Home Design
Incorporating paving within your landscaping design is both an important and elegant way to provide yourself with a beautiful flooring area and also to create the right tone and feel for your home. Many people conjure up old uninspiring images of what pavers and paving looks like. You do not have to stick with an old out-dated lifeless floor surface.
Below I have listed some interesting trends that are developing so you can understand what choices are available to you and how innovative you can really be.
Help the environment and use recycled materials
Why not look out for the environment and use recycled pavers for your outdoor areas, a trend we have seen emerging, bringing life to old materials. There are many options currently offered for recycled pavers, they are available in all materials, colours, sizes and they have the ability to create some really unique, artistic original designs. You have the option of going for more of a modern look, cleaning them off so they do not appear as old. Alternatively, you can opt for the original look and keep them in their current state to create an ambience of authenticity with that extra old warm charm.
The trend towards using recycled materials comes down to a couple of significant factors. The saving you receive; it is a lot cheaper to use recycled materials compared to purchasing things brand new. You are also redirecting materials from landfill into beautiful inspiring works of art, something to be very proud of. In this modern world, people are becoming more conscientious about the environment and value the emotional benefits of doing something positive for the environment. It is also a great feeling to inspire others and be a role model, providing for a more sustainable living environment.
Be Natural
One of the most recent movements at the moment is to be using natural materials. As people’s concerns increase with the environment, there is more demand for materials that are pure and sourced directly from nature. Examples of natural materials include stone pavers and large format clay pavers. Both of these are currently in high demand. A stylish, modest and timeless look can be created with stone pavers that suit any style of home. They are multipurpose in nature and can be used anywhere around your home, from your veranda to your front path, around the pool or even your driveway. Clay pavers look best when they are large format and have rounded edges and they can be used in virtually all locations. It is recommended to be cautious if you are thinking of using pavers on driveways as they have a natural fault line in them that may break underneath increased pressure.
Cobblestone is charming
Even though cobblestone is nothing new and has been around for hundreds of years, we are seeing it continuously used within the paving arena. It seems this “old” style will never die out and can be adapted to create the “old but new” look.
Cobblestones are surprisingly quite adaptable in nature, and can be used as the main paving material in verandas, driveways, pathways or they can be used as accents with large format pavers, allowing for a stimulating and distinct look. They can change a neutral, uninspiring area into a relaxing and stimulating place to be. Enchanting country paths, the ambience of being in a relaxing Taiwanese resort, or a romantic European style setting are all possibilities when using cobblestones.
Paving both inside and out
We are seeing a move towards creating large open spaces, one of the major trends in living at the moment. People are achieving this by merging their indoor and outdoor living areas with the same paving materials. It is common to achieve this look by using bi fold doors. In order to achieve unity between indoor and outdoor living spaces and create one big living area, contemplate using the same pavers or tiles throughout. Think natural stone tiles or large format pavers with a non slip coating. Using the same paving material will create a true feel of harmony, unity and cohesiveness through the two living areas.
