Paving Ideas for Perth Backyards & Courtyards

Paving is one of the first things anyone notices about an outdoor space. Get it right and it ties the house and the yard together.

These are the paving ideas we come back to most often on Perth backyards, courtyards, side paths and pool areas. They’re drawn from the jobs we do every week, and each one is practical as well as good to look at.

Start with how you’ll use the space

Before we talk about looks, we ask a few simple questions. How will the space be used? How much sun does it get? Will kids or pets be running around on it? How much ongoing maintenance are you happy to do? Perth summers are long and genuinely hot, and that changes which materials you’ll enjoy and which ones you’ll regret.

A pool surround used barefoot all summer needs a cool, non-slip surface. A side path mostly needs to be level, tidy and drain well. Once we know that, the choice of paver gets much easier.

Run one paver from inside to out

One of the simplest ideas is also one of the most effective: use the same paver right through. At an acreage home in Serpentine, we laid large-format grey pavers through a big wraparound alfresco and out around the pool, so the living areas and the pool deck read as one continuous outdoor space. Keeping the same paver all the way through makes a large area feel calm and uncluttered.

You can take this idea indoors too. With a rectified porcelain paver you can run the same paver from inside to outside, or match your interior floor, for a connected look. Travertine can do the same job when it’s matched in colour and finish to your interior tiles.

Choose a pattern that suits the size of the space

Pattern changes how a space feels more than most people expect. A few ideas that work well:

• French pattern for larger alfrescos. It combines four paver sizes and highlights the natural variation in travertine. It needs room to breathe, and works best in areas of 40m² or more.
• Running bond or straight stack for small courtyards. A complex multi-size pattern can feel busy in a small space. A clean, simple layout reads better.
• Running bond along narrow paths. Laying the long side of the paver in the direction of travel creates depth and draws the eye forward.
• A diagonal layout for square courtyards. Turning the pattern 45 degrees draws the eye to the corners and makes a square space feel larger.
• Herringbone for driveways and entrances. It has plenty of visual energy and it’s the strongest pattern for areas that carry vehicles.

You can also mix them: a feature pattern in a dining or fire pit zone, with a simpler field around it and a border course to mark the change. Our guide to paving patterns goes into each option in more detail.

Go light for bright, comfortable areas

Lighter tones do two jobs in Perth. They stay noticeably cooler underfoot than dark concrete or charcoal pavers, and they keep shaded areas bright. In a covered courtyard in Mount Claremont, we used light pavers that bounce light around under the roof. In a Leeming backyard, pale pavers run from the patio right out to the boundary fence and contrast well against the dark fence.

For a natural stone look, travertine comes in ivory, silver grey, walnut and classic cream. Limestone gives a clean, neutral finish from creamy white to pale grey. Our patio and alfresco paving page covers which pavers suit which spaces.

Make side paths look finished

Side paths are often the forgotten part of a yard, and they’re where good detailing really shows. At the Mount Claremont home, we carried the courtyard paving down the side paths so the whole outdoor space feels connected. Along the paths we left a strip of white gravel between the paving and the walls. It helps with drainage, keeps the pavers clear of the walls and gives a narrow path a neat, finished edge.

If a side run is awkward to drain, permeable paving is worth a look. It lets rainwater pass through the surface into the ground, and in most cases it looks just like ordinary pavers.

Pool surrounds with the right edge

Around a pool, the coping is what makes the job look finished. We install bullnose, flat edge and mitre coping, depending on the pool shape and the look you want. On a freeform pool in Mosman Park, each piece of rounded travertine coping was cut and fitted so the joints stay even and the edge reads as one smooth line around the curves and entry steps.

A few other pool ideas we like:

• Brushed or tumbled travertine for natural grip when wet.
• Travertine for the main surround and coping, with porcelain waterline tiles. Both need compatible thickness and fall so the transition works.
• A sun ledge at the shallow end with matching coping, like the lap pool we paved in South Perth.
• Paving the whole area to the fence rather than leaving strips of lawn, for less maintenance and more room to lounge.

See our pool paving page for the materials we recommend around water.

Add character with crazy paving

If you want something less formal, crazy paving uses irregular pieces of natural stone, usually limestone, travertine or sandstone, laid in a random pattern. It suits pool areas, pathways and feature zones. Grout colour makes a big difference: grey or charcoal grout against light limestone defines each stone clearly, while off-white or sand grout blends the surface together for a softer finish. It’s worth deciding before work starts. Read more about crazy paving.

Use steps and planters to handle level changes

Paving works best when it’s planned with the rest of the yard. Travertine coping and step treads finish a retaining wall or raised area cleanly. Limestone block planters sitting against a limestone wall add planting without breaking up the paving. On a Baldivis block that falls away from the house, limestone retaining walls and wide limestone steps make the walk down to the pool feel natural.

Frequently asked questions

What paving suits a small courtyard?

Keep the pattern simple. A clean running bond or straight stack reads better in a small space than a multi-size pattern that has no room to repeat. Light-coloured pavers help a small or shaded courtyard feel brighter.

Can I use the same paver inside and outside?

Yes. A rectified porcelain paver can run from inside to out, or match your interior floor. Travertine can also be matched in colour and finish to your interior tiles.

Will you help me choose a pattern and material?

Yes. Mike works through pattern and material as part of the quote, based on the shape of the space, the style of your home and how you’ll use it.

If you’ve got an idea in mind for your backyard or courtyard, get in touch. We’ll come out for a free on-site measure, talk through your options and give you a written quote.

Mike Tuhaka

Mike Tuhaka runs Perth Landscape Guys. He and his team design and build outdoor spaces right across Perth, from Currambine down to Mandurah, including paving, decking, retaining walls, artificial grass, lawn and reticulation. They are preferred installers for Freo Stone, Eco Stone and Remastone, and have worked on commercial projects for Murdoch University and Parsons Group. What customers mention most is Mike’s honest advice and the regular updates from the first plan to the final clean up.