Pea gravel is pretty amazing stuff. The smooth, round, pea-sized pebbles offer so much in the way of style and design versatility, featuring an array of stunning colors that are pleasing to the eye.
In addition to looking great, pea gravel is extremely functional, offers excellent drainage, is simple to work with, is incredibly affordable and requires very little maintenance. It’s no wonder that so many New Jersey homeowners are choosing to construct gorgeous and unique patios from pea gravel.
If you’ve fallen in love with this design trend, you’re probably wondering how you can construct a pea gravel patio that you’ll both love and be able to afford. These ten ideas will help you to come up with a pea gravel patio design that will look expensive without breaking the bank.
100% Pea Gravel
With the exception of any desired edging materials, the following ideas are for pea gravel patios that strictly rely on pea gravel for creating a beautiful “floor” for your outdoor living spaces:
1. Dining Only
While you may love the idea of working with other natural stone, concrete or porcelain paver materials when establishing an outdoor living room, you may want a more charming and intimate vibe for your dining space.
A pea gravel patio specifically for dining can create a nice visual contrast against the other features of your outdoor living room, helping you to transition the mood and enjoy the perfect atmosphere for outdoor dining.
2. Living-Dining Combo
Other NJ homeowners like the idea of a more cohesive outdoor living space, making use of pea gravel both for their living and dining spaces. This creates a classic and traditional look that will leave your guests feeling truly relaxed and at home while you host them.
3. Garden Seating
Those with a green thumb should have the freedom to enjoy the lush flower beds and vegetable gardens that they’ve worked hard to grow and maintain.
We love the idea of installing a small pea gravel patio somewhere within the garden itself, or along the border of such a garden. Here you will find a tranquil place to set up a bistro table and a couple of chairs for morning coffee or afternoon tea among the roses.
4. Sunbathing Serenity
When summertime rolls around, New Jersey residents want to soak up as much sunshine as possible. It can be very nice to establish a small pea gravel patio somewhere secluded within your property where you can set up your lounge chairs, lay back and sunbathe with a good book and an ice cold glass of lemonade.
Pea gravel doesn’t tend to absorb heat from sunlight, so it will help to maintain comfortable temperatures in your sunbathing oasis and will be cool to the touch of your bare feet.
5. Waterside Relaxation
If your backyard features a pond or similar water feature, you may have thought about lining the shore with sand. Although this is a traditional option for establishing a “beach” area, we urge you to think outside of the box and consider working with pea gravel instead.
Pea gravel is a great beach alternative and creates an inviting and relaxing atmosphere. The colors of pea gravel are reflected beautifully in the shimmering water. By using pea gravel, you can add much more purpose to this area of your property.
Instead of being “just a shoreline,” the use of pea gravel makes it possible for you to create a combination beach and patio space where you can have a waterside meal and enjoy the great outdoors.
6. Fire Pit Surrounds
We love the look of creating a seating area for your fire pit with pea gravel. Whether the fire pit has been constructed with natural stone, brick or concrete, its natural appearance will only be accentuated by the fine texturing and soothing colors of pea gravel. The cool and non-combustible material will offer comfort and safety as you enjoy the open flames on a crisp evening.
Hybrids
If you love pea gravel but aren’t sure you want to work with it exclusively, here are a few suggestions for integrating other hardscaping materials:
7. Pea Gravel + Flagstone
Many homeowners love the natural look of irregular cut flagstone when it’s surrounded by pea gravel. You can use flagging to create stepping stones through or across the patio, or can simply space the flagstone out to break up the pea gravel and add more interest.
8. Pea Gravel + Brick
Brick complements pea gravel well in areas near fire or water features, like fire pits and fountains. You might choose to surround these features with brick in order to accentuate their beauty and then finish things off with pea gravel.
9. Pea Gravel + Concrete/Porcelain
Concrete and porcelain pavers that have been designed to look like natural stone are becoming really popular in our area and they look fantastic when paired with all-natural pea gravel materials. A combination of these materials and pea gravel can create a unique and stunning patio where you’ll love to gather with loved ones.
Something for Your Four-Legged Friends
Humans aren’t the only ones who enjoy spending time outdoors. Dogs love being able to go outside and lay in the sun, but you may not want them trampling your plants or eliminating on your grass.
A growing number of New Jersey pet owners are constructing patio areas just for their dogs that are constructed with – you guessed it – pea gravel:
10. Pea Gravel Doggy Patio/Run
Believe it or not, dogs love pea gravel and they need a space to hang out in your backyard, too! Setting up a designated doggy patio or dog run area will make your furry friends happy and will help to save you a lot of money in the long run.
Pea gravel is durable and offers great drainage, so it won’t become damaged when your dogs pace or do their business. This means that unlike grassy areas, you won’t have to spend money on maintenance and repairs to keep your property looking great. It’s an excellent investment for any animal lover.
Working With Pea Gravel in NJ
Are you ready to see what pea gravel can do for your landscape? Braen Supply has everything you need to construct a stunning, budget-friendly and long-lasting pea gravel patio of your very own. We offer high-quality pea gravel at competitive wholesale prices.
We also sell a wide range of natural stone, brick and concrete/porcelain materials that can be used in conjunction with pea gravel or as an edging material.
We’re happy to answer any questions you may have about the construction process, and we can even direct you to reliable, local contractors who can build a stunning patio quickly and affordably. Our pea gravel can be picked up from our store or can be bulk delivered to areas throughout parts of NJ, NY, NYC and PA.
