I am a big fan of mixing materials, to too great an extent in the opinion of others here when I've posted photos. We have a paver patio (two types of paver) bordered with a natural rock wall, and we have a flagstone walk bordering other materials. There are some ground rules for mixing materials. Although I can't always articulate them, I think they are the same as for mixing patterns, colours, and textures indoors. I think it has to do with a balance of harmony and contrast. Certainly the colours have to harmonize on some level, while the materials need to contrast perhaps in terms of piece size or pattern or texture. For example, brick and flagstone could work. The brick is a small uniformly repeating pattern, so I would use larger pieces of flagstone in a complementary colour with it. Recently someone posted here with a brick house fronted by a paver pathway in a swirly pattern. To my eye those two did not work together as the patterns, both using small units, competed with each other. If you do stamped concrete together with brick, I would not use a brick-like pattern but rather something uniform or a large motif. Flagstone can follow curves. Here is a picture of a work-in-progress (most of the planting wasn't done, nor was the clean-up, etc) flagstone walk we did that used the shape of the pieces to make curves. Curving can be done by cutting and breaking the pieces to your specifications as well. Around the fountain, the flagstones actually extend under it though this is risky; it might lever the flagstones up and cause breakage, not really recommended. Incidentally, this photo also shows an example of a failed hardscape combination - actually at both ends of the flagstone (although others might argue there are more mismatches than that). The walkway that intersects with the flagstone one is made of granite bricks. The bricks might be OK with the flagstone, but the walk itself is too rigidly rectangular to work with the flowing shape of the flagstone walk. We'll probably replace that with flagstone someday (after the other 40,000 things on the to-do list are done). At the other end, the pebbled concrete slabs don't harmonize too well, but we wanted to use them as they have sentimental value and having placed them already when we put the flagstone in... well, they're heavy, and they ain't goin' nowhere. So, I'd say materials can definitely be mixed, but with some thoughtfulness. KarinL

I can't believe your installer did not put edging stone around! Highly unprofessional! I wouldn't think that would survive intact through the first winter. It's trickier to install edging stone AFTER the patio is installed, it should have been done at the time. Two choices that I can see: - buy edging stone like large pieces of cut granite. Many cities use this kind of stone for curbs. It needs to go below ground level. I have a hard time seeing this work effectively unless you use VERY large pieces now. The problem is that years of water coming through the patio and frost heave will be pushing it out. It should have been installed with a deep foundation and probably mortared together. Might be too late. (your installer never thought of this???) - you may prefer to get a few loads of topsoil in and have a gentle slope from the patio to the lawn. It would probably be easier, and would nicely eliminate the step from the patio to the grass. To be effective and not look funny, it will have to be a small gradual slope, so you are probably looking at adding topsoil 8 feet or more from the edge of your patio. That is a lot of topsoil but I think would give you nice results.

Kristen- I see a Screened Porch on the deck above to provide a dry area below. Seems like a perfect fit for your nice home...and you did say that this could be a multi-phase project :) I would add lattice work around the posts underneath and gravel as a base for storage accessed by a lattice framed door. Electronics could go against house midway back. Can't tell from the photos how much headroom you will having after excavation down to the footers. You may indeed have enough height for a use an enclosed room. Doug

This is my neighbor's. You can see the angle of slope that everyone on our side of the street deals with. We all have 80'x200' lots with the swale running along the entire 80' width of each lot. We either had to build our pools on one side or the other of the swale because there is a drain pipe running the length of the street under that swale. We all chose to build our pools on the side closest to our homes. My neighbor has had some issues with her wall. Up top she's got a 4' ribbon of concrete entirely around the pool that has needed to be repaired many times. Another problem with being so raised up, she says, is that she feels like they're on display all the time, and they can't easily access the rest of their backyard from the pool deck. I guess she could have put a stair from the wall to the ground but we all think of things we would have done differently no matter how much thought we put into it.