The summer of 2020 was unprecedented in that people spent more time in their backyards than ever before. Many homeowners realized that their patios didn’t offer the ideal stay-at-home experience, which led to a flurry of patio renovations. If you’re thinking about updating your patio, here’s how a landscape designer can make your paver patio dream a reality in Allentown, PA.
Related: How a Paver Patio Can Reduce Your Allentown, PA, Landscape Maintenance
The Design
Working with your landscaping company on a design is one of the most fun parts of a patio project. Be sure to clearly express your needs and wants for the space. This will help your designer come up with a plan that works for your aesthetics and lifestyle.
The patio is one of the most important parts of any American backyard. It’s the hub of outdoor living. Updating the patio to a design that reflects the way you really live, can happen whether your backyard is tiny or grand. Ultimately, any space can accommodate a few key elements that make outdoor living so wonderful.
Optimal use of space is the main focus of any patio design. Clearly-defined spaces bring a sense of harmony and help position zones for high-energy activities like entertaining or play; and lower-energy activities such as quiet conversation or reading. This can be achieved in one main patio, or in a series of smaller interconnected patios.
In general, high-energy zones are often placed centrally. Outdoor kitchens and dining spaces are often where the most activity takes place. One or several quieter zones (a fire area or a pergola-sheltered seating area) could radiate outward from this central hub.
Be sure to include amenities in your plan that make the space feel special to you. While outdoor kitchens are wonderful, you could be satisfied with a simple grill station with a bar peninsula. While fire pits are wonderful gathering spots, you may want a more formal “living room” feel that only a larger outdoor fireplace can offer. You may want shade from a pergola or pavilion, if there aren’t enough mature trees adjacent to the patio. A water feature such as a fountain or waterfall, does wonders for masking traffic noise. And don’t forget privacy. A privacy fence near the patio can turn the space into a wonderful retreat.
The Materials
In many cases, a landscaping contractor will recommend materials, which is why it’s important to be clear on the look you’re after.
The materials you use will determine the overall visual of your patio. Your contractor will discuss paver sizes with you. If your patio is very small, you can still “think big” and use large-format pavers to add a sense of spaciousness and offer a cleaner, less cluttered aesthetic. By contrast, you could use smaller brick pavers to make the space feel more intimate and add textural interest.
Likewise, you could use large pavers on a spacious patio to enhance the wide-open feel; or, smaller brick pavers to create texture and make the space feel more intimate.
Many people choose mid-sized pavers, especially those that come in random bundles of three or more different shapes and sizes. This gives you an easygoing and random-looking laying pattern that works for any space.
Your contractor will consider paver styles along with vertical elements for a cohesive look between your patio surface, grill station, fireplace, and retaining wall.
Your landscaping contractor will then draw up plans and create a 3D rendering of the final design, and once you’ve signed a contract, installation can begin on your dream patio!
Related:4 Landscape Design Ideas for a Modern Paver Walkway in Reading PA
