How to improve kitchen outlook?

[jojorabbit]

 

I have a window splash back behind my sink but the outlook is onto a plain fence and the neighbours dirty roof. What can I do for a quick  screen of green? I would like to hang something outside the window to give a nice backdrop, without installing a large outdoor structure 

[EricL]

HI @jojorabbit 

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's sensational to have you join us, and thanks for sharing your question about improving your kitchen view. 

I was thinking about the UN-REAL 180 x 90cm Artificial Pittosporum Expandable Bamboo Trellis Hedge Screen or perhaps the Un-Real 50 x 50cm English Elm Artificial Hedge to cover the Colorbond fence. Another option is to use Matrix panels, please have a look at this discussion - Installing Matrix decor panel onto Colorbond fence by @Pantha1. There is also this discussion - How to install a Matrix Decor screen to Colorbond. 

Let me call on our experienced members @Dave-1, @Nailbag and @Remarka6le for their recommendations.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

[Nailbag]

Hi @jojorabbit 

Some additional suggestions to those great ones by @EricL would be to start with some simple window plater boxes you could use for herbs or annuals.

Then a simple one for the fence line would be to use several of these outdoor screen panels. Bunnings have a huge rain of both Coreten metal style and thick PVC designs to choose from. Last summer I installed several along a fence line for a customer for exactly the same reason as yours. This was instead of using traditional Fence toppers, which aren't designed to fit on metal fences. And aren't that great to look at.

You could then plant a few medium shrubs in-between like in the photo to add some greenery. the panels looks awesome lit up at night with solar spot lights and make them a real feature day and night.

Nailbag

[Jason]

Let me also extend a very warm welcome to the community @jojorabbit.

My recommendation would be to check out one of the most popular projects on our site - Training climbers to screen a fence by @royq. It has inspired many members and I think it could be a great solution for you. 

Jason

[Dave-1]

Good Morning @jojorabbit 

Welcome to the Bunnings Community Pages Take a wander through teh pages and you will come up for air in a few hours! There are so many inspiring ideas  

I love the screens mentioned by @EricL and @Nailbag, the green expandable one in particular. Tho it is plastic 😕 but its green! 

So to step out of the square, how about hanging things on the outside of the window. Either decorative bracket will show you a range of styled brackets or an outside curtain rail type deal, just above the height of the window so you cant see it from inside the house. With this in place you can hang coloured glass drops, crystals, suncatchers off. 

If you make the curtain rail solid enough you could hang off  it potted plants, poppies, herbs, tomatoes to bring colour towrds teh window but still give depth outside.

Dave

[Remarka6le · Accepted solution]

Hey @jojorabbit , 

If it were me, I’d be looking to do more than just cover the fence, I’d want to make that whole view something I actually enjoy seeing from the sink. One simple suggestion is to add a slim shelf or planter box just outside the window and fill it with trailing plants like silver falls or ivy. They’d spill down quickly and soften the view, especially if you pair them with a bit of artificial screening behind for instant coverage.

On the fence itself, you could look at a vertical garden panel. Unlike decorative screens, which stay the same year-round, a living panel gives you herbs, succulents or flowers that change with the seasons and make the space feel alive.

If you’d prefer something really quick, bamboo or reed rolls are an easy win. They take the edge off a Colorbond fence straight away, and with a few climbers planted at the base, you’d soon have a green wall. Add some solar uplights and it becomes a nice feature at night too.

Another idea is to bring some greenery right up to the glass. A lightweight outdoor rail above the window would let you hang herbs or trailing pots, giving depth and texture instead of a flat screen.

And because I love attracting birds, I’d suggest popping a small feeder or bird bath in the centre of the outlook, a solar fountain works beautifully. It doesn’t just give you something green to look at, but adds life and movement with the birds coming in, you're also providing a water source for animals that will help maintain your yard.

All of those options are fairly simple, but layering a couple together, like greenery close to the window, something alive on the fence, and a feature in the middle really transforms the view into something you’ll enjoy every day.