Horizontal stripes make things look wider, which is why you don’t wear them. But your garden should. A horizontal slat fence will create the same optical illusion outdoors–and make your garden look bigger, too. Here are 11 of our favorites:
![In a Brooklyn garden, designer Lindsey Taylor left a cedar fence unstained; it will weather to a soft gray and then be sealed. \2\20;Space between the horizontal slats is good for circulation. “There is a problem with mosquitos in Brooklyn, so we wanted a lot of good air flow and its better for the health of the plants,” says Lindsey. For more, see Before & After: A Modern Townhouse Garden in Brooklyn. Photograph by Pia Ulin via Bangia Agostinho Architecture.](https://media.gardenista.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/fields/brooklyn-garden-dining-table-townhouse-fence-gardenista-e1465942777877.jpg)
![A low ipe fence allows for views of Lake Washington in this Seattle backyard. Photograph by Miranda Estes, courtesy of Wittman Estes, from Landscaping Ideas: A Sunken Verdant Courtyard for a Seattle Home on a Slope.](https://media.gardenista.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/wittman-estes-hillside-garden-seattle-1-733x489.jpg)
![Photograph via Design Within Reach. Neutra house numbers and a pea gravel path. For more, see 5 Favorites: Modern Wooden Gates.](https://media.gardenista.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/fields/700_modern-gate-5.jpg)
![](https://media.gardenista.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/black-steel-staircase-backyard-brooklyn-garden-awards-733x471.jpg)
![A Stinson Beach, CA entryway by Blasen Landscape Architecture. For more, see A Seaside Garden at the End of a Dirt Road.](https://media.gardenista.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/fields/stinson-beach-wood-fence-gate-gardenista_0.jpg)
![To make a small Mill Valley, CA backyard feel more expansive, architect Ken Linsteadt designed a fence using \2-by-\2 slats of wood. For more of the garden, see A Mediterranean Garden Inspired by the Classics. Photograph by Nicole Franzen for Gardenista.](https://media.gardenista.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/fields/mediterranean-garden-linsteadt-21-gardenista_0.jpg)
![](https://media.gardenista.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/park-slope-backyard-garden-leafy-green-trees-733x740.jpg)
![Widely spaced slats in a tall wood fence shades a deck at the San Francisco home of graphic designer Jennifer Morla (of Morla Design) and her architect husband, Nilus de Matran (of Nilus Designs). For more, see At Home with an SF Design Duo on Remodelista. Photograph by Mimi Giboin.](https://media.gardenista.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/fields/slatted-fence_nilushouse-gardenista-2.jpg)
![](https://media.gardenista.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/julie-farris-manhattan-garden-bamboo-hedge-fence-bench-gravel-gardenista-DSC-1670-733x530.jpg)
![A chalkboard is incorporated into the design of a fence by Shades of Green. Photograph courtesy of Shades of Green.](https://media.gardenista.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/fields/black-horizontal-slat-fence-chalkboard-gardenista.jpg)
Finally, learn how to successfully design a fence for any landscape or garden project with our Hardscaping 101: Fences & Gates guide.
And for more on different fence styles, head over to Bob Vila.
Have a Question or Comment About This Post?
Join the conversation