20 Hardscaping Ideas That Are as Beautiful as They Are Functional

Incorporate a Modern Walkway

Walking paths are one of the most functional hardscaping ideas you can incorporate into your yard. You've got plenty of options, so consider the home's architecture and the rest of the yard to see what works best. A modern approach was taken for this design by Side Angle Side.

"The approach to the hardscape design was the same as the approach to the architecture of the house: simple, minimal, and essential," says architect Arthur Furman, co-founder of Side Angle Side. "The hardscape elements are all working together as a kind of wayfinding."

Add a Paver Extension

If you don't have a backyard deck or patio (and aren't quite ready to build one), consider creating an extended living space with pavers.

"This is a great opportunity for adding additional dining and lounging space to your garden," says Cate Singleton, director of design for Tilly. "They can be dry-laid on a sand base to allow for water to percolate through. They can also be constructed in various shapes and sizes to tie in with the existing architectural style of the house."

Enjoy Some Shade With a Pergola

"A pergola is a great addition to a yard because it creates a destination for entertainment,” says Kath Meier, an award-winning landscape designer at Virtual Landscape Designs. "It also provides vertical structure in the landscape and can overall enhance the aesthetics of your outdoor area."

Or Try a Gazebo, Instead

For a more charming or rustic feel, opt for a traditional gazebo instead of a modern pergola. This open-air space quickly becomes a space to sit back, relax, and enjoy the outdoors with some protection from the elements.

Introduce a Soothing Water Feature

Whether small or large, water features instantly create a soothing atmosphere and add variety to your yard. "They give the yard the appeal of running water, provide the sound, and give the look of being in the woods or mountains," says Kody J. Ketterling, landscaping expert and founder of K-IT Products. This is something ambitious people can install themselves, or you can hire a pro.

Build a Sustainable Entertaining Space

Create a beautiful, maintenance-free outdoor entertaining space with sustainable materials, either as a stand-alone patio or complementing concrete, stone, or decking. Suzanne Mackay, an exterior landscape designer with Montana Hardscape Hub and Truegrid, says you have many looks to choose from, including "decomposed granite, pea gravel, rainbow rock, basalt, limestone fines, and more."

Introduce Level Changes

Hardscaping provides plenty of opportunities for getting creative with level changes throughout your yard. Think retaining walls, steps, raised planters, and terraces.

"Use plate steel forms and compacted granite to create stairs and a garden path. Go ahead and use paving stones as steps. Carefully placed, these can become defining elements in a space: Beautiful compositions designed to help you move through a space," Skånberg says.

Install Winding Garden Paths

"Adding walkways for access through your garden provides guests with a dedicated path and helps to define the lawn space," Singleton says. Her advice is to pay attention to the natural pathways that people tend to take, whether it’s the mail person walking to the mailbox or guests coming up to the front entrance from the curb. Allow this information to inform where you place your paths.

Build a Courtyard

Green spaces have their place, but courtyards create a true extension of your interior living space into the outdoors. "We love the monolithic backdrop of the concrete wall paired with the play of light and shadows of the trellis," says Annie-Laurie Grabiel, co-founder of Side Angle Side. "The bench adds visual interest and a place to relax."

Utilize Large Stones

Large stones and boulders are an earthier way to introduce more hardscaping details into your front or backyard. Here, stones double as inviting steps leading guests up to the front porch.

Gain More Living Space With a Deck

Decks are one of those hardscaping ideas that pay off in numerous ways. First, they instantly create more living space for your family; they're a destination for lounging, grilling, and beyond. Second, they have the potential to increase your home's value.

"Make sure you make the foundation strong, and you set good forms that will hold the weight of the deck," Ketterling says. "Also, make sure to pre-treat the boards or stain them before you put it all together. It will help your deck last longer."

Incorporate Built-In Seating

If space allows, give friends and family a new favorite place to spend time outside with some built-in seating.

"Built entirely of hardscape, this setup is a breeze to maintain and creates an extended outdoor living space that will last for generations," says Aaron Brundage, construction expert and director of operations at System Pavers.

Add Ambience With a Fire Pit

Fire pits are an outdoor staple for a reason: They provide warmth and ambiance, and they also extend the outdoor season well into the chilly months. Consider a sunken fire pit like the one shown here, or incorporate a free-standing chiminea or concrete pit.

"Make sure to give yourself enough space around the pit for people to sit and so the fire will not escape," Ketterling says. "Always build it to have a cover over the fire for safety, and do not build it under your trees."

Build an Outdoor Chimney Fireplace

If you're game for a bigger project, an outdoor fireplace complete with a chimney is a wow-worthy alternative to a small fire pit. This design features a brick fireplace with German schmear, but consider stucco, concrete, or steel.

Have Fun With Materials

In the same way you'd infuse a mixture of shape, color, and height into your garden, don't shy away from playing with texture and hues when hardscaping.

"This patio started as a more drab version of itself. Then we took local river stone and made gabion basket faces over the existing concrete block, epe boards to clad an old planter, large concrete pavers with pebbles between, and smaller pavers to cap a bench," Skånberg says. "It's a lively interplay of textures, colors, and forms."

Relax In Your Own Cabana

Those lucky enough to have their own pool may enjoy the benefits of their very own cabana. This dedicated space provides you and your guests with a place to lounge post-swim and get some reprieve from the sun. Customize it with lighting, entertaininment, art, and a fire pit.

Lay a Gravel Pathway

When you don't want to use stepping stones or concrete blocks, opt for a gravel pathway instead. "Pick an edging material to match your design that can be bent for curves," Mackay says. For straight paths, you can use materials like wood or concrete. "Consider a perennial or annual plant border adjacent to the path to soften the aesthetic."

Install Fencing As Needed

Whether you need a retaining wall, want to block off your property, or need to isolate certain parts of the yard (like a pool for safety reasons), fences are a must. Today, you have plenty of options to choose from, ranging from a traditional white picket fence to stone walls to ultra-modern transparent fences, as seen here.

Get Artsy With Your Driveway

An artistically paved driveway is a surefire way to make a great first impression. This design by System Pavers is built with individual interlocking paving stones that are less apt to deal with cracks or crumbling.

"Pavers come in a wide array of shapes, shades, and sizes for complete versatility in customization options," Brundage says. "From herringbone and ashlar paver patterns to more intricate geometric, floral, or other designs, your driveway can become a personalized space that elevates the look of your entire home."

Get Creative With Functional Necessities

From drainage systems to steps, many hardscaping details serve a utilitarian purpose. Still, you can elevate them with a bit of creativity.

"For this work on a traditional martial arts dojo, we took cues from temple and tea house design in Japan," Skånberg says. "Intricately laid shale stone bound in blue stone granite creates a drainage system all the way around the tiny building. Enlarged circular nodes in the shale border take rain from a bronze rain chain above and gather perimeter water to be carried away by pipes underground."

The result is a creative and elegant way to handle water from the building's roof.