I get asked that question a lot, as you can imagine. After all, Virginians love their brick homes, so I design a lot of patios for brick homes. I always look at two things: color and size/style.
Color
Color is the easiest to deal with first. If you have a red brick home I will do everything in my power to talk you out of a reddish concrete paver. The reason is simple. You will not get a match. Not gonna happen. Instead, you’ll end up looking like you attempted to match, and failed. That’s why on a house with reddish-brown brick, I recommend using a gray paver. After all, gray flagstone looks beautiful with brick, right?
Size/Shape
I will also dissuade you from selecting a brick-sized paver, like the Techo-Bloc Victorien. One reason is the same as my color reason – you’ll look like you tried to match and failed. But also, brick creates a pretty busy pattern. I prefer to use larger pavers because the size creates a pleasing contrast with the brick. If your home uses a traditional brick, the smallest size I’ll want to use is a 6″x6″ or 6″x9″ paver/paver mix.
I’m not crazy about the pavers that attempt to look like irregular flagstone as I just don’t think they pull it off successfully. When I talk about style I like the look of a tumbled paver, and possibly even a paver with a wet cast finish that looks like natural stone. Again, it’s all about creating a pleasing contrast with the brick.
The Big Exception to Matching
A lot of people don’t realize that clay pavers are an option as well as concrete pavers. They’re tough, durable, and according to the Brick Industry of America, they have a compressive strength equal to or greater than concrete pavers. So if you use a clay paver, I feel that you can match what’s on your house. Again, you just need to design it in such a way that you don’t have a ferociously busy visual that looks like a giant moire pattern from a distance.
Overwhelmed by the options? Filtering through the myriad options and selecting the best one for your home is what we do. Contact us for a consultation!
Well said Dave. I always try to push natural stone first, but if the client wants pavers for whatever reason, I always try to push the earth-tones. The “pewter blend” by EP Henry is my favorite — pretty much goes with everything and looks the best, imho. I always dissuade clients from the red manmade materials. If you want red, go with real brick. Nothing worse than fake red concrete.
Hi,
We live in Sydney, Australia. I was surfing the Net re pool copings and pavers when I came across your site. I am trying to come to a couple of decsions and am seeking as many opinions as possible.
What type and colour paver best goes with a brick home made of a mix of 6 closely similar toned bricks with a basic blonde/light latte look and faded brown oxide grouting? Currently we have monotone terracotta clay brick-sized pavers but they have sunk, faded and are rapidly breaking down. Same type of paver (but with bull-nose) was used for the pool coping and has deteriorated badly. Our pool is 9 meters x 5 meters; kidney-bean shape; pebblecrete; salt-chlorinated and the coping is 500 mm wide. The adjacent pool surrounds and entertainment area all come to about 95-100 sq. meters. Some of this paving has an original 15 meter x 2 .5 meter concrete deck under it and obviously is the only area that has not moved.
We think the present clay colour is OK and a fairly good match (matches the roof tiles) and are having a hard time trying to come up with something different if we were to go to a quality stone. Any ideas? If we stick with same colour, II would like to break the large entertainment area up a little with perhaps addition of another compatible colour or colours. We also want to use a larger sized paver. So far, after discussion with some professionals, initial costs to do this work will exceed, by almost double, what it cost for the installation of the pool and the surrounds in 1998. That’s thousands of dollars we just can’t afford but the problems need to be addressed, so we are looking as to how to move forward on a limited budget.
What do you think about replacing the coping with a quality stone (obviously it won’t be a clay colour and this is a bit of an issue re colour matching) and then perhaps using stenciled concrete for the surrounds? We get a lot of sun in the pool and surrounding areas. We think light colours may be too glarey.
We have no plans to move from our current location for many years and do not want to have to go through this very costly process again. Is there another way forward for us to tackle this project.
Thanks
MC
Michael, thanks for commenting! It sounds like you have a lot of variables that need to be taken into account, and I really know nothing of the materials and styles common in Oz. I would recommend you reach out to a local landscape designer for an on-site consultation. He or she will be best able to direct you. Thanks!
I liked your advise you have given. I have a sloping lot that if like to mow less cause it just wears me out. Any ideas (cheap)?
Cheryl, hard to say without seeing the site and asking a ton of questions. I’d recommend you contact a local pro. Thanks for commenting!
We are having trouble picking a paver for pool decking. My house is Acme brick, tool not cleaned, Kenton color. Wish I knew how to post pic. Which paver should I go with and color? Looking at Lafitt Danville beige, but wondering if the size is too large for brick. Is Lafitt Rustic too busy looking? If there is a better option Im completely open to that. Thanks for your help.
Have you gotten samples of what you’re considering? There’s really no substitute for looking at it on site.
This is a fantastic article. You articulated perfectly my side of an argument over the material for a walkway I’m considering. I was able to send this to the parties involved trying to push me in the wrong direction. Pavers next to brick homes have just never looked right to me and your article helped me refine exactly why that is.