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Landscape Design Design Dilemma

Can you mix paver colors? Trying to design paver patio.

5 years ago

I wanted to mix and match 2-3 different color pavers for my patio, but the installer says you can't mix colors because the textures are different, even though I believe all the bricks are Belgard Hollandstone. I feel like mixing the colors would add more dimension, and am wondering if it is true that it is "bad" to mix the paver colors?

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PRO

Yardvaark

5 years ago

last modified: 5 years ago

But you have to be careful. There are good mixes and bad ones. Your attempt to "add dimension" could backfire huge if you don't have the scheme worked out well.

When I was working at my first LA job and had little money as I had just purchased a house, I was forced into replacing my driveway on account of a main line plumbing disaster. To save $, I bought "seconds" pavers, which were basically small-quantity-leftovers from prior manufacture. As there wasn't enough of any one color to do the job, I had to mix. During the installation, I discovered that while the pavers were all the same size -- the basic "Holland stone" brick shape -- they WEREN'T ACTUALLY all the same size! Some colors were like 1/32 or 1/16" shorter or longer than other colors, which you would not be able to tell just by looking at them. It seems like such a small size difference wouldn't matter, but in fact, it caused me a lot of grief, as at that time, I was obsessed with perfectionism. When the size difference was multiplied over many bricks, such as in the width of a driveway, it caused a noticeable discombobulating of the pattern. In the end, once the joints were filled with sand, and we were just using the driveway, it became quickly forgotten about (contributing to my relaxing about perfectionism over time.) This spurred me on to looking at a Google Maps picture of it now. I see the colors have faded enough that it can barely be discerned that it's a mix. (It was charcoal blending to red.) In the end, I'd say it's not worth bothering with if you can avoid it. I think a better use of more than one color is as a contrasting border, like piping on a suit.

[Gardengal, note my luscious looking English ivy ... the tip of the iceberg. :-) ]

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Comments (14)

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
5 years ago
Yes you can mix them. The coloring is impregnated into the mix before the pavers are cast so there should be no textural issues. You can fnd online photos of mixed colored Belgard Holland Stone pavers pretty easily:
Brown Dog
5 years ago
I think mixed paver colours looks weird. There's something cheap & thrifty about that look. Like you bought them at a clearance sale.
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oliveolivehouse
5 years ago
Our local library recently underwent a transformation and addition. The landscape designer mixed mid tone gray and darker slate gray in a graphic herringbone type layout. It is fabulous. If I can figure out how to post from my phone I will.
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
5 years ago
LOL! I have "lucious looking" English ivy where I am as well.......maybe too lucious as it is all over the woods and growing up all the trees everywhere you look in my area. Even hundreds of yards away from any residential areas or cultivated gardens. You will never convince me of the suitability of this plant for any purpose in the PNW :-)
Elana
Original Author
5 years ago
Thanks all. If I were to mix, it would probably be like tan and darker tan, nothing too crazy. :)
PRO
Yardvaark
5 years ago
"I have "luscious looking" English ivy where I am as well..."

LUCKY!!! :-)
PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
I love my ivy but it is invasive I think that is why I love it we put it at the top of a retaining wall so that the wall did not look like new. BTW I like a well done mixed color paving stone patio,I agree they give the patio dimension if done well.
kentc
5 years ago
Like others said, mix away if they truly are the same size, it seems to be pretty common here in LA CA. But also like others said, you have to have a good eye for colors, tones and patterns. If you just leave it up to the hired help you may get a paver driveway like my neighbor which looks like a gaudy horse blanket.
PRO
Revolutionary Gardens
5 years ago
It really does come down to the installer's skill level, and it's important to discuss expectations. Blending two colors is challenging, and you're talking about a third? My guys are good, but I could see losing as much as 20-25% production time to making a three way look good. At that point I'd look at other manufacturers who might have actual blends you would like.

@Yard the driveway looks great but I think you would've spent less time (and made yourself less nuts) if you ripped all the pavers down into halves and thirds and went for a completely random "cobble" look! There's nothing more maddening than pavers with bad tolerances, it's why there are brands we just won't use.
PRO
Yardvaark
5 years ago
"... nothing more maddening than pavers with bad tolerances..." Though frustrating, as it was my first DIY experience with pavers, it ended up being OK once I was able to get beyond the mixed colors, which all came at the beginning of the install. The drive was probably 80% one color and 20% mixed.

If by "... ripped all the pavers down..." you mean CUT ... on the saw ...?? As it was, I had two solid days of non-stop cutting. It was winter. My hands were numb from wet and cold. I either got tired of changing gloves or ran out of them, don't remember, but had on crappy, sopping wet cotton gloves with all the fingers worn through. I didn't discover until the end of the second day that I had flat worn off the pad of every finger down to the meat! OMG, it hurt soooo bad when they all dried out! I couldn't touch anything for a few days. That was enough cutting for my first paver project!
Simona Stafano
5 years ago
There are some brands that have already mixed colors. We used Indian summer of Abbotsford and it is beauty!
Simona Stafano
5 years ago

Interlocking Pavers · More Info

simonastefano2006's ideas · More Info
PRO
Big Rock Landscaping
last year
As others have said, it is possible to mix 2-3 paver colors, however, you have to have a landscape design team help you plan and install it in order to make sure the project doesn’t look off. If your goal is to add dimension (we assume that means texture and visual interest), you can do that with only two colors as shown here:

Or you can add dimension with the same color pavers but in different sizes and shapes, like in these projects:

Or if you want to add a more natural vibe to the yard you can add natural stone pavers:

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