Posted on 12th December 2025
When designing a garden, patio, or outdoor space, choosing individual products can be straightforward. The real challenge lies in selecting materials that work beautifully together, creating cohesive, balanced, and functional designs.
At Stone & Surfaces Direct, we’ve seen patterns emerge in what customers choose. Some product combinations have become best-sellers for a reason: they blend aesthetic harmony with practicality. Here are five proven paving and aggregate pairings trusted by landscapers, trades, and homeowners alike.
This is a highly popular combination for contemporary garden designs.
Kandla Grey Porcelain offers a smooth, refined finish that works well for patios, terraces, and garden paths. With low porosity and resistance to stains and frost, it’s a practical and low-maintenance surface.
Paired with Dove Grey Chippings, you get a gentle tonal shift around borders, planting zones, or path edges. These light grey aggregates complement the paving’s neutral tones and add subtle texture and contrast.
Why it works:
The soft grey-on-grey palette creates a cohesive and elegant modern look. Porcelain gives structure, while the chippings bring texture and visual interest, which is ideal for minimalist, low-maintenance gardens.
This pairing is perfect for a more traditional, natural-stone aesthetic.
Kandla Grey Sandstone has a riven surface and subtle tonal variation, offering classic charm and organic texture. When used in garden paths, patios or informal seating areas, it delivers timeless appeal.
Add Blue Slate Chippings for contrast. Their deeper tones highlight the sandstone’s natural variations, adding depth and dimension. These chippings also improve drainage and suppress weeds, making them both decorative and functional.
Why it works:
The combination of warm, rustic sandstone with rich slate chippings brings authenticity and durability — ideal for traditional gardens or country-style properties.
For a bold, dramatic garden scheme, this trio delivers striking results.
Anthracite Black Porcelain creates a sleek, contemporary base. It’s durable, easy to maintain, and perfect for patios or terraces where style is just as important as performance.
Lakeland Green Slate Chippings provide a mineral-rich contrast. Their greenish hues stand out beautifully against the dark porcelain, especially when wet. Surround with planting, such as ornamental grasses, shrubs or raised beds, to soften the design and introduce natural elements.
Why it works:
High contrast, low maintenance and modern design come together in this impactful pairing. A favourite for city gardens, roof terraces and urban spaces.
For a light, clean and understated garden palette, this combination is ideal.
Pebble Grey Porcelain offers a neutral, light-reflecting surface that visually opens up patios and terraces. It’s perfect for compact spaces or garden zones where brightness is key.
Dove Grey Chippings, used around planting beds, path edges or borders, maintain a seamless tone across the scheme. The consistent colour palette delivers calm, cohesion and sophistication.
Why it works:
This pairing favours simplicity and elegance. The subtle tones work well in contemporary gardens or for clients seeking a light, airy, uncluttered outdoor space.
For clients seeking a garden built entirely from natural materials, this combination offers charm, sustainability and character.
Natural stone paving brings depth, irregularity, and authenticity. Whether using sandstone or slate, these materials are shaped by nature and hold intrinsic visual appeal.
Pair with coloured slate chippings or decorative gravel for paths, planting borders or rockeries. These aggregates support practical needs such as drainage and weed suppression while blending harmoniously with the stone.
Why it works:
A fully natural material scheme adds warmth and depth to any outdoor setting. It’s perfect for period homes, heritage properties, or landscape projects inspired by nature and tradition.
These bundles take the guesswork out of material selection, ensuring everything works together to create an intentional and polished result.
Bundling paving and aggregates simplifies logistics and installation. Ordering products together reduces the risk of mismatched tones or unexpected delivery gaps.
Aggregates improve drainage, suppress weeds and reduce upkeep around paving zones. Porcelain and slate offer long-term durability.
These pairings suit a wide range of styles, from rustic cottage gardens to sleek urban terraces, giving tradespeople reliable starting points to tailor for clients.
When preparing a quote or project plan, present full material bundles rather than isolated products. For example:
“We recommend Kandla Grey Porcelain for the main patio surface, edged with Dove Grey Chippings for contrast and to define planting zones.”
Providing ready-made combinations helps clients visualise the finished space and gives them confidence in your design choices. This approach often leads to larger orders and simplifies installation planning.
To further support your client discussions, request samples through your trade account. Seeing and feeling the materials side-by-side helps clients commit to selections and reduces last-minute changes.
These popular combinations succeed because they offer more than good looks. They balance design harmony with real-world practicality, meeting client expectations on style, performance, and maintenance.
For landscapers, designers and contractors, offering these curated combinations positions you as a trusted professional with a clear vision. It allows you to deliver full-package solutions with minimal fuss and maximum impact.
Browse our paving and aggregate ranges today to build your next successful combination. From modern porcelain and striking slate to traditional sandstone and decorative gravel, Stone & Surfaces Direct has the materials to help you create cohesive, long-lasting, and beautiful landscapes.
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