Designing with Pavers: A Selection Guide for Choosing the Right Type, Style, and Pattern
Which Patio Style Works Best for Your Home?
Deciding which type of paver will work best for your new patio can be a tough decision. With that in mind, we put together a list of paver types with pictures to help narrow down your choices, use to help make your decision.
The following lists contain various pavers types, finishes, patterns and styles, paired with a useful guide showing the common ways these are all used with different architectural styles. To learn how KG landscape can help with your patio design and installation needs visit our patio and design and construction page .
Paver Types / Options
Brick Style Pavers:
Traditional and durable, brick pavers offer a classic look. They come in various colors, sizes, and patterns. We recommend using clay bricks, but they are also available in concrete
Cast Concrete Pavers
:
These are what most people think of as a typical or standard paver. Versatile and cost-effective, concrete pavers are available in numerous shapes, colors, and finishes. They can mimic the appearance of natural stone or brick.
Cobblestone Pavers:
Resembling historic cobblestone streets of Europe, these pavers add a traditional or colonial charm to pathways, patios and driveways.
Travertine Pavers:
These are natural stone pavers and commonly used in tile floor applications, travertine is known for its high-end look. Colors range from tans to cream, with other earthtones mixed. It's often used around pool decks, to face steps and stoop and for patios
Bluestone Pavers:
Quarried from sedimentary rock,
bluestone pavers have a blue-gray hue
and are commonly used in patios and walkways.
Irregular Flagstones:
These are a natural stone product and irregular shape; flagstone pavers create a natural and organic look. They are commonly used for pathways and patios and provide a more rustic and naturalistic look.
Granite Pavers:
Durable and elegant, granite pavers are resistant to wear and tear. They come in various colors, often with a polished or honed finish.
Porcelain Pavers:
Porcelain extremely strong and dense. They are also among the least porous and easiest to clean paver materials there is making them a great low-maintenance paver option. Porcelain pavers are typically used in
Modern style landscaping
. They are resistant to stains, scratches, and frost. They come in a variety of colors and patterns.
Terra Cotta pavers:
crafted from natural clay
, exude timeless elegance with earthy hues, offering a warm and authentic touch to outdoor spaces.
Paver Finishes
- Smooth Finish: Smooth finishes provide a sleek and contemporary look. They are often used in modern designs and are easy to clean.
- Textured Finish: Textured finishes add a non-slip surface, making them suitable for areas such as pool decks or walkways.
- Tumbled Finish: Tumbling the pavers creates rounded edges and a weathered appearance. Tumbled finishes are popular for achieving a rustic or antique look.
- Honed Finish: Honing involves grinding and polishing the surface to create a smooth and flat finish with a slight sheen. This finish is often used for natural stone pavers.
- Flamed Finish: Achieved by exposing the paver to high heat, a flamed finish results in a textured surface with a rough feel. It is commonly used for granite pavers.
- Split Face Finish: Split face finishes create a rugged, natural appearance by splitting the stone along its natural cleavage lines. This finish is common in natural stone pavers.
Common Paver Patterns
- Running Bond:
A classic pattern where pavers are laid in rows with each paver offset by half from the one in the preceding row. It creates a simple and traditional look.
- Herringbone:
Pavers are laid at a 45 or 90-degree angle to create a zigzag pattern. Herringbone is visually appealing and provides good stability.
- Basketweave:
Pavers are arranged in pairs, with each pair perpendicular to the adjacent pairs, forming a woven pattern resembling a basket.
- Random Ashlar:
Irregularly shaped pavers are laid in a random pattern, mimicking the appearance of natural stone. This creates a more relaxed and informal look. Commonly used with paver sets that contain 3 or 5 different sized pieces.
- Circular Pattern:
Pavers are arranged in concentric circles or radiating lines, creating a central focal point. This pattern adds visual interest to the patio.
- Running Bond with a Soldier Course:
Similar to the running bond, but with a single row of pavers (soldier course) set perpendicular to the main pattern, providing a border-like effect.
- Stack Bond:
Pavers are laid in straight, parallel lines, giving a clean and contemporary appearance. It's often used with modern-style pavers.
- Dutch Pattern:
A combination of various rectangular and square pavers in a repeating sequence, creating an organized and structured layout.
- Fan Pattern:
Pavers are arranged in a fan-like shape, radiating from a central point. This pattern adds an element of design and sophistication.
- Hexagon Pattern:
Pavers are laid in a hexagonal shape, creating a geometric and visually interesting pattern. Hexagon patterns work well with various paver sizes.
- Checkerboard Pattern:
Alternating squares of different-colored or textured pavers create a checkerboard effect, adding a playful and modern touch.
- Versailles Pattern:
A more intricate pattern involving multiple sizes of rectangular and square pavers arranged in a repeating, interlocking design.
- Cobblestone Pattern:
Mimicking the appearance of traditional cobblestone streets, this pattern involves irregularly shaped pavers laid in a random yet cohesive manner.
Architectural Design Styles & Paver Type Recommendations
Colonial Revival Homes
- Recommended Pavers: Brick pavers, cobblestone, Concrete pavers (textured or traditional finish)
- Pattern Types: Running Bond, Herringbone, Basketweave
Craftsman Bungalow Homes
- Recommended Pavers: Concrete pavers (textured finish), clay brick pavers, natural stone pavers
- Pattern Types: Running Bond, random ashlar, Herringbone, running bond
Midwestern Farmhouse Style Homes
- Recommended Pavers: Brick pavers, Concrete pavers (traditional finish), cut and patterned natural stone
- Pattern Types: Running Bond, Basketweave, random ashlar
Modern Farmhouse Style Homes
- Recommended Pavers: Concrete pavers, cut and patterned natural stone, (smooth or textured finish), Porcelain pavers
- Pattern Types: Running Bond, Herringbone, Random Ashlar
Tudor Revival Homes
- Recommended Pavers: Brick pavers, Cobblestone pavers (use browns and/or cream colors)
- Pattern Types: Herringbone, Circular Pattern, stacked bond or running bond
Minnesota Lake Cabins
- Recommended Pavers: Flagstone pavers irregular in shape, Tumbled stone pavers
- Pattern Types: Random Ashlar, Cobblestone Pattern or random patterns
Contemporary Urban Homes
- Recommended Pavers: Concrete pavers (modern finishes), Porcelain pavers, smooth finish concrete pavers
- Pattern Types: Running Bond, Herringbone, Interlocking, stacked or running bond
Spanish/Mediterranean Style Abodes
- Recommended Pavers: Terra Cotta pavers, Saltillo tiles, Concrete pavers with a distressed or aged finish
- Pattern Types: Herringbone, Versailles pattern, Random Ashlar
Modern Lakeside Residences
- Recommended Pavers: Porcelain pavers, Concrete pavers (modern finishes)
- Pattern Types: Running Bond, Herringbone, Interlocking
- For more info check out of
Lakeside landscaping page
Want Professional Help with Your Project?
The talented design staff at KG Landscape can help with all of your landscape design and material selection needs. To learn more, please give us a call or send us an
online quote request
today!
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