Walkway Ideas

To maximize curb appeal

Dave and I love interesting walkway ideas.

Normally, we don’t think of pathways and steps as part of your porch landscaping.

However, they are extensions of your porch and if landscaped properly, a walkway can enhance the look of your porch and add lots of warmth to your home. You'll find many great ideas here.

Just like porch railings and columns, the materials you choose for your pathway can also reflect your chosen style. From poured concrete, pavers, flagstones, brick or mulch to recycled materials, you have a wide variety to choose from that will complement the style of pathway you build.



The walkway landscaping makes the small porch below more inviting and adds real curb appeal to the home.

Roll out the red carpet

• Create intrigue - A curved walkway that disappears behind shrubbery or hedges, for even an instance, can lend itself to a little intrigue. What object or destination lies ahead?
• Create direction - A straight path leading right to the porch unmistakably says "this way"!






• Create pleasure - A walkway that meanders a bit and lined with flowers, a front-yard garden, or mulched beds tempts us to slow down a bit and enjoy the surroundings.
• Create a mood - A walkway, even a straight one, can be embellished with a row of stones, bricks, or pavers on either side. Add some ground cover that spreads over the edges to give it a softer look. Don't forget lighting! Use a variety of outdoor lighting to create just the right look.






• Create formality or informality - Larger traditional homes tend to have more formal walkways. Hence, most walkways should complement the style of home.
• A meandering walkway with pavers and ground covers would fit right in with a craftsman or cottage home whereas it probably would detract from a formal contemporary home. The latter requiring perhaps a straight brick-laid path surrounded with a meticulous yard.






• Create color- The best way to tie your landscaping to your home is through color. Make your walkway color match the color of your home. This is easier than you would think. Most walkway materials come in all colors. You can stain concrete. If that isn't enough, don't forget plants and flowers - colors can be limitless.

More walkway ideas and design tips

• Use four feet as your guide; allows for two people to walk side by side. Wider walkways may be more complementary for larger homes or those with large yards. Wide walkways immediately tell guests which path leads to the front door.
• Here's a great tip for small porches and yards: A straight walkway leading directly to the porch will focus your eyes on the front door! So create a pleasing walkway and use your front door as a focal point which will add interest to a small porch!
• Straight walkways are usually the easiest and less expensive to build and are easier to maintain (less snow shoveling)




• Curving walkways are pleasing to the eye and add a little mystique. They also cause you to slow down a bit so focus on adjacent landscaping.
• Start with the origin. Where do you and your guests park? Often times two walkways make more sense. One from the street and another from the drive way can satisfy both requirements. Another option may be to place an additional walkway beside the drive way to the street.





• Use materials that provide a smooth surface for the main walkway. Bricks, poured concrete, and mortared pavers or tiles are good materials. Use loose materials for secondary paths.
  
  See Nicole's walkway ideas. She transformed her old walkway into a beautiful brick pathway.
• Consider the weather when selecting materials. Mary and I have aggregate walkways and they can be very slippery when wet and worse when icy. Besides that they aren't good to walk on in bare feet! We wished our homeowner's association were open to other types of walkway ideas than just aggregate.




• Ever see a long set of steps leading to a porch? Sometimes it can be a real climb to the top. By breaking the spacing and creating an additional landing, you make it easier for everyone plus you add extra interest.
  
  This can be easily accomplished by curving or zigzagging the walkway to create multiple flat landings along the way. It also gives you more opportunities for additional landscaping features.

Walkway ideas for accessibility & safety

• Rule of thumb is no more than eight (8) steps without a landing.
• Change the direction of the walkway at the landing to add interest
• Make sure walkways are well lit. Check out our porch landscaping ideas section.
• Provide a bench or short wall at a landing as a resting spot
• When building walkways on inclines, these are the best combinations to use: 4.5 inch rise with a 17 inch tread; a 5.5 inch rise with a 15 inch tread or a 6.5 inch rise with a 14 inch tread.
• Avoid a single step for a grade change; it's too difficult to navigate
• Change patterns to visually note elevation changes
• Ramps can be integrated into the landscape. Stair step landscaping alongside the ramp and plant flowering shrubs along with ground covers to make it unobtrusive.

We hope these walkway ideas help you plan your own walkways and pathways to your porch!

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