Are you in the market for a new paver patio and not quite sure what to do?

If this is you or someone you know, then this is the article to Guide You Through The Process.

Before we get into the Paver Design Ideas, it is important to run through the stone selection.

Pavers come in 100s of different combinations of colors, styles, sizes, thicknesses, patterns, and textures.

It’s no wonder that the process of deciding on the exact stone might pose of few challenges.

Here is what to do 1st:

Identify the area that you are going to be working with.

You can think of this area as the canvas that you will be painting on or the foundation that you will be building on.

You can determine the area with landscape marking paint, landscape marking flags, 100ft of measuring tape (best if it is the tape that comes in a reel), or even a garden hose will do.

You will want to have a visual of the space prior to selecting the stone as the space will often dictate the appropriate stone to use.

The 2nd item is the texture:

There are a variety of textures, which include non-tumbled(smooth), tumbled(weathered), embossed(contains dimples on the surface), tumbled & embossed, slate(looks like slate), and flagstone(looks like flagstone).

Non-Tumbled Paver Texture

Tumbled Paver Texture

Tumbled and Embossed Paver Texture

Slate Paver Texture

Flagstone Paver Texture

Old World Cobble Texture

On to the 3rd item:

That being the color of the pavestone.

The most popular colors are the earth-tones which come in the following colors: sandstone, cream/brown, tan/buff/brown, grey/charcoal, limestone, terracotta/cream/brown, and grey/moss/charcoal.

If you are looking to compliment your house, then a good rule of thumb is to pull in the roof color and trim of the house which will provide a nice accent.

If you are interested in making a statement, then you will want to go with a dominant color that will draw immediate attention, which can be accomplished with a contrasting color palette and/or vibrant solids, such as reds and terracottas.

Up next is the style of the stone:

Paving stones can come in a variety of styles which include, brick, tile, antique cobble, weathered stone, old world cobble stone, slate, and flagstone.

There are others, including special order molds, however, this list includes the most popular styles that are currently being installed on a regular basis.

So you have the texture picked out, the color has been selected as well as the style of pavestone.

 The last piece of information needed is the laying pattern.

As we have seen in the previous steps there are an overwhelming number of patterns that you can select, however, we will focus on the most popular in this article.

The patterns that are requested the MOST are the following: Random “I”, Random Ashlar, Runner, and Herringbone.

Antique Cobble Random I Paver Laying Pattern

Antique Cobble Runner Laying Pattern

Herringbone Laying Pattern

Ashlar Laying Pattern

Okay we are all set, OR ARE WE….?

You can think of everything thus far as selecting our canvas/paint in which we are going to construct our masterpiece…

OR that we have selected the area we want to build our house and poured the foundation.

Now is the time to get your Creative Juices Flowing…

We are going to go over the idea of adding some flare to your project or to continue with the analogy, to start the construction of our custom home.

Lets get right into the Top 5 Paver Design Ideas for your Patio

Paver Patio Design Idea #1

Angle of the field (think of the “field” as everything inside the border or perimeter)

There are 2 different laying angles in which to lay the pavers. 

You can go with a 90 degree angle or a 45 degree angle off of any point you choose.

Most installs take the angle off of the point of entry/exist of their backyard patio.

You can also utilize both laying patterns in the same project.

For example, you could have your main patio area installed at a 90 degree angle, and then your raised patio area with your fire pit can be installed at a 45 degree angle.

This simple idea, can really add a lot of value to your project.

45 Degree Laying Pattern (Paver Design Ideas)

Paver Patio Design Idea #2

Pattern Inserts

In terms of inserts, the most popular insert is a circle kit or circle design that is inserted into the field.

The other popular insert is to insert a different laying pattern into the design to draw attention or accent to another area.

For instance, if you insert a different laying pattern where the patio table and chairs are going to be, or a different design inserted around the BBQ Island, Fire-Pit or Outdoor Fireplace.

Inserting Circle Patterns into Paver Design

Paver Patio Design Idea #3

Borders and Banding/Ribboning

You can go with no borders which we see a lot with the flagtone paver(by oldcastle belgard), or most often we see the use of single, double and triple borders as well as banding used.

Depending on how large the area is, borders can add a significant accent to the project.

There are various ways to lay the paver borders and the most common are Soldier, Runner or Random.

Paver Banding – Design Ideas for Pavers

Paver Patio Design Idea #4

Accent Colors

Utilizing colors to accent the project can really add a nice finishing touch to the installation.

For example, if the majority of the colors in your patio are cream/brown/charcoal and then you accented the borders with a solid charcoal or even a blended charcoal, this would provide a frame for the project.

If you are interested in a more free flowing feel, then you will not want to use solid colors in the borders, and instead, you will want to maintain a consistent color scheme with both your main field and border colors.

Adding Accent Colors

Paver Patio Design Idea #5

Textures

The most often seen texture design element is to insert a different texture into the border or to insert a completely different texture design element into the pattern.

For instance, if your main laying pattern consists of tumbled pavers, we often see a double border used, where the outside border stone in consistent with the field in that it is also tumbled, however, the inside border stone is a different color and the texture is changed to non-tumbled.

Changing the textures within a project can add a lot of depth and really set your project apart from the vanilla installations.

Combining Different Textures

The Bottom Line

Since there are so many different options to choose from, take your time with this process and have some fun.

The last thing you want to do is to make a hasty decision and then regret your selection(s) later.

If you are having a difficult time with this process, solicit the assistance of a professional designer who has been in the industry for many years.

They will be able to help guide you and help select the best combination for your home.

Hope you have fun with the process and remember to come back to share your designs, ideas, and questions.

If you are not sure where to go for help, keep in mind that Install-It-Direct offers Free Designs and Estimates if you are interested.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

To continue with Pavers 101: The Ultimate Paver Resource Guide Click Here to Continue Learning