Spending more time in your own personal backyard sanctuary can be made more enjoyable with the right patio. If you’re feeling cramped and wish you could expand the size of your patio, here’s a guide to selecting patio pavers for a more spacious outdoor living space in Winnetka, IL.
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Conventional wisdom says that large pavers are best for large spaces, and small pavers are best for small spaces. However, there is so much more to this, because you could end up with the wrong look if you choose pavers solely by size.
Open up a small patio by choosing large pavers, even if the space is small. Minimizing joint lines helps to create a more unified space. The more joint lines there are, the more the space is chopped up visually, making it appear smaller.
Create a visually unified space by using jointing sand in the same color as the tiles (or as close as possible).
Paver orientation is important too. Laying pavers (especially square pavers) at a 45-degree angle to the house creates the illusion of more space; your eye is drawn to the corners of each paver and then quickly to the neighboring paver, instead of following straight lines. Avoid laying pavers in a linear orientation such as running bond, if you want to make a patio appear larger than it is.
Another great laying pattern is called ashlar, which encourages the eye to wander without pointing it in any particular direction; this brings your attention to the paver colors, shapes, and patterns and de-emphasizes the patio size. The ashlar pattern combines three different paver shapes and sizes for a random look. This pattern uses a large rectangle, medium square, and small rectangle; or a large square, a large rectangle and small rectangle; or a large square, small square, and medium rectangle. Even though it appears random, the pattern actually repeats.
Paver colors also contribute to a feeling of spaciousness. However, this is also a rule that should take your unique space into consideration. Light colors can make a patio feel larger and dark colors can make it feel smaller. But it’s important to consider the immediate surroundings. Putting a light patio into an area with dense, green vegetation will create a very strong boundary between the landscape and the pavers, effectively shrinking the patio. In this case, you are better off choosing pavers in a darker color that helps the patio blend into the surroundings by creating less of a distinction - this effectively opens up the space visually.
A circular or curved patio also makes a space feel larger, especially if the curves undulate. This helps to prevent the “boxy” feeling of square or rectangular patios. Here’s where you can get creative with materials and laying patterns, too - and break some rules. A circular patio paved with bricks that fan outward in a “sun ray” pattern encourages the eye to continue looking outward, even after the pavers end.
You can also vary laying patterns in various zones of the patio to create visual interest and avoid linear patterns.
On a curved patio, use the ashlar laying pattern at a 45-degree angle to the home. This will create a space without any clearly defined straight lines (straight lines tend to end abruptly, causing the space to feel smaller).
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