Lee Dunderdale from Aggregate Industries gives us his views on the paving trends and new products for 2019. Lee is the Product Manager at Bradstone, which along with Simply Paving are part of Aggregate Industries. Lee has been in the paving and landscaping industry for 19 years.
Bradstone focus on ensuring that their range contains something tailored for your style and needs and strive to stay ahead and keep on trend with all the latest designs and ideas. They’ve even changed the size of their brochure in 2019 to be more convenient and user friendly!
When it comes to paving we’re confident that we will have what you want from Bradstone. Be it brilliantly British made concrete, the character of natural stone, or the style and elegance of porcelain, Bradstone paving has an extensive selection available for you to choose from.
Porcelain Paving
There's no disputing that porcelain paving is generating a lot of interest at the moment and growing in popularity at an incredible rate and we're certain that this will continue to grow in 2019 due in large part to the benefits it has to offer as well as looking fantastic. Porcelain is exceptionally hard wearing, scratch resistant, resistant to water absorption and with consistently accurate sizes it allows you to lay the paving with small joints to achieve that modern garden look. With these benefits you also have more time to enjoy your garden as porcelain only requires a low level of maintenance to keep looking in pristine condition for years to come – ideal for people taking advantage of their outdoor spaces for long periods of time as well those with a busy lifestyle don't have a lot of time to keep their paving looking tip-top.
Certain porcelain ranges offer all the great look of natural stone without needing close to the same amount of time devoted to its upkeep. Vetusto is a great alternative to Natural Slate paving with Blue-Black & Rustic Gold new colours introduced to the range this year, whilst the likeness of Causse to Belgian Blue limestone is uncanny. Equally the unerring resemblance of Tordillo to marble is astonishing. Pauta in particular is set to explode in popularity this year as it offers a fine alternative to the now unavailable Natural Granite Mid Grey, as well as the Silver Grey.
Bradstone Vetusto Porcelain Paving in Rustic Gold
Paving Colours
There's also a wide range of colour and texture options available for your dream garden if that's your main focus when selecting your paving slabs, and it's fair to say that the stand out colour for the coming season will be grey. Gone are the days when grey paving slabs were considered safe and boring, there are so many options available now that we feel sure you'll find the shade that you want. Ranging from light to dark, grey will undoubtedly continue to steal the limelight in 2019 with a heavier focus likely to be on the darker greys. However, if you're not sure which one is right for you, fear not, Aspero, Arenaria, Panache Ground, StoneMaster and our very own Tramonto all offer more multiple options for those that can't quite make up their mind.
In the UK we are increasingly spending more time using our outdoor spaces for socialising and we want our areas to be an extension of our home, creating a feeling of relaxing surroundings. One way of achieving this is to create a sheltered seating area that can be used either during the warmer seasons or year round with the addition of heating. Bradstone's new Halus porcelain paving would be a great choice for this. Coming in a mixed size patio pack with a choice of 2 colours – buff and grey – this super stylish sawn stone appearance porcelain can handle all weathers and thanks to having extremely low porosity, will not absorb stains and spillages as the food and drink flows freely at your soiree. If you prefer a single size paver with a sawn stone appearance, then why not opt for Tephra, or our very own Cortile Paving.
Bradstone StoneMaster Paving in Light Grey, Mid Grey and Dark Grey
Paving Textures and Finishes
Another trend tip is to use different textures within your design to add depth without overcrowding spaces. Different textures can each bring a different ambience with them allowing you to create a garden that's perfect for you and your family. The new Romeli Porcelain Paving, which unusually for porcelain has an undulating surface and a fettled edge is perfect for those that want a patio with low maintenance, but in a traditional style. As a single size 800x400mm paver it comes in a choice of 2 colours – grey blend, which mimics aged sandstone and buff blend that mimics aged limestone. In terms of walling, we have a wide and varied range of textures and colours. Natural Stone Walling Slips are extremely popular at the moment and with 5 to choose from can help strike the right balance you are looking for, be it complimentary or contrasting.
And check out Moordale Textured, a shot blasted concrete paving range newly introduced for 2019. It's available in 3 sizes in grey or buff and contains limestone and yorkstone aggregate which enhances the eye catching textured surface finish.
Bradstone Natural Sandstone Walling Slips in Silver Grey
Paving Small Spaces
What about if I have a small garden we hear you ask? Well worry not you can still create your dream garden in the smallest of outdoor spaces. Wall gardens are hugely popular at present and personalising the space with items that highlight your personality go a long way to creating your ideal haven to escape to. Brooklyn or Alba paving would be a great option here if you want a single colour and size. They both come in 3 colours in a 600x600mm paver and have an ultra-modern design that requires little maintenance. For paving that has a mixture of contrasting elegant colours look no further than Panache Ground, available in White, Silver Grey & Midnight Grey in a 450mm size.
Garden Edging and Finishing Touches
And don’t forget those finishing touches, there’s a great range of steps, garden walling, garden edging & coping to choose from like the Mode Edging and Coping that has been resized for 2019 to offer greater practicality for getting the final detail spot on.
For more information on the products featured in this article, give our friendly customer service team a call on 0800 032 6306 or contact us to order your copy of Bradstone's 2019 brochure.