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Hexagonal Shape: You DO not have to stick to either square, rectangular or hexagonal paving stones—you can mix them for a more creative finish. You can mix hexagonal blocks with square or rectangular slabs of different color. With hexagonal blocks, leave some empty units from the overall area to be covered, so allowing you to make any shape you want.
To create an attractive feature within the patio, omit a number of blocks from an area of paving and fill the gap with decorative aggregates. Many types and colors of small-scale stones are available, often pre-bagged.
A temporary barbecue, which can be dismantled for storage during the winter, can be made by stacking bricks dry, without mortar. Not only is the unit inexpensive and easy to construct in a matter of a few hours, but it is also a very efficient structure: the honeycomb bonding arrangement used to raise the walls ensures a plentiful supply of air to the charcoal for good combustion.
The barbecue can be built in a circular, triangular, square or hexagonal shape, as preferred. A basic circular unit will use about 100 bricks; other shapes need more.
THIS INFLUENCES design considerably. Few plots are symmetrical, but that really does not matter. An L-shape or a triangle can even offer more design potential than a rectangle. Perhaps the most difficult shape of all is a square, particularly when it is too small to subdivide as in many yards in front. A design for an awkward shape needs to be carefully thought out. A long thin area, for example, can be divided into contrasting sections with barriers across its width, but by leaving a narrow view running through from one end to the other you create an additional sight line. Furthermore, by placing an ornamental feature like a statue or seat at the far end, you gain the full benefit from the site's length while the screens minimize the disadvantages of its shape. |
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