If I could have gone back and spoken to myself when I first decided to undertake this flagstone patio project, I would have warned past me to keep saving your money because it would turn into a whirlwind of a design adventure. Who knew that patio designs could be so fun to put together (and so darn expensive). One thing led to another and here we are with a gorgeous new stone patio, complete with hot tub, fire pit and lounge area. I shouldn't complain though because, I have to admit, that this is definitely my family's new favorite hangout spot and I am grateful for anything that keeps the kids away from the television. For this reason alone, I would install stone patio ideas like this in my yard over and over again.

I continue to be surprised by how even the simplest home decor project like adding in this flagstone patio can make me fall in love with our home all over again. There is something so therapeutic about being able to come home to a relaxing space that is beautiful, clean, and wholly your own. For awhile now we have felt that this side area of our yard was lacking, so we got inspired to add this staggered flagstone walkway after walking by a neighbor who was doing the same on his property. Believe it or not, it is actually a pretty simple project if you have the strength and patience to measure our the stones and lay them in perfectly. Just this simple touch of flagstone landscaping was enough to really amp up the design in this area of our property and I love strolling on it in the evenings to check out my handiwork.

If you are struggling to come up with simple and inexpensive ways to update your outdoor living areas, I think that a small flagstone patio is always a good bet. They are not very expensive, fairly easy to install, a breeze to maintain, and downright beautiful to look at. You can do traditional stone patio pavers like they used here to give a more elegant look, especially when paired with some manicured boxwoods or even a topiary. Alternatively you can keep things fresh and modern with very refined geometric pavers with the bright green grass border that you see in a lot of contemporary estates. Cement pavers like that are actually a bit cheaper, but the increase in installation cost makes them fairly in line with their stone counterparts.

I will admit that it is not often that I get excited about a flagstone patio, or really any outdoor design for that matter. I am definitely more of an interior decor lover and would be just as happy avoiding the outdoors and cozying up inside. I have been hearing a lot of buzz about paver patio designs in the decor world and, I will admit, that I got intrigued. When I found this awesome outdoor patio area lined with a gorgeous stone floor, I was actually impressed enough to want to recreate this entire space at our Mission style home. Now that my inspiration flagstone patio ideas have become a reality, I am so happy that I took the leap and put some effort into my outdoor living areas. I feel as though a whole new world has been opened up for me, filled with endless design options.

I have seen a ton of flagstone patio ideas used in backyard applications, but none in a cool interior courtyard like this. Come to think of it, I really have not looked at many courtyard designs period. That being said, I love how the flagstone slabs break up the rock patio and make it easier to walk on as well as visually guides traffic flow. The vibrant green shrubs and palm trees flanking the bath are the perfect pop of color to breakup the sea of neutrals, and add that great natural element that I am sure must be key to any courtyard design. This really makes me want to experiment with courtyard designs using other materials -- perhaps a slate patio or even a decorate Spanish tile design for some added panache.