A patio is going to see plenty of use, and the materials you use on both horizontal and vertical surfaces need to be not only aesthetically pleasing, but up for the job. Here’s our guide to stone veneer and patio pavers: how to pick the right materials for a Bergen County, NJ area landscape.
Start by taking visual cues from your home and landscape to determine the best look for your patio pavers and vertical elements. It may not be feasible to match what’s already in place so focus on complementary materials. Using complementary materials will define your outdoor living areas as their own spaces - not part of the home, but sitting comfortably alongside it.
Before you get into specific styles of pavers, start with practical considerations. For example, pavers should be non-slip when wet to prevent accidents. This does not mean you must use textured pavers. Some manufacturers make smooth non-slip pavers (with a slight pebbled texture).
Another consideration is ease of maintenance. If activity will center around an outdoor kitchen, choose pavers that will stand up to the demands of a kitchen: food and beverage spills, oils, acids, salt, and cleaning products can all leave stains so always choose pavers that come factory sealed, and apply an extra coat of sealant every couple of years.
Typically, most hardscapes could be categorized as contemporary/modern, rustic/relaxed, and traditional. Today, there is a lot of overlap between these categories so don’t feel that if your home is traditional, you “must” stay with traditional materials. You can create a wonderful contrast while still choosing pavers and stone veneers that look good next to your home and the surroundings.
Contemporary/Modern
Two trends define contemporary outdoor living spaces: pavers with large formats (24” square or large rectangles), and linear plank-style pavers which deliver a clean, uncluttered look.
Paver and wall colors tend to gravitate toward neutral greys, which give the space a sophisticated allure and plenty of opportunity to add pops of color in furnishings and accessories.
One great modern combination is to choose smooth-textured pavers and more textured wall veneers on outdoor kitchens, pillars, retaining walls, fire features, and water features. This creates a more visually interesting space than if you were to use materials with the same textures.
Rustic/Relaxed
Achieve a relaxed back-to-nature atmosphere with pavers and wall veneers in warm earth tones and/or tones that match rock outcrops or other prominent features on the home or landscape. Rustic pavers are smaller and often more textured with a hand-hewn look. The wall veneers tend to be more rugged in texture and feature defined shapes such as a stacked flagstone look or a quarry stone look. Colors could range from greys to browns and tans, and it’s not uncommon to randomly blend two or three paver colors on site to achieve a more natural flagstone or bluestone look.
Traditional
Traditional spaces favor brick pavers, or granite- or limestone-inspired pavers. These can adapt to both formal and informal spaces. Some spaces naturally lend themselves to large format pavers and more blocky wall veneers, which will balance a large home - while other spaces can easily become more intimate by using materials in a smaller scale. Bricks in particular lend themselves to artistic expression, such as curved walkways and artistic inlays, and they are also commonly used as borders to add personality to both patios and vertical elements.
Related: 5 PATIO PAVERS PERFECT FOR SMALL SPACES IN BERGEN COUNTY AND SUSSEX COUNTY NJ AREAS
