Link: http://www.pacificpavingstone.com

We've looked at the variations of pattern available using a single rectangular size of paving stone. Of course, not all paving stones are rectangular, but keeping with the theme of making patterns from one consistent paving stone design, here is a look at the simplest of all shapes: the square.

Square blocks have been around at least since the time of the pyramids. The Romans used them, and you'll find them as cobblestones, large and small, on countless streets and roads in Europe. As with rectangular stones, the two basic patterns for square pavers are stacked and running bond.

Stacked bond lays the stones evenly, in a simple grid pattern, while running bond offsets alternating rows by half the width of the stone, as in the familiar pattern of a block wall.

The term "stacked" is fairly obvious when you look at the pattern on the left, except of course that interlocking paving stones are laid flat, so the stacking is visual, rather than actual.

This is a pattern that looks well in a patio design or a walkway.

Running bond adds even more strength by eliminating long continuous joints between the columns of pavers, and this pattern is excellent for driveway designs or any other application of paving stones to a yard or wider areas such as a forecourt or plaza.