Emerging Trends in Large Scale Patio Pavers

There’s an old saying that “bigger is better.” Although that’s quite often not true at all, in the contemporary world of outdoor living design, large scale pavers certainly are one of the hottest trends.

This phenomenon has a lot to do with the continuing evolution of what’s known in design circles as “indoor/outdoor living.” In layman’s terms, this design concept refers to outdoor living designs that are a continuation of the interior environment. For the last several years, popularity has continued to increase for larger tiles and wider wooden planks for interior flooring. Continuing this trend outdoors was a natural progression in creating designs that flow more easily from one environment to the other. And as demand for larger pavers continued to grow, a multitude of style options began to emerge.

Popular Paver Face Textures

Natural stone textures have been popular for the last several years — and continue to be so, particularly in certain regions — however, there’s a rising trend towards smoother faced pavers that offer crisp, clean lines. With the rise in porcelain pavers, there has also been an increase in woodgrain-textured pavers. This is reflective of a rise in the popularity of interior wood look porcelain tile — one of the hottest trends in interior flooring. This style offers the look of natural wood without any of the stain or maintenance worries, which is particularly beneficial in an outdoor environment.

Trends in Plank-Style Pavers

You guessed it…with an increase in woodgrain pavers, the plank shape naturally followed suit. In addition to porcelain styles, plank-style concrete pavers are also trending. With woodgrain porcelain pavers, wider planks are more popular, as they more closely mimic wooden decking and also reflect interior flooring trends. However, both wide and narrow planks are trending in the concrete styles, both in textured and smooth-face plank pavers. Plank shapes are also available in the Belgard’s versatile Moduline Series™, which offers an array of colors that allow designers to have some fun with their paver designs.

Large Scale Paver Shapes

It’s definitely hip to be square, and the larger the better. This can be seen in both slab-style pavers and numerous porcelain paver lines. Belgard regularly sees orders for sizes up to 24″ x 24″, with custom orders of porcelain pavers in even larger squares. However, large rectangles are also quite popular, which is more reflective of the current trends in interior flooring.

Laying Patterns for Large Scale Pavers

Popular pattern styles vary, depending on paver shape. With square pavers, a straight (or stacked bond) lay is most often seen, which is actually a contrast to the stagger patterns more often seen in interior flooring. Diagonal patterns are sometimes seen, too, but are not quite as popular. Rectangular and plank pavers are most often laid in a staggered running bond, but are sometimes seen in a herringbone pattern in more adventurous designs. Modular ashlar patterns are also quite popular, which incorporate multiple pavers shapes and sizes. A newly emerging trend is to entangle the pavers with the surrounding landscape, either by staggering the edge of the paver field or by using squares in a checkerboard or stepping-stone pattern.

. . .

Tags

Large format pavers large scale pavers patio design ideas plank pavers

Joe Raboine

Joe Raboine is nationally renowned as an expert on hardscapes and outdoor living design. He began his tenure in the industry as a contractor, which gave him the knowledge base to become a true innovator on the manufacturing side. He revolutionized the outdoor kitchen industry with his creation of the Belgard Elements line of prefabricated kitchen and fireplace components. Joe also developed the concept behind the groundbreaking Belgard Design Studio, which creates photorealistic 3D and Virtual Reality design renderings of outdoor living projects. In his current role as Director of Belgard Hardscapes, he is sought after throughout the country for speaking engagements, webinars and media interviews for his knowledge on design trends, product innovations and industry best practices. A native of Wisconsin, Joe now lives in Atlanta with his wife and five children. They enjoy spending time in the outdoors hiking, kayaking and communing with nature.