Floors—laying the foundation
It’s easy to overlook the vital role flooring plays in an overall design, but the floor you choose can be the very thing that makes or breaks all that you’ve created.
The shape of the pavers or tiles, the angles you lay them at, the texture and colour of the materials you choose—all of these choices add in subtle ways to the overall look and feel of your outdoor room.
Changing the texture of the surface can slow the traffic flow and encourage people to meander through the garden; large pavers laid straight-on create clean lines, but laid on an angle give the illusion of wider space; paler coloured tiles may create space but deeper coloured tiles or decking might offer a warmth and cosiness or offset beautifully the colours on your walls.
Most of us walk through the garden without shoes on, so temperature and texture underfoot is also something to consider.
Some floor materials to consider are:
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Tiles and pavers—including ceramic, terracotta, clay, concrete, mosaic, cobble stones, pebbles, reconstituted stone and terazzo
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Concrete—including recycled and decorative concrete. See
material feature and
product review
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Stone—including basalt/bluestone, granite, limestone, marble, travertine marble, palimo, quartzite, sandstone and slate
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Timber—including decking, modular systems, recycled timber, sleepers and steppers
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Loose pebbles and gravel—including crushed glass or rock, river pebbles, cobbles and boulders
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Metal—including galvinised and stainless steel and perforated and decorative options
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Synthetics—including synthetic grass, synthetic rubber and synthetic timber
• For more information see my book
The Source Book Second Edition
