Designing for Privacy: Natural Screens, Smart Layouts & Landscape Solutions
Whether it’s relaxing with a coffee in your robe or entertaining friends without feeling like you’re on display, privacy plays a critical role in how comfortable your outdoor space feels.
But at Shearon Design Collective, privacy doesn’t mean adding a 10-foot wall and calling it a day. It’s about creating intentional sightlines, natural screening, and elevated layouts that feel designed — not disguised.
Below, we’re sharing some of the most effective (and beautiful) ways to create privacy in your landscape design.
Use Layered Planting to Soften Boundaries
Strategic plant selection and layered placement is one of the most effective and elegant ways to increase privacy. We frequently use trees, hedges, ornamental grasses, and staggered plant heights to create softness while still screening views.
Tips we live by:
Mix dense hedges with taller accent trees to block second-story windows.
Use layered textures (grasses, shrubs, trees) to feel organic, not fortress-like.
Opt for evergreen species where year-round privacy is needed.
Featured Example:
Shape the Space with Structure & Layout
Sometimes privacy isn’t just about what you add — it’s about how you shape the space. We often use pergolas, walls, BBQ islands, and seating elements to block views while enhancing the layout and flow.
In many of our Arizona designs, the orientation of key zones (like fire pits or spas) is just as important as the material palette itself.
Featured Example:
Elevate Views, Enclose Where It Counts
Creating elevation — either with raised decks, step-up lounges, or planted berms — is a subtle way to protect views while framing sightlines exactly how you want them.
We also love creating enclosed moments in certain zones (like a tucked-away spa or intimate fire pit) while keeping other parts of the yard open and expansive.
Featured Example:
Design with Intention — and Get Your Space Back
Privacy in the landscape doesn’t need to feel like an afterthought. It’s an opportunity to design smarter — and better. When planned right, it’s not just about what you’re blocking, but what you’re opening up: comfort, calm, and confidence in your space.
Let our team help you design for both beauty and boundaries — so you can enjoy outdoor living, uninterrupted.
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Or browse our Completed Projects to see how early design collaboration brings everything together.
