Herringbone or Running Bond?: Trending Patterns for Concrete Pavers in Brick, NJ

The title image features Town Hall pavers.

The arrangement of concrete pavers in your landscape can have a tremendous impact on the mood and aesthetic of your entire Brick, NJ, home. Linear brick-shaped or plank style pavers are commonly laid in two patterns known as herringbone and running bond. While there are other patterns, these tend to be the most common for patio, walkway, and driveway applications.

Herringbone

It’s a funny name, but the skeleton of a fish could actually be the inspiration for this arrangement pattern for pavers. Imagine a classic V-shape that always makes some interesting sight lines.

Herringbone is a pattern that can be ideal for grand entry courts and wide driveways because of the interest it creates from many sight points. It can make even small pavers turn a space into an expansive-looking area.

You can further expand the impact of texture by using various colors of jointing sand. You can reduce the dense and busy feeling of a large surface by using a darker jointing sand or pea gravel. On the other hand, you could opt for a lighter jointing sand in between pavers in order to increase visual contrast. In the case of your hardscape already feeling packed in, herringbone may not be the best pattern to use.

Even though herringbone is very traditional in its appearance, it can work well in even the most modern landscapes. In the case of an awkwardly shaped space, Herringbone can play with the visual space and create an interesting patio. The substantial proportions of Town Hall pavers (inspired by North American clay street pavers) can be ideal for a visually rich space. Try mixing two or three colors in this pattern to add interest. Another excellent paver that works well with the Herringbone pattern is the slightly smaller Copthorne paver from Unilock.

Running Bond

Perhaps the most typical of the traditional brick laying patterns, running bond is the type of pattern that makes you think of the simple staggered pattern of brick walls. It’s an incredibly strong and effective bricklaying style for both vertical structures and paved surfaces. What might surprise you, though, is the combination of paver texture and the simplicity of this laying pattern. The magnificent Tribeca Cobble pavers from Unilock look incredible in traditional and rustic applications due to their timeworn texture that evokes ancient cities and villages.

The slender Mattoni pavers from Unilock offer plenty of options for a great design using the running bond pattern, especially in curved applications. For whatever curve your landscape may follow, these incredible pavers can set up an amazing surface.

The running bond pattern is a wonderful pattern for modern designs as well, employing continuous straight lines that mirror the linear aesthetic of many modern landscapes, making the landscape surface simple and minimalistic while also harkening back to the styles of traditional masonry.

One of the most exciting pavers to be applied in a running bond pattern is the Artline paver from Unilock, which is a modern take on brick, using a larger size to add a chic yet timeless look to your pedestrian spaces or driveway.

Keep in mind that because the lines must be perfectly straight (or deliberately curved), the running bond is not an easy pattern to achieve successfully. Neither is the herringbone pattern. We recommend that you have your hardscape installed by a qualified Unilock Authorized Contractor.