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Robert Downey Jr.’s home, designed by Nicolò Bini, has long been admired for its environmentally conscious architecture, but the landscaping is just as thoughtful. Designed by landscape architect Ana Saavedra, the garden balances privacy, shade, and sustainability without feeling enclosed – proving that screening doesn’t have to come at the expense of beauty.
Creating a garden that feels secluded is high on many homeowners’ wish lists. Whether you’re relaxing outdoors, entertaining friends, or simply enjoying your morning coffee, a sense of privacy can transform the way you use your space. The good news is that you don’t need towering fences or dense hedges to achieve it. Instead, combining clever garden screening with layered, drought-tolerant planting can create a retreat that feels both sheltered and open.
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That philosophy is on full display in Robert Downey Jr.’s garden. Rather than surrounding the property with imposing barriers, the landscape designer used a mix of strategically positioned screening panels and richly textured planting to soften boundaries, filter views, and introduce welcome shade. The result is a private front yard that feels intimate while remaining closely connected to its natural surroundings.
The planting scheme is what truly elevates the design. Native and drought-tolerant species were selected to thrive with minimal irrigation while adding year-round structure and texture. Architectural evergreen trees, including mock privet (Phillyrea latifolia), establish height and create a living canopy, while shrubs with contrasting leaf shapes and tones build density without appearing overly formal. Beneath the trees, the planting becomes lighter and more open, allowing gravel and mulch to remain visible and giving the garden an airy, contemporary feel.
Mock privet is particularly effective in this role. Its dense evergreen foliage provides reliable year-round screening, while its naturally rounded crown creates a sculptural focal point. Tough, long-lived, and highly drought-tolerant once established, it responds well to pruning, making it an excellent choice for defining spaces without relying on solid walls or fencing.
The garden also demonstrates an important landscaping principle: privacy works best when it’s layered. Instead of a single visual barrier, combining trees, shrubs, and screening panels creates depth, filters light, and allows cooling shade to develop naturally. This softer approach feels more inviting than a continuous fence while supporting biodiversity and reducing the heat absorbed by hard landscaping.
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‘Privacy should feel like a natural extension of your planting scheme rather than something that’s imposed on the garden,’ says Rachel Bull, Head of Gardens at Homes & Gardens. ‘Layering evergreen trees with drought-tolerant shrubs creates a softer, more sophisticated screen that provides year-round interest while supporting biodiversity. The beauty of this approach is that it delivers shade, privacy and texture without making the space feel enclosed, which is exactly what makes Robert Downey Jr.’s landscape so successful.’
Credit: Future / Alicia Taylor
Clipped evergreen topiary can also help recreate the look. Bay trees, box balls, and pompom conifers introduce strong architectural shapes that define outdoor rooms and provide year-round structure. Because they retain their foliage through every season, evergreen shrubs remain one of the most effective choices for screening, but mixing them with carefully chosen deciduous plants adds seasonal flowers, berries, and changing foliage for a more dynamic planting scheme.
As outdoor spaces continue to evolve into extensions of the home, Robert Downey Jr.’s garden offers a timely lesson in designing for both comfort and resilience. By pairing drought-tolerant planting with thoughtfully placed screening, the landscape delivers privacy, cooling shade, and enduring beauty in equal measure.
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Skip Laurel is the ultimate garden guardian, creating a lush evergreen screen with minimal effort. Fast-growing, glossy, and resilient, it brings year-round privacy, softens boundaries, and keeps your outdoor space feeling like a secluded retreat.
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Green Velvet Boxwood is the leafy little privacy expert your garden has been waiting for. With dense evergreen foliage and a velvety green finish, this hardy shrub creates a natural screen for shaded corners, secluded seating areas, and stylish outdoor spaces all year round.
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