IKEA’s Clever Garden Screen Is the Effortless Upgrade That Adds Instant Privacy, Flexibility, and Designer Style – No Renovations Required

Transform balconies, terraces, or backyards into private, inviting retreats with flexible design and natural, textural charm

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corten steel screens as garden screening ideas
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Garden dividers are one of the most transformative – and often overlooked – tools in outdoor design. Whether you’re working with a compact balcony or a generous backyard, introducing a screen can instantly shape the way a space feels and functions. Rather than fencing everything off, a well-placed divider creates gentle definition: a secluded reading corner, a sheltered dining spot, a backdrop that makes planting feel layered and intentional.

Good garden screening also softens sightlines, filters light, and is a wonderful way to add privacy to your home from neighboring windows, all while adding architectural interest without the permanence of walls.

NÄMMARÖPrivacy screen

(Image credit: IKEA)

Because it’s freestanding, the screen offers flexibility that built structures simply can’t. One panel can subtly frame a bistro set; two or three combined can form a cocooning corner for loungers or an outdoor sofa. As the seasons change, it can be repositioned to block prevailing winds or to shield a dining table from low evening sun. For renters or those hesitant to commit to permanent backyard landscaping, this adaptability is invaluable.

Built for both indoor and outdoor living, this piece is pre-treated to handle sun, rain, and everything in between – perfect for a summer garden party or crisp shoulder-season evenings. At the same time, it moves effortlessly indoors, where it can divide open-plan spaces or serve as a stylish backdrop behind a console or armchair – especially in homes that blur the line between inside and out.

Garden zoning

(Image credit: Future/Mark Bolton)

Perhaps most appealing is its potential as a living feature. The open slats provide support for fast-growing climbing plants – think jasmine weaving through the frame or clematis adding seasonal color – transforming a simple divider into a vertical garden moment. Over time, the timber develops character, and the screen becomes part of the evolving landscape rather than a static addition.

In a garden, structure is everything. The right divider doesn’t just block a view; it shapes atmosphere, creates intimacy and introduces rhythm. With its natural finish and adaptable design, this screen proves that sometimes the most impactful changes are also the simplest.

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Garden screens do more than block neighbors’ views or hide less-than-perfect corners – they shape how a space feels. By creating distinct zones, they make a yard feel layered and thoughtfully designed, so each area unfolds as you explore it rather than all at once. They’re also a chance to get creative: from sleek panels and climbing plants to shrubs, trees, or small garden structures, screens can become design features in their own right.

I’ve selected some of my other favorite designs here to inspire your own outdoor space, showing how screens can add privacy, style, and dimension with ease.

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Jennifer Ebert
Jennifer Ebert
Editor

Jennifer is the Digital Editor at Homes & Gardens, bringing years of interiors experience across the US and UK. She has worked with leading publications, blending expertise in PR, marketing, social media, commercial strategy, and e-commerce. Jennifer has covered every corner of the home – curating projects from top interior designers, sourcing celebrity properties, reviewing appliances, and delivering timely news. Now, she channels her digital skills into shaping the world’s leading interiors website.