Patio Ideas - Bluestone, Natural Stone and a Pergola

There are so many patio ideas, that it can be hard to know what goes well together.

In this project, you can see the materials I chose to use for different elements and how they compliment each other.

The patio itself is bluestone, which is a very nice natural stone. I use it often in designs where I am focusing on natural materials....and this is quite often! Each piece of bluestone is a regular shapes. In other words, they have straight edges and are not free form. The color has various shades of bluestone in the mix. I feel this adds interest to patio ideas.

The patio shape is a mix of straight lines and curves.

There are a few walls due to the fact that the ground level is lower than the inside of the house. I created a large landing with steps. Planters were added at the edges for protection against falling over. I always prefer to do this rather than having a railing.

The walls were constructed of natural dry laid stone. There are many types of natural stone and the selection depends on where you live. The color of the stone should look well with the bluestone. Grays blend well as does stone that is a mix of grays and browns. So....there is the natural bluestone and the natural stone on the walls.

Bluestone steps were used to blend in with the patio. These stones can be laid in either one continuous piece or you may use a few smaller ones. Just make sure the joints on the treads alternate.

And then there is the pergola. The pergola was located towards the middle of the length of the house. The bluestone extends the entire length. The pergola provides additional interest as it is a lovely architectural feature. It also provides shade.

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