We are planning to put down 500 square feet of patio+pathways. These will begin right at the steps from our small deck. So a major concern is that stones will be caught in shoes and brought into the house to damage hardwood floors.

The purpose of the patio is to serve as an outdoor dining area, and we'd like something that would work for people with and without shoes.

Our architect suggested stabilized DG as one material. I like the look but have reservations about keeping it out of the house and surviving rain runoff. Does the stabilizer really prevent that?

Another possibility is 3/4" pea gravel with or without a stabilizer.

Third would be pavers, which could also look good but which are quite a step up in pricing.

Flagstone is next up from that.

Any of these would be professionally installed over a well prepared base. I'm interested in hearing about how these materials would meet my criteria (save the floors, stay in place) over the long haul.

Thanks for your insights.