Backyard patios add life to our homes. It is the venue for our family gatherings or sometimes just to chill out with a cup of tea and a good book. And thus everybody of us feels like decorating them in the best possible way. So, here we are with the latest paving stones trends for your background patios.
So, let’s start!
5 Paving Stones Design Trends Perfect For Your Backyard Patio
#1: Large Format Pavers
Large Format Pavers are gaining traction these days. Though they are not as popular as their smaller cousins, they are still becoming popular nowadays.
Paving is, no doubt, durable but not all like the small size of the pavers. Some have a different taste with the aesthetics and may like the look large stones give. And if you can resonate with this idea, large format pavers are for you.
Large paving stones come in a range of materials. From granite to travertine to concrete and whatnot. And not only this, they offer a variety in their range of colours and finishes as well. Thus, trust us, if you want large format pavers, there is no shortage of options to choose from.
They are not only great with aesthetics; they also have many benefits too. First of all, they demand lesser maintenance. Why? Because paving stones combine through polymeric sand between the joints. Thus, unlike concrete slabs, if these pavers crack, they can be spot repaired, which is very hassle-free.
The next benefit explores the aesthetic side of these pavers. With fewer joints, these large pavers seem less ‘busy.’ On the other hand, smaller pavers, although beautiful, attract attention. They do tend to blur other elements like the furniture from the view. Larger pavers are a more subtle art, and try to balance the attention on all aspects of your patio.
With all this in mind, Large format paving stones are a smart choice.
#2: Wood Style Pavers
Wood Style pavers give your patio a rustic, earthy look. They are sure to make your patio cozy and a great place for the parties and gatherings under the starry night. Be it the fireplace or the flooring, wood-style pavers can render a beautiful backyard.
But with wood pavers comes the maintenance issues. But do you know that wood imitation pavers are readily available, which require less or no maintenance? Great, isn’t it?
These wood imitation pavers are usually made up of concrete. Concrete is any day, a much more durable material than wood. It is not sensitive to rotting, mould, and pests, etc. Also, concrete pavers have a lifespan of a minimum of 25 to 30 years, which is almost double the wood’s lifespan. And to top it off, they cost a third of what the wood will cost.
With the advent of retaining walls, wood-style pavers can also be used for walls. Overall, wood-style pavers look elegant and give your outdoors the wild feel that is so inviting and timeless.
Go for wood style pavers if you love that earthy feel in your backyard. Rest assured, your friends and family will also love it. Wood pavers are always a success with almost everybody.
#3: Borders and Inset Borders
Borders or inset borders highlight your backyard’s prominent features like the fireplace, the dining area, etc. They bring that little variation that makes all the difference. Without them, a patio can look monotonous, especially big ones with little vegetation.
To avoid an industrial feel, try to opt for some earthy tones. They will give a more welcoming and cozy feel to your backyard.
The choice of colour and the thickness of the paving stones used as borders is up to you. Edges, both thin and thick, look good. It all depends on how well you compile the elements. After the thickness comes the choice of colour. While choosing the colour, the biggest dilemma is to go for contrast or balance. Both of them produce beautiful results, and in the end, it’s all about your personal choice.
For example, one of your choices can be a burgundy red border on a sandstone colour palate. While on the other hand, you can go for black granite with similar dark colour granite paving stones. Both look gorgeous, just that you have to pick your ideal one from them.
#4: Patterns:
Patterns have been in trend for a while, and they aren’t going anywhere soon. They let you play with your creativity as the options are truly endless. From classic to modern, you are spoilt for choices. Play with colours, sizes, textures, materials, and arrive at what you feel is best for you. Thus here we are with a step-by-step process to help you reach your ideal pattern.
1.    Select the shape of the paving stones
The first step to a great pattern is the paver shape. There are many designs, like the herringbone pattern, that usually have rectangles arranged in various forms. Then there are stack or running bond pattern. These are the classic brick pattern with their own old-world charm. And lastly, there are the block patterns, which give good interlocking needed for vehicular movement.
You can go for any of these. But make sure that the basic paver is the same size in your design.
2.    Choose the scale of the pattern
The same design can be used with larger stones as well as smaller stones.
The scale of the pavers depends mainly on two aspects. First is the size of the area, and second the application. If your patio is big, you can use both smaller and larger paving stones, and if smaller, then small will look good. And secondly, application means whether you want to pave a patio or a driveway. Because vehicular movement demands more interlocking and smaller stones, so, decide accordingly.
3.    Pick colours, borders, and textures
The last step in designing your pattern is choosing the textures and colours. They make a lot of difference in how the whole pattern will look like finally. And what’s more, you can combine various materials as well.
For more extensive patios, as we have already said, borders play a pivotal role. They don’t let the floor look monotonous but make it interesting. Thus, lastly, you can also embed borders in your pattern. Trust us; it looks great.
Furthermore, as we know, paving can be done in the retaining walls as well. Thus, the scope of using paving stone patterns in your backyard increases. Now, you can not only use them horizontally but arrange them vertically as well. Thus, you now have one more variable to increase the possible options available to you.
#5: Banding:
Banding is a smart move when you are deciding how to pave your floor. But first, let us explain banding for those who might find this a new term. As the name says, banding is when you incorporate ‘ribbons’ of pavers between a paver pattern or any other paver setting. Banding can be used on floors as well as vertical features such as retaining walls.
The utility of banding is very similar to that of borders. It makes a large expanse of patio look cozier and non-monotonous. Otherwise, big backyards that too with little vegetation can look a bit boring.
Borders and banding are often used together. And if it is the same way for you too, choose a similar or the same colour for bands as you have picked for the borders. This choice will give consistency to the whole setting. And a pro tip can be, how to choose the colour for the jointing sand? Designers prefer to use a colour that complements or contrasts the house’s exterior finishes for the jointing sand.
Another popular trend in paving stones is laying them as ‘rugs.’ Confused? In this technique, a different tone of the paver colour is used and laid in a big rectangle or any other elaborate design. This setting gives the impression of a rug. You can place your dining table over this ‘rug’ or leave it as a patio’s focal point.
An example can be using a black granite rug on a white travertine patio. This rug system breaks the monotonous and indeed gives it a charm of its own.
Conclusion
Paving stones are available in so many textures, colours, materials, and sizes that there are endless options for you to opt from. So, research well and then only arrive at a conclusion. And for those who would like professional help, feel free to contact Project Landscape. We are a company based and operating in Calgary. Thus, our solutions are custom-designed for Calgary’s weather.
So, this was all in our guide about the top 5 trends in paving stones. We hope you liked the article and that it was informative. And now it’s your turn. Do mention which of these trends did you like the most in the comments box below. We will love to hear from you.