Our homes have become more important than ever and the last year has given us more time to either fall in love with it even more, or think about changes that we can make to improve it. Rated People’s annual Trends Report revealing a 12% rise in demand for home improvement jobs in 2020. With summer on its way and the return of entertaining friends and family, living space has never been more in demand and many of us are looking at ways to extend it. One trend that looks set to stay is extending the indoor living area to the outdoors, highlighting the benefits of nature and bringing fresh air inside.

A great way to seamlessly bridge the gap between your indoor and outdoor space is with your flooring to create that visual harmony. There are lots of options out there but Flagstones in our opinion is definitely the best stone flooring to achieve this.

The variety of natural stone tiles available make it easy to find one that will suit your space and the variations in texture will bring their own individuality to your patio.  These materials have a natural slip resistance and the various sizes allow you to lay in more traditional patterns or for a more contemporary look, opt for a single size. In the same way that the Flagstones can adapt to smaller or larger spaces inside, the same goes for outside spaces. If you have a small garden, creating a patio is perfect for an alfresco dining area. 

It is worth considering the shade of stone you want. Some of our stones are supplied in 2 different finishes so they can be used inside and outside. The Old Farmhouse Green, The Old Grey, and Provence all come in a different thickness, and have had different finishes applied so they are more robust, and slip resistant for exterior use.

It is also worth considering the shade of stone you want. We have an extremely affordable range of exterior sandstone flagstones, which have a great range of colours, a natural grittier feel, and so give great natural slip resistance to the tile. The range of colours can also be fairly closely matched with most of our interior stone flooring, so offer a great opportunity to create the inside/outside look. 

Every project is different in both the exterior setting, and the intended design focus. The natural greens, greys, and browns of the Forest Green echo very much the colours in nature, so would work very well in a countryside garden. Alternatively the Hereford Grey, or Old Grey external offer a consistent and more contemporary colour and look striking against the deeper tones found in brick buildings. The exterior sandstone range is also available in a hand dressed finish, and an antique/tumbled finish. Your choice will depend on the desired look for your stone patio project or stone terrace you intend to install.

Generally the choice of sealing is left to the individual. Some people prefer the stones to age naturally, where the stone will darken, and take on its own individual exterior stone hue. Others prefer maintaining the exterior stone flagstones 2-3 times a year to keep the pristine look outside, as well as inside. 

Have you thought about bringing the indoor-outside to make the most of your space? Why not check out these projects that we have completed for some inspiration.