2025 Hardscape Trends That Will Transform Your Outdoor Living Spaces

Outdoor spaces have become more than just a plot of land or a place to park your car – they’re an extension of our homes, where we relax, gather, and reconnect with nature. As outdoor living continues to evolve, we’ve analyzed thousands of landscape projects and consulted with landscape architects, designers, and contractors, to help identify the standout outdoor trends shaping 2025.

Let’s break down the top five hardscaping trends that will define outdoor spaces this year.

U-Trend #1: Greener By Design

As we become increasingly aware of our environmental footprints, there’s a push for greener infrastructure and more sustainable landscape design to minimize the impact of construction on the environment.

One standout trend within this space is the use of permeable pavers. Unlike traditional poured concrete, which can carry polluted stormwater runoff into rivers and lakes, Unilock permeable pavers are designed with special spacer bars that create wider joint gaps. When installed on a permeable base, it creates a stable drainage system that allows rainwater to be absorbed back into the subsoil, helping nourish nearby green spaces. Permeable paver systems also help mitigate urban flooding and reduce the burden on municipal storm drains.

Another step forward in sustainability is to choose products with minimal to no carbon concrete. Unilock has ushered in a new, greener era with the launch of EcoTerra™. This product is the first 100% cement-free facemix paver, helping to reduce CO2 emissions by up to 15%. EcoTerra offers compressive strength, lasting color, and requires minimal maintenance. Additionally, by removing cement from the top layer, EcoTerra pavers produce zero efflorescence, ensuring a vibrant, eco-friendly solution for your projects. 

U-Trend #2: Creating a sensory experience with Biophilic Design

Originally popular within indoor living spaces like corporate offices and wellness spas, biophilic design has blossomed into a standout trend that’s firmly rooted itself within the hardscape industry. This trend aims to improve the connection between people and nature within the built environment, with studies suggesting that incorporating these elements into our designs can offer tremendous benefits to our health and well-being.

Here are some examples of biophilic design-inspired elements you can use for your projects:

• Lush, natural greenery like climbing vines, wildflower beds, and vertical garden walls;
• Natural elements like fire, water, and stone to create a calm, peaceful atmosphere;
• Earthy tones like taupe, soft browns, and beige, inspired by the look of soil or wood found in nature;
• Organic shapes – think smooth curves and flowing lines, such as the gentle contours of leaves, waves, and tree branches, rather than sharp, geometric edges;

Another emerging trend within the biophilic design movement is ‘entanglement’, which takes elements like gravel, grass, and stone and artfully weaves them together with intricate paver patterns. For example, consider the project shown above, which combines Arcana™ pavers with crisscrossing lines of artificial turf. This ‘soft meets solid’ design creates a modern, inviting atmosphere while providing a comfortable feel underfoot.

U-Trend #3: Unity in Hardscape Design

Gone are the days of mismatched materials, clashing colors, and over-complicated layouts. 2025 is going to be all about creating cohesion, with pavers, steps, walls, and coping working together as part of a unified design.

So, how can you create this sense of unity? Start by choosing similar, monochromatic colors. By unifying tones across pavers, steps, and other vertical elements, you can deliver a soft look that is minimalistic in its approach. Great examples of this unity can be found through Unilock Collections. These carefully curated product pairings take the guesswork out of the paver selection process to bring you a well-rounded design that can enhance any outdoor space.

U-Trend #4: Bigger Is Better with Large Format Slabs

Building on the trend of cohesive, minimalist design, large format slabs are becoming increasingly popular over the busyness of smaller paver shapes. The appeal is simple: bigger pavers, fewer joints, and cleaner lines.

Large format slabs, such as Unilock Arcana™ or Beacon Hill™ Smooth XL, create a smooth, spacious look for your patio or pool deck, especially when using muted tones like beige or grey. With fewer joint lines breaking up the surface, these larger slabs make even the smallest patio designs feel bigger and more open.

U-Trend #5: Making It Personal with Bespoke Design Elements

Personalization is everything! Homeowners in 2025 are looking to create unique outdoor living spaces that will stand out in the sea of sameness. Bespoke design embraces this idea, allowing you to mix and match colors, sizes, and textures to create one-of-a-kind paver layouts that feel truly personal.

To help bring this vision to life, here are some ways you can add that personal touch to your outdoor spaces:

•  Add vertical dimension with features like low seat walls, planter boxes, or garden dividers.
  • With the introduction of new U-Cara® Subway and Lavano panels, you can construct captivating vertical designs by mixing and matching with our existing fascia panels;

• Embrace striking textures and shapes like cobblestone, flagstone, or hexagonal pavers to create unique driveway and patio designs;
• Some homeowners are using custom inlays and patterns using pavers to create striking “pixel art” driveway patterns, or intricate courtyard designs;

No matter your budget or the size of your home, these hardscaping trends can help you transform your outdoor space into something truly special.

If you’re looking for more design inspiration, consider checking out our 2025 Design Idea Catalog. Filled with incredible outdoor projects, products, tools, and resources, this catalog offers everything you need to bring your vision to life. You can also dive deeper into real-world projects built with Unilock products by browsing our Dream Gallery, where you’ll find tailored designs for specific applications like pool decks and outdoor kitchens.

And when you’re ready to start your next paver or wall project, let us help you Find a Contractor by filling out our online form, and we’ll match you with a trusted Unilock Authorized Contractor near you. These experienced professionals have in-depth knowledge of Unilock products and installation best practices to create a space that’s both beautiful and will last for years to come.