Paver color choice wrong Pics

16 years ago

We are having a front walkway put in. I don't like the color of the pavers they used. We are having it redone and I need help with picking the right color of pavers to go with my house brick. Any advice would be appreciated.

Mary

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Featured Answer

karinl

16 years ago

Oh you know what, the colour fades. Besides, you do have some red tones in your house brick, and I think it looks perfectly adequate. Once you get some edging on, sweep the sand into the cracks, and distract the eye with whatever will grow adjacent to the walk - even grass will help - the slight disconnect will be hardly noticeable. It would be to the point where I could live with it, at least.

And really, I don't think changing the colour will address the real problem here, which is twofold. One, you have a gorgeous house competing with a gorgeous walk for attention. By rights, the walkway should play second fiddle, but you've chosen a walkway that is a diva in and of itself. Me, I like that look though.

Two, I think it was a design mistake to use a similar size brick to what it in the house but in a non-complementary pattern - putting geometric and swirly together. This means that any colour option will look like a mismatch with the house unless you use the same brick in the same pattern as the house. Solid grey wouldn't work either. The pattern alone creates a visual disharmony, even if exactly the house brick were used.

Having said that, I might have made the same choices; I like visual overstimulation (I did the same thing with my carpet and curtains in my living room; neither plays second fiddle to the other and some people would say they clash). The walk itself is gorgeous, and again, the disharmony will be subdued once you get the sand into the cracks (will reduce the starkness of the brick outlines and the swirly pattern) and get the garden context filled in.

Me, I'd leave it. But if you decide to change it, I'd change the whole walkway concept, not just the colour of the brick. Random or square-cut flagstone would be my choice here, or just solid concrete. Not small bricks.

KarinL

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Comments (12)

annzgw
16 years ago
Wow..........whoever did the work did a nice job. Is the brick on the house all one color? Have you tried wetting the bricks to see what they'd look like if they were to have sealant applied?

Colorwise, I could only suggest solid gray, but it's difficult to say judging only by photos.
The only thing I'd change in the layout is to move the 'circle' design so that it's more in line with the front door.. IMO, it's too far to the right.
rosiew
16 years ago
You're so right about the color not being right, but the walks are WONDERFUL. I'd suggest getting several dozen of whatever you are considering and laying them out. The terra cotta ones might work well with a buff paver and would complement the house brick.

Let us know what you do, Mary.

Rosie in Sugar Hill, GA
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tink94582
16 years ago
We are in the process of landscaping. I've had a hard time choosing hardscape to match the house materials. Our home is similar, brick with siding and the driveway is pavers. I think we've decided to go with stamped concrete (haven't decided on color). Have you considered combining pavers with something else, concrete or natural stone?

I love the the lay out of the pavers. Possibly once you bring in plants, grass the contrast will not be as noticable.

Are you really considering replacing the pavers? arrrgh!
laag
16 years ago
I'm with Karin in that I think it has more to do with the newness and the incomplete landscape around it.

I'm partial to red clay bricks even though your house is not red, but tht really won't be bad once it is done.
misslucinda
16 years ago
Mary-

I agree with Laag and Karin in that you currently have nothing to divert the eye from that walk right now.

You may, like myself, be distracted by the blue pavers..however after a couple of look-sees I notice many of them have more white inclusions that the red ones.

If you are still disturbed by the look after you finish installing the walkway and the plantings you could IMO and in theory anyway, achieve better integration with the house by applying a whitewash or a white stain and just rubbing off after a few minutes.
ymaddox
16 years ago
I think i would center the circle with the door and make the walk one color of brick some color you would like to try to pull out of the brick on the house.
marytxo
Original Author
16 years ago
Hi,
Thank you all for your help. I did pick out another paver, and we are having it redone. I am leaving the circles out. I will post a picture when it's done.
Good day!
harleysilo
16 years ago
Good decision, the colors pictured above clash.
marytxo
Original Author
16 years ago
Sorry I took so long. Here is the new pavers. I like it better, but still not in love with it. Dealing with this landscaper was terrible. We have to have it re-done in next year. He made a huge island in the front that looks awful. Terrible Celtic Wall has to come out.
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karinl
16 years ago
Colour match is better, but the inspired design of the original walkway is missed. (For those who can't see the original photos, pics 3 and 4 are the original). For my eye the problem is still the size of the bricks, which causes the walkway to fight with the bricks in the house. I would have gone with bigger slabs, either uniform square cut, random square cut, or the flagstone look, maybe edged with brick.

Having chosen these small bricks, there is little possibility you can improve on these results, other than removing the wall which I agree does not achieve a nice curve. Other than the fact that they don't go with the house due to the brick size, they are two of the prettiest walkways I've ever seen.

KarinL
karinl
16 years ago
... regardless of how they looked with my house, I would have been happy with either one!

Also, thank you for coming back with the outcome, even if it's not the final one.

KarinL