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

Thanks oaktown. These are all great considerations. We sat down with the landscape architect originally to discuss all of these things (well most of them at least, but some things you bring up are new). He was suppose to take them all into account in planning this but to me, the plan just doesn't seem that thought out. This is the plan without the trees and plants shown on. He adds that after we confirm the hardscape (which I guess is the cement areas, decks, retaining walls etc.) Right now the land is clear so there is nothing to work around (attaching a picture taking from the back left). The basement is a walkout so anyone can access the house from the lower patio through there. The deck is on the first level of the house an the stairs would lead to the elevated area of the yard (so basically it is only 3 steps to reach land) which is level with the first floor. To get to the under-deck area from there you would take the steps through the retaining wall (which he forgot to add....I will sketch and attach below). That area is at the level of the basement. I actually wanted to adda slide from the deck to the patio area for fun but we weren't planning a large staircase. The retaining walls die into the land and beyond them, the yard will be sloped for lawn mower access/rolling/winter sledding. We just moved from an apartment in a very urban area so we have never had a yard and aren't really sure how we would use it! We have young kids so we want it to grow with them. The driveway goes straight to the road, it't not too long. I will attach the main floor plan as well. The sliding door in the kitchen and the mudroom door both connect to the deck. Sorry if this is still unclear. In the picture below, the wooden board across the back of the house shows where the deck will go. The land still has to be graded so that it will be flat below that, then there will be 2, 4ft retaining walls.

Hello, you might want to post this in the Landscape Design forum, I'm sure you'll get great advice from professionals.

I would put a deck style walkway 1 step down across the back and steps down from there to a patio area as some folks suggested earlier. Or I would give each door its own stairway and use large shrubs to fill slightly raised beds between to ground the house and steps. I don't think your idea is realistic. We can't see the foundation, but you would want to check out with a structural engineer how piling a massive amount of weight against this side of the foundation would affect it. And as others have said, that much fill plus the structural masonry to hold it in place will be expensive, not including the finish of whatever you would decide on. If you budget is large enough to do such a massive project, hire a consultant.