Connect Your Driveway and Patio with a Complementary Walkway in the Naperville, IL, Area

Masonry features can steal the show, so to speak, in a landscape. Since your driveway, front walkway, and patio will likely be the largest masonry elements in your landscape, then you may want to spend a bit of time considering how they can be made to complement one another, to create an eye-catching, cohesive design in the Naperville, IL, area.

Related: Enjoy the Walk to Your Hinsdale, IL, Patio on a Stunning Walkway

Paver Design and Color

If you are having your walkway designed and built to specifically complement the driveway and patio, the pavers used for each landscape feature should be selected carefully (as they always should be). The colors and size will matter if the overall look you want to achieve is more modern (e.g., monotone, large, smooth) or traditional (e.g., more closely resembling stone; may be on the smaller side).

As you work with your landscape contractor during the process of designing and building these landscape elements, you may be inclined to use the same pavers for everything, but a slight contrast could bring a unique design element to the overall look. If your existing driveway is staying in place, for example, perhaps you will be able to use a similar color for the field pavers of your connecting walkway but you could use a stark contrasting for the paver border of the walkway, a choice that could be replicated in the patio.

If your driveway will feature a larger monotone paver, then the addition of a smaller, multi-color paver for the borders of each of the three elements can bring new colors to your landscape but in a subtle way. Keep in mind that if you want to choose the same style and color paver for your walkway, driveway, and patio, the driveway pavers will likely need to be thicker. In many cases, this is not an issue because different paver styles offer a variety of thickness levels, but sometimes availability of pavers may affect your final choice.

Unique Patterns

If you prefer the look of monotone pavers for all three masonry elements, you may want to look into varying the pattern. Pavers can be installed in a variety of patterns, depending on their shape and size, such as herringbone or a running bond pattern. Incorporating patterns will keep your driveway, walkway, and patio complementary while allowing each element to be individualized in their own way.

Stunning Textures

Textures present a more subtle option for visually connecting various landscape features, but it is a detail that deserves special attention as it can have an effect on the overall look and feel of your landscape design. Highly textured pavers can be a pleasure to walk upon, while some people prefer the sleek style of a smooth paver. Textures can be fairly subtle: Flagstone style pavers, for example, are wonderful for adding texture, but would still establish a relatively flat walkway or driveway.

After all this, you may find that having complementary landscape features is not a priority, and you may find it more enjoyable to have different pavers for your walkway, driveway, and patio. That would be fine too—your outdoor living space should, ultimately, reflect your style preferences.

Related: Landscaping Inspiration for Your Front Walkway in Your Hinsdale, IL, Home