Designs for Paving Stone Driveways

Basket Weave

• If the landscaping in your front yard is minimal and you want the driveway to serve as a focal point, consider setting the pavers in a basket-weave pattern. This design, also referred to as parquet, resembles a checkerboard. To install, set pavers in pairs parallel to each other. The adjacent pairs will be parallel to each other and perpendicular to the first pair to create a woven look.

Herringbone

• Both functional and stylish, the herringbone pattern involves interlocking the pavers at 45-degree or 90-degree angles. For rectangular driveways, the 90-degree angle requires less cutting. To create a 90-degree herringbone pattern, lay a half paver against one corner. The next two pavers are laid parallel against the two exposed sides of the first square. Each following course must run at a 90-degree angle to the last course in a diagonal from one side of the driveway to the next. The process is similar for a 45-degree herringbone, only each course is set at a 45-degree angle to the previous one.

Running and Stack Bond

• The running bond and stack bond patterns both resemble the look of a brick wall because pavers are laid in straight rows. The stack bond pattern entails aligning each row so the joint lines are continuous. This is not a good choice for a driveway because it doesn't offer enough stability and pavers could easily dislodge. The running bond pattern entails alternating the ends of every other row with a half paver to stagger the joints, creating a stable design better suited for driveways.

Circular

• Circular designs are among the most challenging types of patterns to install, but the results are striking. A full circle typically begins with a half brick laid at the center. Eight pavers are then cut so one end is narrower than the other. The eight pieces are laid around the half brick to form a tight inner circle. Whole bricks are used for the rest of the surface, set with the inner corners touching and a slight gap between outer corners. Snap two perpendicular chalk lines through the site to find the center, and practice the design by dry-laying it on grass before setting it on the site.