patio and pathway areas

patio and pathways staked off and borders set - this curve is an important transition point 

reclaiming sand and pavers from old patio area

sand moved to new location

leveling of sand

setting 24" pavers

10' x 10' patio space

patio set and canopy frame in place

There are a lot of how to websites out there to help you set a patio, so I will not be focusing on the HOW TO here. I will discuss the materials and design.

I chose a Lake Michigan 24' paver, which then matched the stone in the gravel we used from a local quarry. I am extremely pleased with the finished look. We also used the Lake Michigan circular stepping stones in the gravel areas intended for walking.

We reclaimed the sand from the old patio, and stacked the old pavers for reuse in other areas. The old patio was located away from all living areas and did not flow as an additional "room" from the house. I believe that outdoor spaces need to flow from indoor spaces, both visually and in a manner that makes them feel as if they extend from the house. The new patio is visible through the bay window upon entering the living room reception area and from the dining room. If you enter the garden from the front gate you approach the patio as a destination, and if you exit from the back door you step down to the pathway to the patio. All of the flows from the house lead to the patio.

the old patio was located in the back corner of this garden space, which is now divided by a new walkway that leads to the sidewalk and patio area

Additionally, we reoriented the approach from the driveway off the back alley. Originally the pathway took you directly to the back door and we wanted to discourage visitors, many who had been trained in the past to enter this way, from coming to the back door which opens to the laundry area. The new pathway, also in Lake Michigan 24' pavers, leads straight to the sidewalk along the garden and on to the front of the house, and past the patio. The garden space reclaimed from the old patio will become the kitchen garden.