Hardscaping: How to Choose the Right Pavers for Your Landscape Design

Landscape pavers are a key element in garden design. Whether you take a “less is more” approach with a paved pathway meandering through your garden or choose to create a functional area between green spaces, pavers are a versatile and flexible backyard landscaping tool.  

What are the different types of pavers?

Landscape pavers come in a vast array of styles and colours. Most common pavers in Australia are either ‘natural’ or ‘composite’.

Natural pavers	Composite pavers
Bluestone Dense, hardwearing volcanic stone formed over millions of years with grey-blue colouring.	Concrete One of the most common pavers, made with cement and aggregates. Durable and strong solution for large areas like driveways.
Limestone Hard sedimentary stone with a textured surface, normally pale but can be grey, blue and red.	Composite granite Made with around 95% granite and 5% resin, composite granite is less porous and more affordable than natural granite.
Granite A natural grey speckled igneous rock creating a non-slip surface ideal for around pools and garden edges.	Recycled composite A more eco-friendly paver choice using recycled stone and aggregates to make a wide range of pavers.
Clay brick Limited in colour choices but hardy in outdoor spaces, brick is a popular driveway paver or garden edge.

Consider colour

Choosing the right paver colour is about performance as much as the look. For example, dark pavers might be striking in a high-contrast backyard design palette, but they get very hot underfoot when exposed to too much Perth sunshine.

• Light colours are better for walkways because they reflect heat
• Coloured stone can fade in the sun
• Natural textured limestone is ideal around pool areas
• Brick and plain concrete are limited in colour but easier to clean (and fade resistant)
• Textured stone can be used as a striking feature in landscape design

Most landscape pavers come in more than one colour and texture. We can help you find the right shade, shape and size to suit your backyard design.

Don’t forget about texture!

Our final tip is based on feeling – the feeling of your landscape pavers, that is. Subtle texture changes achieve a sense of movement and depth you wouldn’t have thought possible in stone. For example, mixing plain natural stone and speckled granite creates an elegant feature without overdoing the accents. Especially when using mainly monotone pavers in backyard design, look for ways texture can establish a more organic, exciting look that complements your plants.

Why choose Looking Good Landscaping?

When it comes to creating a good-looking backyard design – or front yard, for that matter – landscape pavers are a versatile and highly functional element. And if there’s one thing Looking Good Landscapes are good at, it’s good looking landscapes. If you’re looking for a way to add interest and practicality in your garden, give us a call to discuss the wide range of paver options available and how we can create a custom design.