15 Best Walkway Ideas and Designs for Your Home or Garden

Your home's walkway probably isn't a space you've paid any particular attention to. It's just a giant slab of concrete, right? Think again. Your walkway is a blank canvas upon which you can fill with modern landscaping, practical raised gardens, your favorite potted plants, and even some seating! Learn how to embrace the unexpected opportunity of your once-boring walkway by getting inspired by some of our favorite walkway picks.

Warning: by the end of this post, you won't be able to resist a walkway makeover.

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Find A Focal Point

rikki snyder walkway into garden — Rikki Snyder

Your walkway's main purpose is to provide a way to navigate your outdoor space, but that's not its only purpose. Your walkway can also provide a focal point for your eye to follow and direct your attention to the "main event," like your home's exterior or garden.

If you're building a walkway from scratch, try to find the most impressive view of your space's focal point and build your walkway oriented towards it.

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Embrace Bold Design

Your walkway doesn't need to have the same neutral patio pavers as everyone else. Instead, it can be eye-catching outdoor design! To do this, embrace color and shapes to make your walkway unique and fun. Using brightly hued patio pavers can add some serious character to an oft-forgotten outdoor area. You can use fun shapes too, like differently sized circles or rectangles for a cohesive, yet funky feel.

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Try Something Off The Beaten Path

Have a walkway that's rarely used? Instead of letting the pavement slowly crumble back into the earth (and creating an eyesore along the way), use the forgotten space as a pedestal for some of your favorite potted plants. The solid ground below your pots will ensure they don't sink into any wet soil, and the decaying walkway will be reclaimed as a display of your finest flora.

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Create a Seating Area

amy bartlam walkway with seating — AMY BARTLAM; DESIGN: DENHAM INTERIOR DESIGN

Another way to take advantage of a forgotten walkway is to turn it into a small seating area. An out-of-the-way walkway can be the ideal spot for a small conversation set, and the pavers below mean that you don't need to worry about building any kind of patio. Additionally, you can get a similar, even more functional look by building an add-on to your walkway to widen it and make space for seating.

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Shape Your Space Around Your Walkway

finding lovely garden walkway — Finding Lovely

Instead of making your walkway a last-minute add-on to your outdoor space, make it the focal point! Use curves and long, winding paths to create visual interest and fill in the space surrounding the walkway with landscaping or a garden. Make the journey the "destination," as it were. But if you go this route, make sure you stick with a high-quality stone you love, as making the walkway so prominent means the stone needs to stick out.

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Give Wood A Chance

mindy gayer wood walkway — Mindy Gayer, Photos by Lane Dittoe

Your walkways don't have to be made of stone or concrete. For an earthy, beachy look, try out wood. Wood is the perfect material for a small walkway or one that leads over especially damp ground (think mini boardwalk). Wood will require more care and maintenance, but what you pay in elbow grease, you'll gain in beauty.

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Plant Local

blanco bungalow turquoise and tobacco walkway — Turquoise and Tobacco

We get it: sometimes you just really want to plant those exquisite, one-of-a-kind rose bushes. But they are best for Zone 4, and you are in Zone 12. So, instead of forcing a plant that you'll have to tenderly care for all of its (most likely short!) life, try to grow something native instead! Native plants alongside your pavers can transform even the most boring walkway, and growing what suits your climate best will help both you and your local ecosystem.

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Line It Up

calimia home walkway with plants — Calimia Home

For a striking visual effect (especially on the front facade of your home) use strong lines that mirror one another. Your front walkway is an important place to do this—mimic the walkway's shape and direction elsewhere on the front of the home, like the overhang or landscaping. Doing this will create a cohesive, sophisticated and linear look.

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Build A Bench

mindy gayer walkway bench — Mindy Gayer, Photos by Vanessa Lentine

If your backyard is already short on space and your walkway is awkwardly pressed up against a fence or exterior wall, solve both by building a bench! A bench will create extra seating for those late-night summer get-togethers, and it will provide a sense of purpose to your awkwardly positioned walkway. Don't worry, you don't need a wall for an excuse to build a walkway bench—a bench would look wonderful placed in the middle of a luscious garden too.

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Break Out The Paintbrush

blanco bungalow walkway painted — Turquoise and Tobacco

If you have a small, beat-up walkway, give it a fresh look with a coat of paint! Make sure to use paint that's meant to go on concrete or cement, like masonry paint or concrete coating.

If you really want your walkway to go the extra mile, spend some time painting a unique design on top of it for an eye-catching, artistic look.

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Make It Vintage

mindy gayer walkway vintage stone — Mindy Gayer, Photos by VANESSA LENTINE

For an old-world vibe, break out the cobblestone. Fragmented pavers and stones can give your walkway a historic look, especially if you let moss or grass grow between stones. For an even more authentic look, used reclaimed stone from an old building or structure nearby.

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Put Out Some Pots

Your walkway doesn't only need to be a haven for your in-ground plants—it can also be a home for your potted ones! Potted plants are the perfect solutions for walkways that don't have planting space or don't get enough light to support sun-loving flora. Use a few different sizes and types of pots for the best look, and make sure at least one of the pots is a stunner for some visual drama.

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Fill in the Gaps

mindy gayer walkway clover patch — Mindy Gayer, photos by VANESSA LENTINE

PSA: Your pavers don't need to meet toe-to-toe. For a wonderfully green look, lay out your walkway with gaps for greenery, like clover or Bermuda grass. This can help break up the never-ending-concrete feeling walkways sometimes have, and it will provide some textural (and visual!) contrast.

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Take a Seat

Cottage and sea walkway with a chair — Cottage and Sea

Have an awkward corner near your entryway that seems a bit empty? It's the perfect spot for a small chair. Chairs near front door walkways offer spots to catch up with neighbors, take off shoes, and enjoy the neighborhood scenery. But be careful not to overwhelm your walkway with a too-large chair—less is more in this scenario. Pair it with your favorite plant and an outdoor rug for a perfectly put-together look.

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Embrace The Concrete

mindy gayer concrete walkway — Mindy Gayer, Photos by Lane Dittoe

Of course, you don't have to try to make your walkway as unique as possible. You can go for a modern, industrial look by embracing and leaning into the drab look of concrete. How? Echo concrete elsewhere in your home, like on its exterior or flooring, and take care of your concrete to make sure it always looks its best.

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