Patio Paver Design Ideas for Your Landscape

Multicolor patio pavers match perfectly with a stone seat wall with bluestone cap

Many people love the look of patio pavers. Not only do they add richness, character, and interest to your hardscaping, but many are eco-friendly. If you’re thinking about creating or upgrading an outdoor living space, you’ll want to consider these patio paver design ideas for your landscape.

Patio pavers make a durable patio with sitting wall

What are Patio Pavers?

A patio paver is a paving stone used to construct an outdoor patio.

They are made of different materials including:

  • Brick made from clay
  • Concrete
  • Natural stone made from granite, sandstone, marble, etc.
  • Eco-friendly recycled rubber

They come in also come in different colors, textures, and styles. These pavers give you tremendous flexibility when planning your outdoor living space.

In fact, the function and design possibilities are endless. Here’s a patio picture gallery to get your design juices flowing.

Patio pavers can upgrade your driveway or create a spectacular outdoor space complete with seating walls and inviting pathways.

In the past, wood and concrete were the main options. Today patio pavers open a whole new outdoor design world.

Unique patio paver design idea for two adjacent patios that are different, but complement each other

Patio Pavers Will Enhance Your Home

Patio pavers are not only functional—they also add value and beauty to your home.

When you use pavers to update your driveway, you will see your home’s curb appeal soar. Hardscaped areas in your backyard provide sought after outdoor living spaces. Both contribute to higher home value.

Use patio pavers to enhance your home’s:

  • Driveway
  • Walkways and garden paths
  • Patios
  • Pool deck
  • Retaining walls
  • Seating walls
  • Water features
  • Steps and stairs

Patio Pavers Are Not Just Beautiful—They’re Durable Too

New Jersey winters can be tough. A concrete patio or pool surround will expand and contract during the many winter freezes and thaws. This causes concrete to crack.

A properly installed paver patio allows pavers to flex and then return to their original positions during winter. This eliminates cracking.

Patio pavers can remain beautiful after years of wear—with some even carrying lifetime warranties.

Techno-Bloc, a top paver manufacturer, has paving stones strong enough to withstand car traffic. Their system of interlocking concrete pavers creates a very strong surface that is perfect for driveways and winter wear. Their pavers are also salt resistant and have color all the way through.

Cambridge pavers is another popular paver brand because of the paver’s strength and ability to retain color.

Paver Shapes, Sizes and Textures

Pavers come in many shapes and sizes. Some common shapes include rectangles, squares, and diamonds.

An important design consideration is the paver’s size. Smaller outdoor areas look good with smaller pavers and larger areas can visually carry larger pavers.

Additionally, pavers can be slip-resistant or smooth. This affects not only design but function, too.

Paver Patterns

Pavers can be set in distinct patterns including:

  • Herringbone
  • Basketweave
  • Stack bond
  • Pinwheel
  • Running bond
  • Circle
  • Fan
  • Random

Interesting and coordinating borders will make the overall design appear more intricate.

Different patio paver colors add beauty to outdoor steps

Paver Colors

Patio pavers come in many different colors, including shades of:

  • White
  • Beige
  • Sand
  • Red
  • Brown
  • Grey
  • Black

Use several colors to create a pleasing pattern. If you don’t have the best eye for design, consult a landscape design professional. They’re experts at matching paver styles and colors to work perfectly with your home’s aesthetic.

How To Choose The Best Patio Paver Colors for Your Landscape

It’s important to choose the right colors for your patio paver project. Just because you like the look of a certain color, doesn’t mean it will work well with your home.

Many landscape designers agree the best way to choose a paver color is to match it to the color of your home’s roof. This doesn’t mean it has to be a perfect match. Just select paver colors that are close and won’t clash with the roof.

Pavers should also compliment your home’s exterior. For instance, red brick homes can use pavers of lighter shades of beige for a pleasing contrast.

If you’re planning a new roof next year, or plan on repainting your home soon, don’t forget to take this into account. Your pavers will be around for many years.

Special Patio Design Tips

Pool Decks

Be sure to use pavers that don’t become very slippery when wet.

Also, stay with lighter colors to help keep bare feet cool and for comfortable poolside sitting.

Patios

Use pavers to create interesting patterns. You can even delineate certain areas using color or design. Just make sure all colors and designs work together to create a cohesive and pleasing feel.

Explore the many exciting ways to use patio pavers when installing a multi-level patio. A multi-level patio can have separate dining and entertaining areas and even an outdoor kitchen.

Multi-level patio with one area for dining and a second level for relaxation and sitting around a firepit

Matching Existing Pavers to New Walkways

There are a few tricks to match existing pavers to a new walkway. Installers can lift the blocks that were already placed and randomly mix them with the new pavers. Then rebuild the entire area with the randomized mix. 

Make sure the old and new pavers are the same thickness or people will be constantly tripping over your uneven patio or walkway.

You will also want to incorporate the old and the new if you are adding walkways or patios next to existing steps and stairs. The most important design goal is to give the entire project a cohesive look, as though it were all created at the same time. This is the same philosophy as with home architecture—you always want the addition to feel as though it’s part of the original home.

How To Maintain Patio Pavers

Patio pavers are low maintenance. Simply sweep surfaces to keep the area free of debris, such as gathering leaves. Read our blog post on Paver Patio Restoration and Maintenance for ways to keep patio pavers looking like new.

Also, it’s a good idea to have pavers professionally power washed once a year. This removes dirt, algae, stains, and rust.

Protective sealers can make maintenance easier by making pavers more resistant to stains. Sealers can be invisible on pavers or create an always-wet look. To keep pavers in optimal condition, pressure wash yearly and seal them every 3-5 years.

For professional patio paver design and installation, contact Landscape Solutions.