18 Amazing Front Yard Makeovers

Sunset Magazine

Gain curb appeal and outdoor living space with fresh ideas for your porch, patio, and garden.

Modern façade makeover (before)
Modern façade makeover (before)


Modern façade makeover (before)

A dated façade and a bleak concrete front yard-that's what the owners of this '50s rancher got when they bought their house in Encino, California. Instead of remodeling the home, though, the couple used a simpler, less costly strategy to solve both problems...

Modern façade makeover (after)
Modern façade makeover (after)



Modern façade makeover (after)

This may look like a whole new house, but the sleek façade is really a wall masking a brand new open-air living room. Click below for how they did it, plus a peek at the outdoor room within.
> More: Get this front yard makeover

Desert front yard facelift (before)
Desert front yard facelift (before)



Desert front yard facelift (before)

A scruffy lawn and an oddly configured walkway do nothing for this Phoenix house-the yard is wasted space

Desert front yard facelift (after)
Desert front yard facelift (after)



Desert front yard facelift (after)

They replaced the lawn with drought-tolerant grasses, then added young trees and a paved area beside the front door.
> More: Get this front yard makeover

Cheery new entry (before)
Cheery new entry (before)



Cheery new entry (before)

The front yard of this Bremerton, Washington home used to be all lawn―and not very happy lawn at that.

There was another problem. Because the street sloped sharply downhill, there was a dangerous drop-off between the front walk and the deeply recessed driveway.

Next, the front-yard makeover created colorful curb appeal.

Cheery new entry (after)
Cheery new entry (after)



Cheery new entry (after)

Enclosing the yard solved the drop-off problem - the fence runs along the driveway as well as along the sidewalk.

Thanks to its interesting stepped back sectional design and lively color the lattice fence adds plenty of decorative appeal as well. The row of Spanish lavender in front of it accentuates the fence's cheery color.
> More: Get this front yard makeover

Lose the lawn (before)
Lose the lawn (before)



Lose the lawn (before)

Lawns require an inch of water a week to maintain during the growing season. And except for a big clump of overgrown wisteria, this large Seattle front yard was all grass―a real water hog.

Landscape designer Stacie Crooks knew it had to go.

Lose the lawn (after)
Lose the lawn (after)



Lose the lawn (after)

Now Crooks' front yard stops traffic. Instead of lawn she has a large mixed border. It includes evergreen shrubs like Ceanothus and Viburnum, grassy foliage plants like Carex and Phormium, and tons of perennials, including asters, penstemon, and euphorbia.

Best of all, this extravaganza of plants requires less than one-half the water the lawn needed.
> More: Beautiful alternatives to lawn

Low-water curb appeal (before)
Low-water curb appeal (before)



Low-water curb appeal (before)

Summers are hot in Grants Pass, Oregon, and a front yard that is mostly rocky mulch makes them feel more so.

So when homeowners Ken and Beverly Behymer bought their house they asked landscape architect Jim Love to make the space feel cooler but without causing their water bill to spike significantly.

Low-water curb appeal (after)
Low-water curb appeal (after)



Low-water curb appeal (after)

A variety of plants with low water requirements replace the former sterile expanse of rocks. They are all heat-tolerant and were chosen to provide year-round interest.

Oriental fountain grass (Pennisetum orientale), in full plume here, is one of the garden's stars.

Behind the low wall, flame grass (Miscanthus sinensis 'Purpurascens') is just beginning its transition to brilliant orange fall color. Between the pavers, adding a touch of coolness, is 'Red Carpet' sedum.
> More: Get this front yard makeover

SEE ALL 18 FRONT YARD MAKEOVERS

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