Join us at this cabin to see how you can create a cohesive and maintenance-free patio using crazy pavings, stepping stones, and natural stone steps.

This cabin’s plot posed some challenges, with a gap between the bedrock just outside the terrace. A smart solution was to fill the gap with gravel—a coarse, draining material that was well-compacted to create the perfect base for laying slate in loose gravel.

The owners chose Light Oppdal Slate, which provides a beautiful contrast to the dark surrounding rock while maintaining a natural look that complements the landscape. But perhaps the most important benefit is that you get a maintenance-free patio, which is ideal for a cabin where you might not be around often enough to maintain something like a lawn.

One great feature of Oppdal Slate is its ability to store heat. Here, 3-4 cm thick slate slabs were used, which heat up nicely in the sun and provide warmth well into the evening after the sun has set. At the same time, the slate is light enough in color that it never gets too hot to walk on. With its natural surface, Oppdal Slate is non-slip and frost-resistant, and it can withstand salt, weather, and wind—especially important for a location by the sea.

Oppdal Slate is also very easy to work with. It can be snapped like glass by scoring and breaking it. The texture of the slate makes it easy to shape with either a hammer or a slate knife, as done here.

The slate was adjusted so that the joints are relatively narrow, while maintaining the natural shape of the slabs. Since Oppdal Slate is so easy to customize, you can have fun with the pattern and create various designs. You can truly create your own unique look.

Here, large stepping stones create a kind of “red carpet” leading to the sea, with crazy pavings laid in a more random pattern on either side. The “red carpet” leads to a staircase made of massive natural stone steps in slate, making the stairs both non-slip and very stable. Although these steps are heavy, they are easy to place using a crane truck for delivery.

The slate is integrated with the surrounding bedrock, and in the transitions between them, sedum plants have been added. Sedum, part of the stonecrop family, is an excellent choice for joints, as it requires little maintenance and prevents weeds. It also changes colors with the seasons, adding beauty to the space. Sedum can even be planted in the joints between the slabs.

The edges against the rock are rough, following the natural structure of the surrounding landscape. Fine gravel has been used as a transition between the bedrock and the slate, allowing for drainage. Water runs right through this transition. Further along the path, smaller stepping stones are laid more loosely into the terrain, creating a natural transition to the landscape.

The slate continues to the entrance, creating a unified look. Here, stepping stones of 80 x 120 cm were used for the entrance platform, followed by paving slabs, laid edge-to-edge up a slope in a thickness of 4-6 cm and dimensions of 30 x 100 cm. The thick slabs ensure stability, making the slope practical for pushing a wheelbarrow or even accommodating a wheelchair.

A tip is to place an extra-large slab right at the entrance—whether in front of the door or, as in this case, in front of a staircase. This provides a very stable, large, and clean surface at the point of entry. The path also continues in front of the storage shed, offering a clean and practical solution that allows you to walk barefoot from the cabin to the shed.

The finishing touch is a massive slate block, used as a natural border at one edge. This block has a sawn edge that showcases the slate’s structure beautifully, paired with a natural edge at the corner. This is a custom product but can be ordered.

The joints are filled with a fine, draining material, making the slate virtually self-cleaning. The slabs are laid with the proper slope, allowing rainwater to flow into the joints and drain away. The joints are not filled completely, allowing for slight compression over time. By not filling the joints entirely, you avoid dragging material across the slate.

The stepping stones used here measure 80 x 120 cm and are 3-6 cm thick. The surrounding crazy pavings are sorted as “large,” meaning 1-2 slabs per square meter. The thickness is 3-4 cm. The thickness and size of these slabs make the patio very stable and built to last.

When customizing crazy pavings, you will naturally have some cut-offs. Here, everything was utilized, with smaller pieces used as borders for a flower bed, simply pushed into the soil.

Since the slabs are laid in loose material, both underneath and in the joints, this creates a permeable surface. The slate is virtually self-cleaning—during a rain shower, water runs right through. There’s no need for additional drains or grating, keeping the installation simple and ensuring a healthy environment for the slate. There’s no risk of lime staining from concrete, and the slate will remain beautiful and durable forever.