areas and allow lush landscaping to shine with dark fence colours. Join us to explore the many options to transform your outdoor space with a dark fence or wall.
A shift from white fencing to dark fence colours
Crisp white has been the go-to choice for modern fence design for many years. White fencing serves as a clean, sophisticated canvas against which landscaping and outdoor features could truly ‘pop’, emulating the premium look of a rendered finish.
The ongoing maintenance of white fencing can pose a challenge for keen gardeners, who may be moving soil around or shifting garden beds. Furthermore, from certain directional aspects, the glare of a white fence can be overwhelming.
The draw to dark fence colours
With the above factors in mind, homeowners and designers alike have begun experimenting with darker backdrops.
Initial concerns may include that a dark fence colour would make it difficult to achieve a balanced landscape. However, it’s clear that a darker, dramatic backdrop provides the perfect opportunity for sun-lit foliage and landscaping to shine (compared to being swallowed by the glare of white).
Meanwhile, others worry that darker fences may show water marks from nearby pools but by choosing the right type of paint, this can be easily avoided. Jimmy and Tam (winners of The Block 2020) chose Night Sky for their recent backyard renovation with TrendWall® and share, “We’re in the pool all the time, and I haven’t seen any splashes leave any marks at all.”
Installing lights within a dark fence looks incredible at dusk, meaning that the wall or fence melts away, casting a subtle glow around the entire outdoor area.
But enough theory; with design, pictures speak louder than words. We’ve hand-picked five projects that have absolutely nailed the dark fence colour trend. Let’s dive in.
Striking TrendWall® pool wall featuring dark fence colours
Firstly, this striking pool feature wall truly packs a punch. Choosing a bold black “Monument” paint highlights the vibrancy of the pool and the lush landscaping. Additionally, installing lighting allows the customer to enjoy their outdoor space around the clock. The lights cast a subtle glow around the backyard at dusk.
To top it all off, the flush post tops and flush wall capping deliver a tranquil, serene feel.
Jimmy and Tam’s TrendWall® transformation
Jimmy and Tam created a mid-century modern-inspired entertainers’ delight, with TrendWall® playing a pivotal role in their renovation. By pairing a breezeblock feature to one boundary wall and the other boundary painted in bold black, the contrast is striking. When paired with the dark fence, the landscaping creates an emphatically eye-catching feature.
“Going black is bold – we did get hesitation from others about why we painted such a big fence black. But when they see the beautiful green plants in front of it and see how much they pop, it really makes sense.” Jimmy and Tam
SlimWall®: the perfect privacy fence
For this project, the homeowner chose SlimWall® with aluminium posts to frame their pool area, providing security and privacy for uninterrupted relaxation. Finished in the on-trend Night Sky paint, SlimWall® seems to blend into the background. This creates the overall illusion of negative space for a ‘barely there’ minimalist finish.
The Designory’s Byron Bay VogueWall®
This luxury holiday accommodation demanded nothing short of a premium boundary fence to harmonise with the architectural aesthetics of the home. VogueWall® was the ideal solution to create an undeniably striking boundary. In addition, the artful integration of feature timber batten details gives a contemporary finish. The choice of “Monument” by Dulux for the paint colour gives a sophisticated feel and allows the lush garden to stand out.
VogueWall® with vertical joint detailing
Finally, stone cladding and vertical joint detailing take this VogueWall® pool and boundary wall to the next level. In particular, the dark paint, paired with timber detail, creates a bold and considered finish. Furthermore, the creative capping combination creates an additional design feature. External post tops and wall capping provide an architectural frame for the wall and draws the eye to the vertical joint detail.
