A gently curving paver walkway offers a warm welcome, and invites guests to enjoy your landscape rather than rushing through it. It is also a more creative way to achieve the objective of getting from here to there. If you’re considering revamping your walkway, here are five ways to use patio pavers for curved walkways in Cape May, NJ.
Related Read: Designing a Front Walkway that Charms and Welcomes
Mae It About the Journey, Not the Destination
If you think of a hallway in the typical home, it’s pretty clear what its purpose is. But if that hallway is curved and you can’t see the rooms at the end, it instantly becomes much more interesting. Now, it has the opportunity to become an architectural statement. It can become a gallery where you are invited to slow down and enjoy what’s around you. You can achieve the same sense of curiosity with a curved walkway. Use textured pavers such as Brussels Block in combination with smoother pavers from Unilock to create a walkway that curves around your home, beckoning you to follow and explore what’s around the bend.
Consider Gathering spots
Create gathering spots at the end of a walkway. Pavers also work really well when you need to define a space. A defined gathering space can be achieved by simply altering the laying pattern of the pavers, and making that space large enough for at least four people to stand comfortably. If your walkway pavers are laid at a 90 degree angle to the home (and maintain that orientation regardless of the meanderings the walkway takes), you can lay the gathering spot pavers at a 45 degree angle. This is often done at the entry of the home and works even with any pavers. The effect can be achieved using any pavers, including Bristol Valley (which comes in random bundles of two rectangular sizes and one square size) or contemporary brick-like pavers like the slender Mattoni.
Slow It Down
Curved walkways encourage slowing down, which is a nice change of pace in today’s busy world. Create an inviting spot to slow down and even stop at the midpoint of a long walkway. You can achieve this by creating a circle of contrasting pavers. Or, you can create a niche alongside the walkway: a small side patio just big enough for a bench. Orient the bench toward a pleasing view such as a garden, add a garden fountain or contemporary water feature on the opposite side of the walkway, and you’ve created an instant park-like feel your guests will love. What a great spot to unplug from the world for a bit and find time for yourself with a good book.
Appreciate Nature
Don’t restrict your walkways to the entry. A curved walkway that meanders through your garden or a wooded spot on your property is an open invitation for you and your guests to enjoy the surroundings. A narrow path, just wide enough for one, with Courtstone brick-like pavers aligned in the direction of travel and following the walkway’s every curve as it winds around trees, flower beds, a pond and other landscape features, feels like a secret path to adventure. And if it leads to an intimate spot with a bench and water feature, all the better!
Related Read: Using paver patterns to transform your patio design
Honor the Landscape
Straight lines rarely occur in nature, and it can feel awkward to impose a straight walkway onto a natural setting, especially if it is rolling or sloped. Curves more closely reflect the natural contours of the land and make your walkway fit right in.
The title image features Series pavers.
