Help me fence my yard?

[Loves Vintage]

Ok, I really do not trust my design sense. At all. I basically don't have one! So, I'm hoping some of you more savvy PS-ers can tell me what's what.

We are fencing in our backyard. I've wanted to do this for a long time (for the dogs, we have a smaller fenced in area for them now). Our new neighbor just clear cut her heavily wooded property , which has bumped the fence project up on the list of things to do.

There is currently a privacy fence on the left side, about 3/4 way down back yard. Neighbor has a pool there. The remainder of his yard is fenced with black chain link. On the right side, I am going to replicate exactly what the other neighbor has. Same privacy fence, looks like the first photo below, and same length. Easy peasy. Remainder of the back will probably be deer fence, though black chain link is an option as well. Whatever it is, it will blend into the tree line, so that doesn't really matter.

What does matter is the front. The front of the fence will attach to the back sides of the house. It is a colonial. I live in New England. I had a fence guy out a few years ago, and mentioned that I like some "Victorian" style fence, probably like the second photo below, and he was like, No, you can't do that because you have a colonial. I kind of don't get that. Is this fence style really super-Victorian looking??? Can I not have this fence with a Colonial?

And, here is my big question -- can I have a privacy fence on both sides and then have an open fence like the third photo below? The only fence I recall seeing that's open like this one has this fence all the way around. The other option (and what we will probably wind up doing) would be to do a semi-privacy in the front, like the fourth photo below, but with a different top.

I know that technically we can do whatever we want, but I need some help with, what looks good, and is it crazy to essentially have three different fence types? I should also mention that it's maybe 1.25 acres in the back, which is why deer fencing will supplement the fence. I should ALSO mention that my dogs are never left out alone for more than 10 mins MAX, so I have no worries that they will be taking down the deer fencing.

Thanks so much for reading all of this. We will be ordering from this company:http://www.illusionsfence.com/ Help?

 

[Loves Vintage]

I attached a photo of part of the yard from a snow storm last winter. I should take a new photo. My backyard is completely yellow right now. It is awesome! Oh, and the trees on the right (well the ones not on our property), that have been there forever, are now gone.

 

[lyra]

I think you also need to take weather into account. We have the fourth fence. It is technically semi-private, but the benefit is it withstands the winds and snow we get in our area. If we were to do solid fencing like the first choice, it would (and does here!) have a much shorter lifespan. So definitely take lifespan into account. I'm unclear about what you mean by front fencing. Is that just what someone would see from the road? I feel you should do what you think looks best for that. Some people here do wrought iron for the front "sides", and of course solid wood for the rest, because that lasts longest. It's a huge investment.

 

[packrat]

Eh, it's your house, who cares what the fence guy says. I would just go w/what you like best, and what fits your needs best. I can't see in my head doing three different types of fencing, but that doesn't mean it won't work-like if they're all the same color/material maybe?

We have one kind, just plain 6ft wooden panels that have the point on top, I think it's called dog-ear or something? There's a little bit of space between the planks that if you look, you can see thru, but not very well. Hopefully soon to replace it w/the nice composite or whatever it's called, but would still be somewhat the same style. I don't like fences that are open so that others can see in easily, but that's just me.

I like the fence you have now, and I like the one that is swoopy that you wrote "too Victorian?" under..I like swoops. Fences like that don't work for us, even tho I like them, b/c I want the fence to fade into the background so my yard is what you look at.

 

[Loves Vintage]

Thanks, Lyra. I never would have thought of lifespan, so thanks for pointing that out. Yes, by front, I mean the part that will face the street (though it's quite a ways in from the street). DH wants a privacy fence. I would prefer open. I assume we will meet in the middle with semi-privacy.

Packrat, Thanks for your thoughts. I know that I should just go with what we like, and disregard what random fence guy said, but sometimes I have a really hard time figuring out what I do like, and sort of, what would look "right". I think I am leaning toward the swoopy top one, semi-privacy for the front. I will have to talk to new fence guy to see if he has any suggestions.

Honestly, what I would really like, and what I have always wanted is simple split rail with deer fencing attached to it. I really do prefer open, but because of the clear cut next door, we really do need the privacy fence on that side now. There are plenty of small trees btw the yard and the fence so hopefully the fence becomes background and not a focal point.