The patio is the center of your outdoor living space and will set the stage for your family’s favorite outdoor activities. Its surface primarily needs to be strong and durable, but it can be a visual treat as well. Paver manufacturers have been experimenting with a variety of different stone materials, providing all sorts of fascinating textures that can make your paver patio into a functional work of art. Here are four style themes when using textured patio pavers in Rockland County, NY.
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Rustic & Traditional
For rustic and traditional homes, there are some amazing patio pavers to choose from. When you think of a rustic environment, the masonry materials are very likely close to their natural state. Even traditional homes make liberal use of natural masonry: think of cobblestones, flagstone, or limestone as examples of what still paves many places around the world, and has for many centuries. High quality patio pavers will closely mimic natural stone. The textures, colors, and most importantly the variations will give your patio the randomness of natural stone. You can enhance this effect even more by choosing two or even three colors of a particular paver type, and randomly blending these colors on site.
When you plan your patio, you should also consider how the patio interacts with vertical structures such as your outdoor kitchen wall or retaining wall. If you’re thinking of using rustic pavers, they will be best paired with a smoother vertical surface. This will balance the rough texture of the patio surface.
Modern & Minimalist
Landscapes that follow a modern design will take advantage of expansive views, straight lines, and smoother textures. This is all rooted in minimalism and it can have an incredible effect on a space. When you use modern and minimalist pavers, even a small patio will feel a little larger than it would with more rustic pavers. This is because the space will feel much less visually busy. It will also seem somewhat cleaner, which can have a calming effect.
Using large format pavers is a great way to bring a fresh modern look to your outdoor living space and even transitional spaces such as walkways. Use a lighter jointing compound to emphasize the joints between pavers for a more visually textured look, or keep the colors consistent for a more expansive look. Mixing large format pavers and smoother pavers also creates a dynamic space filled with visual interest. You could use smooth large format pavers as the pain field, and smaller textured pavers as borders or “outdoor rugs” to define specific areas.
A Texture-Rich Walkway
One of the best applications of a mixed modern and natural style involves using modern large format pavers that are spaced out in the entire length of a walkway. Fill the gaps with small river rock or pebbles to create a gorgeous, texturally rich surface that is sheer delight to the eye while also being practical in that it lets surface water seep into the joints to keep the paver surface drier.
A Mixed Bag
There’s no rule that your space has to be either-or when it comes to materials choices. Many of the best outdoor living spaces employ both natural-looking materials as well as those that are clearly and unapologetically man made such as poured concrete. One popular look is flagstone-inspired pavers bordered by brick. Another is using brushed-textured pavers with smooth cobblestone borders. With so many design styles, the combinations are nearly endless!
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