How Contractors Near Me Use Masonry to Add Character to Brick Patios and Walkways in the Blairstown, NJ, Area
An artful eye and expertise in masonry can construct a characterful brick patio and walkway to rejuvenate an outdoor space and lead the way to many enjoyable days outside. As you consider options for transforming your landscape, know how “masonry contractors near me” create beautiful features in the Blairstown, NJ, area.
Related: 4 Roles Masonry Plays in Landscape Design in the Hope, NJ, Area
A Patio Rich in Character
A brick patio presents an opportunity to construct an artistic and functional element of the landscape that can help blend a newly developed space with the surrounding landscape and the home’s architecture.
The Beauty of Natural Stone in a Landscape
One option is to contrast brick features with natural stone as a way to create a stunning outdoor living space that marries the properties of both materials in traditional and unexpected ways.
The patio surface itself could become a blank slate for artistic expression where your masons blend brick with larger cut stone to create geometric patterns and define specific activity zones within the patio. For example, natural stone could be used as the main field, while brick is used as a border, as decorative accents, or even outdoor “area rugs.”
If you have an existing brick patio, removing some of the bricks and replacing them with large format rectangular or square-cut natural bluestone could be a striking way to blend the two materials.
Adding natural stone masonry to your patio space will add a feeling of substance and grandeur. A large outdoor fireplace made with locally sourced stone and featuring a few brick accents is one way to create a welcoming outdoor living “room.” Add a seat wall—perhaps made of natural stone with brick accents—to create more coziness, establish functional overflow seating (and/or a place for colorful potted plants), and tie the entire look together.
Ideas for Walkways
Just like the patio, a walkway could reflect an artful blend of brick and natural stone, creating an interesting journey from the driveway to the front door. This approach helps you preserve a historical look of a vintage brick walkway, but with a look that’s infused with richness of character because of the addition of natural stone. Creating a stepping-stone effect adds a dynamic geometric design to a walkway.
For a complementary visual, add a retaining wall alongside the walkway made of stacked flagstone. Stacked flagstone will deliver an intricate look. Material choices could be influenced by the home’s architectural style, and whether there is any stone on the home’s facade.
The linear appearance of stacked flagstone can beautifully complement a linear brick laying pattern such as running bond. For a more dynamic laying pattern such as herringbone, you could consider using larger stone slabs to help balance the look.
Adding a retaining wall near the walkway is also a good opportunity for incorporating subtle landscape lighting fixtures that introduce more safety and ambiance to your outdoor living space. Outdoor lighting fixtures within a masonry wall helps to create a clutter-free landscape and puts light exactly where it’s needed—on the surface of the walkway.
Colors That Look Great Together
When blending brick and natural stone on your patio or walkway, there are two approaches when it comes to color. You could choose similar colors for a more unified look, or embrace the fact that these two materials are completely different, and opt for contrasting colors.