Outdoor Walkway Ideas

Size

• Walkways leading to your front door should be wider than others, usually at least 4 feet wide. This walkway will be used daily by the mail carrier, guests and your family as you come and go from home. For paths leading to less-used areas, such as gardens or backyards, the paths can be narrower.

Material

• An inexpensive material option for walkways is poured concrete. The look is very basic and easily shows cracks and wear. Other choices include stone, natural tile and brick. Using bricks and stones ensure that repairs can be made by replacing individual pieces, rather than replacing the entire path. Using and repurposing materials in your pathway that match your home exterior and decorative touches, such as garden boundaries, unifies a theme.

Shape

• Two common shapes for walkways are curved and straight. For smaller yards, straight is less visually distracting. Furthermore, a straight path from the sidewalk or driveway to the door is easier to design and will require fewer materials. This makes it more budget-friendly, too. Winding walkways require the walker to slow down and enjoy a more natural and leisurely approach to your home. Curving the walkway also adds visual interest to larger yards.

Additional Touches

• Adding flowers or plants along each side of the walkway adds heft to the feature and draws attention to your walkway. A less expensive alternative involves placing two larger plants, statutes or pots at the end of your walkway.