Our homes are generally rectangular, or at least linear – but that doesn’t mean our outdoor living spaces need to be! While the size and shape of a patio is often dictated by the landscape, a circular patio has an appeal that square or rectangular patios can’t match. Here are some tips to creating a circular patio design with paving stones in Armonk, NY.
Why do circular patios work so well?
For millennia, people have lived in circular homes. When it comes to outdoor spaces, many of the same benefits apply. Circular structures require less materials than square structures of equal useable size, as there are no corners (which are often underutilized).
Round patios give a sense of the space being interconnected
While you can have separate activity zones within a round patio, there’s also the sense that the zones belong together, much like an open-concept home. This is a bit more difficult to achieve with a square or rectangular patio, because people tend to want each zone to gravitate toward its own corner; or, they place everything in the middle, and then create awkward right-angle traffic patterns around dining tables or other features.
Round patios offer easier traffic flow
People don’t walk in right angles (if you’ve ever seen a lovely city park lawn that’s criss crossed with paths, you know that people will do anything to avoid walking in right angles). Circles offer an easier and more organic traffic pattern that actually encourages circulation and mingling within the space.
Round patios offer easier and more comfortable social interaction
We humans have been sitting in a circle around fires since the dawn of man and we are attracted to intimate spaces where we feel cocooned (without feeling completely enclosed). Whether your patio features a fire pit or a simple dining table, it just feels good to be in a circle.
Round patios offer a softer look that integrates better into the landscape.
Nothing in nature is perfectly straight, and it can look awkward to impose straight lines into the natural features of a landscape. Given that homes are rarely round, the addition of a circular patio helps ease the transition between the human-oriented zone of the home and the nature-oriented zone of the landscape. On the patio, the two integrate beautifully. To accentuate this feature of a circular patio, consider using a paver with a natural texture, such as Beacon Hill Flagstone, and employing them in a randomized laying pattern.
Related Read: Add a Sense of European Design With Unilock Courtstone Patio Pavers in Wilmington, DE
Today, the materials suitable for creating a beautiful circular patio aren’t as restrictive as in times past. Unilock concrete pavers are dimensionally accurate, meaning less labor spent in cutting and shaping; and if you choose to create a patio out of smaller pavers laid in a circular pattern, then very little cutting and shaping will be required around the perimeter and you’ll have fewer gaps between individual pavers. But that doesn’t mean you have to lay pavers in a circular pattern. You can create a modern look by laying pavers at a 45-degree angle to your home, and cutting the perimeter stones to create a perfect circle. Alternatively, you can utilize a smaller paver such as Copthorne or Courtstone to create an impressive circular border.
The title image features a Beacon Hill Flagstone patio with Copthorne and Courtstone accents.
