5 patio tile ideas
Any good landscaping project starts with patio tile ideas: it’s one of the best parts of a re-design! Your patio surface sets the scene for everything else – outdoor furniture, pots, plants, fencing and even bi-fold doors.
Get the tiles right, and the final look will fall into place. Luckily, porcelain and stone-effect paving have opened up a huge range of options for UK homeowners. Unlike many traditional materials, quality outdoor porcelain can cope with harsh winters and summer heat.
It’s dense, low-porous, and the fact that it doesn’t usually require sealing means clean-up is as simple as a sweep and wash. Drawing on our paving ranges, we’re here to show you how different formats, colours, and finishes can completely change your garden.
1. Pale stone-effect
Does your garden feel slightly too dark or closed in? Rather than waiting for the gloomy weather to improve, pale stone-effect porcelain slabs are one of our favourite patio tile ideas for reflecting the few daylight hours we get in the UK!
Our Porcelain Paving Merit 900mm x 600mm x 16mm Pale Cream slabs, for example, offer generous coverage for garden areas (these look particularly great indoors and outside).
Pale stone tones (e.g. creams, soft beiges, and light greys) give homeowners the look of natural limestone or sandstone, but without the sealing that those materials usually require.
Plus, because colour runs consistently across each batch, you avoid the heavy veining that sometimes occurs in natural stone.
2. Extra-large slabs (1200×600mm)
If you’d prefer an architectural garden, why not size up?
Natural stone paving slabs like our Porcelain Paving ADZ Eddystone 1200mm x 600mm x 20mm Blanco cover significantly more ground than a standard 600×600 or 900×600 slab. Ultimately, you need fewer individual pieces to cover the same area.
By naturally reducing the number of joints, there are fewer lines for dirt, moss, and algae to collect (a brilliant choice for low-maintenance homeowners). Even better, with large tiles, you don’t need a fussy pattern.
A straightforward stacked or brick-bond layout keeps the focus on the tile size, and this can be particularly advantageous for smaller gardens.
With longer tiles, you can ‘stretch’ the space! Lay the long edge running away from the house, and your eye naturally follows the lines. A patio tile idea that’s visual and psychological.
3. Warm beige and buff-toned
When you’re dreaming of holidays at home, warm beige and buff-toned patio tile ideas are your shortcut to a Mediterranean atmosphere.
British gardens can always benefit from shades of soft honey, sand, biscuit and buff-toned paving slabs. The limestone courtyards and sun-baked terraces you see across Southern Europe?
You can get it with our Camel Buff 900 x 600 x 20mm Porcelain slabs: they’re an excellent alternative to Indian sandstone paving, but with the performance of porcelain.
Where cool greys can sometimes feel a bit sharp, beige and buff tones warm a patio and can make it feel more inviting, even on an overcast day.
4. Mixed layout formats
For more informal, organic patio tile ideas, mixed-format porcelain is a great alternative.
By combining different slab sizes (for example, 600×600mm with 600×300mm), you can create a relaxed flagstone pattern that appears random but has been planned meticulously.
(At Ovation Landscaping, you can build your own mixed-format scheme by pairing our 600×600mm and 600×300mm porcelain ranges, or opt for ready-made mixed-size packs that are cut specifically for random layouts).
As you have different slab sizes to play with, it’s much easier to fill tricky corners, around steps, or along curved beds without excessive cutting. Our Recode Porcelain range is perfect if you prefer the idea of choosing your own sizes and layout.
Within the same colour, you can mix:
…or do the same in White, Black or Almond.
5. Terracotta or terracotta-effect tiles
Another holiday favourite is terracotta.
It’s the classic, courtyard look that has been made popular by Mediterranean design (you’ll see it in many Tuscan farmhouses and Provençal homes: warm, welcoming and looks even better at sunset).
While you won’t find a bright orange quarry tile in our range, several of our warmest porcelain and concrete options are perfect for a terracotta-inspired courtyard. Get the golden look with our Porcelain Paving Quartz Gold 900 x 600 x 20mm.
Classified as a buff porcelain with a natural stone-effect finish, it achieves the exact finish that terracotta lovers want with porcelain’s impressive durability.
Shop for natural stone paving slabs with Ovation Landscaping!
Ready to turn these patio tile ideas into a real, finished space?
Set the mood for your whole garden with our comprehensive range of natural stone and porcelain paving slabs. Here, you’ll find practical slabs designed to withstand frost, stains, and heavy foot traffic, plus R11-rated anti-slip options for safer patios and pool surrounds.