Since trends come and go, it can be a daunting experience to choose patio materials and patio designs that won’t look dated a few years from now. To help you choose a paver and a patio design you’ll love as much a decade from now as the day it’s installed, here are 6 paver patio trends that will endure in Trenton, MI.
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First: say goodbye to contrasting borders. While contrasting borders can look great, it’s a somewhat busy look that is going away in favor of sleek, minimalist designs where the focus is on the beauty of each material. If you do like the idea of using a border, you could make it a subtle one by using the same field paver oriented in a different direction. The look is sophisticated and timeless.
Trends that are here to stay include large format pavers, neutral colors, zoned patio designs, bricks, pavers inspired by natural stone, and plank-style pavers.
1. Large Format Pavers
Whether your outdoor space is small and needs to be expanded visually or you just love the look of a clean, sleek surface, choose large format pavers. Their generous size means fewer joint lines to break up the space. In effect, the pavers become a gorgeous canvas onto which you can add splashes of color, contrasting materials such as wooden benches, and softness in the form of gently swaying ornamental grasses or creeping ground covers.
2. Neutral Colors
The backdrop of outdoor activities - your patio - should complement both the home and the landscape. If you are considering renovating your home’s exterior, choose mid-tone neutral colors for your patio. This will give you so many more design opportunities than if you had to struggle to find siding that looks good next to a very bold patio that was just installed.
3. Zoned Patio Designs
Gone are the days of a small, square slab of concrete outside the back door, which housed a grill, table, and lounge chairs. Today’s patios are often designed as a series of outdoor rooms, either separate or open-plan, with distinct activity levels in each zone. The patio may be one large space that’s divided into clearly defined zones using different paver laying patterns; or, it may be a series of interconnected mini-patios - a stunning approach that brings you closer to nature, as each patio is surrounded by landscaping.
4. Bricks
Bricks will always be a treasured building material since they pair so well with any architectural style. Today, you have the choice of clay bricks or their modern cousins, concrete bricks which allow for a greater range of sizes and colors to suit your style.
5. Pavers Inspired By Natural Stone
Although modern pavers tend to be on the sleek side, there’s something to be said for a back-to-nature approach that honors natural materials. Stepping on a textured flagstone-inspired paver can be much more soothing than stepping on a smooth paver that looks like concrete - if for no other reason that the mere thought of nature is calming.
6. Plank-Style Pavers
Along with the trend toward large format pavers, come plank-style pavers. These can mimic the look of wood, although they also give a different look to pavers that are inspired by natural stone. It’s simply a more linear look that goes well with contemporary design; but at the same time, since plank pavers are essentially oversized bricks, they also bring balance to large brick-sided homes and estates where smaller paver materials are too petite.
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