Transformation Tuesday: Unique Flagstone Patio

The final transformation of this property is a simple but much-needed change. The client wanted a flagstone patio, not only for its look but for its function. At the time, they had a covered porch but wanted to be able to sit outside and look at the stars at night time and get-togethers, as well as get a little bit of sun during morning brunches.

The first step in this transformation might sound a little familiar at this point…remove the weeds and native grass. Rather than being designed to sit flush with the covered porch, the patio and steps were designed to be about 6-8 inches below grade to help with drainage of the area.

The design for the patio has a unique twist.

Instead of the area being fully hardscaped with the patio, it came off of the porch as an island, which divided that part of the patio into the main walkway and a side walkway. This helps to break up the "hardness" of the flagstone and softens the area.

After lots of tamping, leveling, and bringing in sand, it was time to place and level the cut and chiseled flagstone. The island was planted with Switchgrass, Blue Mist Spirea, and Lavender for a nice combination of colors, height, and textures.

The final step was to gravel the island and the area surrounding the flagstone patio with a different color and size of gravel from the area outside of the flagstone. This helps to make the island really stand out as the focal point. The earthy tones of the gravel that was put outside the patio help to transition from a manicured area to the natural area of the yard. Once the weed barrier was rolled out, and the gravel spread, this transformation was complete.

The client was really happy with the finished look of their property and so were we!