Decorative Outdoor Slab Ideas

Entranceways

• Beautify your home entrance with a decorative stone slab entrance. Choose among real stones such as granite, marble, limestone, bluestone and sandstone or use concrete slabs stamped to look like real stone. Place the slab flat on the ground in either an irregular or trimmed shape at the entrance, as flooring, or set it sit on the ground vertically, like a wall. Vertical stone slabs should be wide enough -- and be placed in the ground deep enough -- to prevent it toppling over.

Patio Wall or Table Top

• Back an outdoor patio with a wall or two of decorative slab for a unique look. An outdoor patio setting can be dressed up with a slab of slate or other stone as the short wall backdrop. Many natural stones can withstand the elements outdoors and can offer you and your guests shelter from winds as you entertain. The stone slab should be secured in the ground with concrete to maintain its balance, however, as a standalone wall. Use slabs of marble, slate and other natural stones to create a patio table top.

Signify Location Importance

• Stress the significance of a special spot in your outdoor landscape while limiting environmental impact by placing a large decorative slab of flagstone beneath your hammock or favorite portion of the lawn. This can be a slab of stone containing unusual colors or textures or concrete that has been stamped to look like pieces of stone pieced together, so you aren't limited to flagstone. Adding a decorative slab to the floor of your private retreat sends a message that the place is considered a treasured place.

Attract Attention

• Use decorative outdoor slabs to highlight your favorite flower garden attractions. Holes cut in the center of a slab of stone, large enough for a plant to grow in and around, serve as a flower pot of sorts when placed on the ground of your garden. Slabs don't have to be large but they should contrast well with the flower being highlighted. For example, Better Homes and Gardens recommends a flowering plant for a hole in a slab or paving material.