Of all the fencing styles, picket fences are the most popular as they make any house or garden look classic and elegant. There are many different picket fence styles and you will have a hard time choosing one. Most people think that picket fences are wooden and painted white, but picket fences come in many different materials, colors, sizes and designs. Traditionally wood was the material of choice for picket fences. But nowadays, you can also choose vinyl picket fences for great style as well as durability. They cost a lot less than wooden picket fences and are ideal for people who are on a budget. Picket Fence Designs and Styles Wood picket fence are the most popular, and they are the right choice for cottage style or country style houses, as they give a whimsical and old-world charm to the house. Picket fences are mainly associated with country living and the best thing about them is that they match the landscape and garden. The type of picket used, its design and how close together the pickets are installed, determines the style of the picket fence. Gothic Style Picket Fence The most common wood fence styles in picket fences are known as the Gothic style where the top of each picket is shaped like the head of an arrow. These pickets are generally installed very close so that they provide maximum privacy. French Gothic Style Picket Fence A variation of the Gothic picket fence style is the French Gothic picket fence which has a more ornate picket fence design with a pointed top. These kinds of French Gothic picket fence are suitable for houses that boast of Victorian or Edwardian architecture styles. Scalloped Style Picket Fence Picket fences need not be installed in a single straight line, where all the individual pickets are of the same height. For landscaping your garden and to provide more visual interest, build a picket fence with a scalloped design. In a scalloped style picket fence, the pickets are not of the same length and they are installed in such a way that it forms a concave fence design or a gentle arc. Yorkshire Style Picket Fence Another good picket fence style that is popular with many homeowners is called the Yorkshire. A Yorkshire picket fence has individual pickets that have a flat top with offsets and they are installed with a gap of about half an inch between them. Flat Top Picket Fence Style If you are looking for something rustic, then the best picket fence style is the plain flat top picket fence. As the name suggests, in this type of fence the top of the pickets are completely plain and generally they are not pointed. All wooden picket fence are quite expensive. So, if your property is a large one, it makes sense to install vinyl picket fences. Designs of vinyl picket fence are similar to that of wooden fences, and vinyl fence installation is not only easy, but also easy to maintain. They are chip-resistant and do not rot or crack. You can choose vinyl picket fences in different designs like dog ear, Yorkshire and Gothic. The vinyl picket fences look just like wood and they don't need to be painted. They are available not only in white color, but other neutral colors like tan, brown and beige. Picket fences can be made more decorative and interesting by installing fence posts that are ornate. Many homeowners even install a lattice over their pickets to make it more attractive. There are many picket fence styles that you can choose from for creating a residential boundary. Picket fences are one of the most popular fence designs for homes and a great way to enclose your property.