A PATH OF YOUR OWN CHOOSING

Whether you opt for a straight line or a gentle curve, the walkway to your front door or backyard merits consideration

We rely on transient spaces inside our homes to create a separation of rooms and to guide us from one area to the next. The same is required of outdoor spaces, and paving options help us to achieve it.

Walkways can be designed in any shape or configuration, and they can also be made from a wide range of materials. They not only help to carve out certain niches within a landscape, but they connect those spaces in a streamlined, cohesive way.

“We like to create different zones with paving areas for eating as well as relaxing, and everything has a task,” said Billie Laroche, designer with Montreal Outdoor Living. “We like pathways with paving stones that have grass between them to give it space. It’s nice to have different levels, too — from one paved zone to the next.”

Walkways are also more comfortable underfoot. “When you create pathways it looks cleaner, and it’s nicer than walking on the grass directly,” Laroche said.

Modern paving trends have taken hold in recent years that lend a contemporary, esthetically pleasing appeal. There are now largersized pavers, less seams, and more interesting textures, such as slabs that look like sand.

Pavers are also more durable today. “We have natural stone imitations that work in freeze-and-thaw environments, and concrete that doesn’t look like concrete at all,” said Jessica Ciccarello, marketing director at Techo-Bloc Inc.

And there are solid-surface paving options as well as wood, tiles, concrete, and more.

“We mostly use concrete stones, but we are using porcelain tiles, too. It’s a new product and it’s very chic, it’s weatherproof and (weather) resistant, and it’s not slippery,” Billie Laroche explained. “The finish is really nice, and we can space them out where there’s grass in between. Or, we put little river stones in between them. Then we add plants around it.”

Greenery is the finishing touch to really emphasize the walkway lines.

Another new product to hit the paving market is the permeable option, which is in line with what many municipalities are recommending when it comes to driveways, walkways and decks.

“With urban development, a lot of our green spaces are turning into asphalt, which is impervious — it rains, the water goes onto the surface, it can’t be absorbed, and it goes into our sewers,” Ciccarello said. “Montreal’s infrastructure is pretty shaky, so it causes a big stress on the sewer system having this massive influx of water. But in permeable pavement, you don’t overcrowd the sewers.”

These permeable options look like other paving stones but the foundation under them is different, allowing them to absorb excess water more evenly. And the space between the blocks is a bit bigger to allow more water to be absorbed. They are superefficient and come with a lifetime warranty.

What works on the inside works on the outside, too; pathways, like hallways, connect exterior spaces and provide functionality. Depending on the design and style, walkways are a beautiful enhancement to your overall landscape.

Pavers of various sizes, shapes and materials combine to meet different needs in the landscaping of this property — from the walkway, in which pavers are laid out in a specific pattern interspersed with rows of gravel, to the driveway. Low green shrubs...

PHOTOS COURTESY OF MONTREAL OUTDOOR LIVING Large-sized pavers, interspersed with grassy turf, wind their way from the backyard to the front to create a walkway that is not only functional but also attractive.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF MONTREAL OUTDOOR LIVING Paving stones of various sizes form a flat, easy-to-clean surface for a cosy seating area in a backyard, the wooden screens providing added shelter, shade and serving as windbreaks on blustery days.

Strong lines, sharp corners, and clear surfaces give this irregularly shaped pool a contemporary look; its spacious paved deck allows plenty of room for family and friends, and the glass fencing at rear makes for an unimpeded view of the pool area.