My thoughts are exactly along catkim's lines. But I would just leave a very small opening (because it's only hard to pry out the first brick, and then you can always enlarge it). For a vine, you actually need just a very small opening into the ground. If you leave just two bricks out, let's say, you will be able to enlarge it if you like and the majority of your patio will be well-laid and leveled, plus the space for those two bricks will be pretty exact. Leave a bigger space than that, and it will be tricky to fill it in well. The thing about leaving a full bed the length of the stairs is everything from mess to weeding/making more mess (and dirt on patio = weed seeds sprouting on patio in the cracks), but also the risk of dropping a chair leg off the edge of the stone into the dirt. This patio is going to feel SMALL for the furniture you have in mind. I don't think you should shrink its effective size. Also keep in mind that your doorway is recessed and quite dark. A vine will make it feel and look more closed in, in case that matters to you. And these big perennial vines can get pretty overwhelming. I personally love clematis and would probably put one there, but I'm not sure I would put it in the ground. You could leave it in a pot, and always cut it back to the ground (or bottom two buds if a B-type) every year. And once it gets too vigorous (as many do after three or four years), you might like to put in a new one. This is very tricky to do in the ground adjacent to a patio without damaging the patio. Maybe some annual vines would be more fun. Again, way easier in a container. Plus, the container gives you another decor item to have some fun with. On the other hand, it takes up some space. So I would lay and tamp the whole patio but for two bricks. Undoing it later from there if you want a bigger bed is way easier than filling it in. You can minimize the crush layer in that area if you really feel you will want to open it up. By the way, is there a basement here? If so, you want your subgrade to tilt away from the house. Karin L

If you want grey, then most cast pavers look great, because that is the natural intrinsic color of the material. If you're in the high cost per sq foot range, then consider clay or natural stone paving material.

Facing your choice 3 years ago while tearing out cracked concrete patio slab & rebar, I went with the pavers! I'd call it less labor intensive and much more forgiving than concrete. A 2 man crew wrestled out the old patio and the next day a 4 man crew brought pavers to lay. An hour after they left I was sitting on my patio chair like the brand new cobblestone paver courtyard around me had been here 300 years! It was just $1200 including the concrete slab that needed removed. In personal taste ~ our neighbors who put up with jackhammers noise afraid to look at what we were up to, they walked toward our result stunned, saying oh my gosh how lovely that is! All visitors remark what a fine upgrade, cannot believe how it enhances the house & yard at such a low price.

Pavers make wonderful patios and walkways. They are available in various colors and shapes and can be laid in many patterns. Because the colors are earthtones, in my opinion, you need not be too concerned about a color conflict with your home. My suggestion would be to visit a quality garden center and purchase several pavers in each of colors you like and bring them home. Placed alongside your home you can view them in sun and shade. Also you might want to purchase a patio book with photos which will help you with both color and patterns. Most likely the garden center will have them for sale, or a home center will for sure. We built our patio 10 years ago before the selection of colors was as great. Ours is a field of one color (a pale rose) with a concrete colored border. Here is my best photo to illustrate. The entire patio is linked below. Good luck designing and building yours, you will enjoy it. Here is a link that might be useful: Our Patio