Every year there’s always one weekend when my phone starts ringing off the hook. It’s usually sometime around mid-to-late March, that first really nice weekend when everybody gets out in their yards, starts in earnest their spring clean-up, and says something along the lines of “Oh yeah, we wanted to get a new patio installed this year…”
And who knows, maybe that’ll be you this year. And maybe you’ve already started kicking around few thoughts. Or
maybe you’re struggling to come up with some ideas.
Many homeowners like to visit local supply yards to get a sense of styles and what products are available, and look over some design ideas. Most suppliers have a display courtyard with many of their more “popular” products. Paver manufacturers offer catalogues upon catalogues of their product lines, all designed to help sell as many products as possible. And many suppliers will also display some “basic” flagstone designs, all laid out to appeal to the masses.
And many homeowners are able to find something that works for them. I always encourage clients and prospects to look at “live” samples, and a supplier is a great place to get started.
The problem with this technique however, is that because these display areas are set up to appeal to nearly everybody and offend no one, the result is a somewhat chocolate and vanilla selection. Do I like vanilla ice cream? Yes, of course, but what really gets me excited is Peanut Butter Swirl or Pralines and Pecans. And getting back to hardscaping, you’re probably not going to see those designs in a catalogue or display area.
So I wanted to show a couple of patio design samples, designed to be slightly off the beaten path perhaps, but to show you what can be possible with a little bit of thinking outside the box.
And who knows, maybe that’ll be you this year. And maybe you’ve already started kicking around few thoughts. Or
maybe you’re struggling to come up with some ideas.
Many homeowners like to visit local supply yards to get a sense of styles and what products are available, and look over some design ideas. Most suppliers have a display courtyard with many of their more “popular” products. Paver manufacturers offer catalogues upon catalogues of their product lines, all designed to help sell as many products as possible. And many suppliers will also display some “basic” flagstone designs, all laid out to appeal to the masses.
And many homeowners are able to find something that works for them. I always encourage clients and prospects to look at “live” samples, and a supplier is a great place to get started.
The problem with this technique however, is that because these display areas are set up to appeal to nearly everybody and offend no one, the result is a somewhat chocolate and vanilla selection. Do I like vanilla ice cream? Yes, of course, but what really gets me excited is Peanut Butter Swirl or Pralines and Pecans. And getting back to hardscaping, you’re probably not going to see those designs in a catalogue or display area.
So I wanted to show a couple of patio design samples, designed to be slightly off the beaten path perhaps, but to show you what can be possible with a little bit of thinking outside the box.
Reclaimed Bricks
Full disclosure here, this is the front path at my house. This was a project that was a few years in the making as I wrestled with some design ideas (happens to the best of us) and worked on accumulating as many bricks as possible. The bricks are a hodge-podge of leftover bricks from other projects, some were part of the original path we took out, and some were scavenged from driving around looking for demo-work and asking for bricks. Not a single brick was purchased with the intention of being used for this project.
We set them in a modified running bond style pattern because the various size bricks just wouldn’t line up cleanly any other way. I love the interplay of the various shades of red, and the mortar stains from the bricks’ previous lives really add some character. Nothing that could have been achieved by buying new bricks right off the pallet.
We set them in a modified running bond style pattern because the various size bricks just wouldn’t line up cleanly any other way. I love the interplay of the various shades of red, and the mortar stains from the bricks’ previous lives really add some character. Nothing that could have been achieved by buying new bricks right off the pallet.
Irregular Flagstones with Plantings
This was a walkway we did a few years’ ago back in my California days. The problem we were presented with was an incredibly narrow passageway between the newly built house and the side fence. We had about 3.5’ of clearance, barely enough to fit a wheelbarrow (Thanks builders!). And certainly not enough space to do any traditional size beds flanking the path. And the homeowners and I were on the same page in that we wanted some softscaping to avoid the appearance of a barren concrete dead zone.
The solution was to incorporate the plantings into the path. We left just enough space between the large irregular pieces of flagstone to soften the area without sacrificing space, and planted some jasmine to (eventually) cover up the fence.
The solution was to incorporate the plantings into the path. We left just enough space between the large irregular pieces of flagstone to soften the area without sacrificing space, and planted some jasmine to (eventually) cover up the fence.
Making the Most of a Small Space
These next few pictures aren’t our projects, and the photos are courtesy of Sunset Magazine (Awesome mag! Check it out if you’re not familiar). I love this picture because it really shows what can be done with a ridiculously small space. The yard was divided in half, not just with a straight horizontal or vertical line, but rather a diagonal line from corner to corner, stretching the line as far as possible to create the illusion of more space. And the use of the irregular shaped natural flagstones adds a rustic wilderness feel, even though you’re just a few feet from the urban jungle.
Pipe Planters
Another Sunset picture here. And OK, so it’s not a patio, and no, I’m not suggesting that we can grow cactus outside here in Philly. But I LOVE what they did for these planters. Those are old chunks of terracotta drain pipe, broken off into random length segments and stuck into the hillside as planters. How cool is that! A perfect example of using non-traditional materials in an everyday use. You could also use old watering cans, wheelbarrows, bathtubs – pretty much anything that will hold soil and allow for a bit of drainage.
Assorted Variety of Materials
Follow the yellow brick road … I love this patio because it really shows how a design doesn’t have to be linear, and the material choices don’t have to be just one thing. The combination of big stones and little stones, square stones and round stones, and stones and bricks of different types are all used together to create something truly unique and special. I can just see my 5-year-old playing “roads” with his toy trucks following the spiral path of large stones. Can’t do that on a square space with just one material being used.
The moral of this post? Don’t be afraid to be a little different. Nearly everybody wants their patio, their living space, and their yard to be interesting in addition to be functional. But in order to be interesting you need to be a little different. And copying the manufacturer catalogues isn’t going to get you there.
I had a client a few years ago who had a collection of hose spigot handles that he set in the surface of the patio for quite an interesting and unique border around the patio. The sky really is the limit. Those horizontal ledge stones for your garden walls? Try setting them vertical instead. Nearly every garage I’ve ever been in has some old “junk” – bricks, windowframes, garden tools – that can be incorporated into your yard or patio somehow. Give it a shot. Don’t be afraid. We’re certainly not, so if you need a little help, just let us know.
The moral of this post? Don’t be afraid to be a little different. Nearly everybody wants their patio, their living space, and their yard to be interesting in addition to be functional. But in order to be interesting you need to be a little different. And copying the manufacturer catalogues isn’t going to get you there.
I had a client a few years ago who had a collection of hose spigot handles that he set in the surface of the patio for quite an interesting and unique border around the patio. The sky really is the limit. Those horizontal ledge stones for your garden walls? Try setting them vertical instead. Nearly every garage I’ve ever been in has some old “junk” – bricks, windowframes, garden tools – that can be incorporated into your yard or patio somehow. Give it a shot. Don’t be afraid. We’re certainly not, so if you need a little help, just let us know.
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