Garden design tip 4: paving, part B

When it comes to picking stone for your garden personal choice and taste is important but you should also consider how the stone will fit in with what you already have.

paving design, garden, dublin, path, granite, new, railings

Front garden design (by Tim Austen) featuring granite setts and kerbs to tie-in with the granite windowsills of the house.  Colour of gravel also complements the red-brick of the house.

A good starting point is your house: the colour and finishes on your house should be used as a guide for materials selection for the garden.  For example, if you live in a red-brick residence you could consider using red-brick paving for your garden paths.    If you have granite quoins or windowsills then a granite paving may work well.

On the other hand, if you have a painted finish to your house e.g. a shade of  cream then a beige or sand coloured stone may work or if you have a strong colour like yellow then you should consider using a grey coloured stone so as not to clash with the colour of the house.

Muted tones generally work best in the Irish landscape and soft moisture-filled Irish light and natural Irish stone, such as Kilkenny blue limestone or Liscannor are perfect in this regard.  The same applies to the selection of gravels.

garden design, paving, stone, patios

Kilkenny Limestone paving flamed finish (Tim Austen garden designs)

Aside from colour the textures of paving will extend from smooth, polished surfaces through to coarsely textured and rugged finishes.  The overall look of your garden design may dictate the appropriate finish with more textured stone suiting traditional designs and the more highly polished stones working in contemporary layouts…but this rule does not always apply – if confused, consult your nearest garden designer!

No Comments

Post a Comment