Choosing the right shape/pattern and the right colors can be a difficult and unsettling task. Color is the most vital component in your project. How the colors you pick look together, suit your space and harmonize with the existing colors will greatly affect the success of any project. First, be aware that no two people see color in the same way; color is perhaps the most subjective area of design. Choosing colors that you enjoy seeing together will lead you on the path to success.

The colors you select must always be considered in relation to those around them. For help in determining combinations that work well together, you can refer to the established rules of design or contract with an experienced designer. Bear in mind, however, that with any rules there are exceptions.

The best advice is to remember that your instincts are probably right. Trusting your instincts might be at first challenging for you, but the easiest way to gain confidence in your instincts is to answer the following questions.

• How do the colors make you feel?
• Do you like them together?
• Are they the ones you want to live with now and in the future?

Nobody can answer those questions better than you can. What pleases your eye has the best chance of being right for your project.

Manufacturers of interlocking pavers offer a large variety of shapes and colors. They offer a selection of solid colors and color blends. Color mixes can consist of blends of up to four colors that harmonize well together and give a surface an interesting and lively appearance. In choosing a color, make sure that your installer and/or the sales rep of a manufacturer (whoever you prefer to deal with in this matter) shows you a wide selection of colors and provides you with several locations to view the installed colors. Seeing a color on a larger scale, in natural sunlight and shadows, surrounded by landscaping and in combination with colors on adjoining buildings, will give you the best impressions and serve as a good test to challenge or reinforce your instincts.

If it is not possible for you to travel to different locations, make sure your contact has displays of colors large enough to really observe and appreciate a color or color blends. A single paver in a certain color serves you well, as a sample to ensure the tone or hue of a color matches the existing colors or to select pool tiles, awnings or other fabrics. For an overall impression in relation to the surroundings, however, it is important to see a color on a larger scale. Large uninstalled displays (in a showroom, for example) give you an opportunity to play with different colors and help you to visualize and find the right combination.

Knowing beforehand what effect you are striving for is also crucial in your selection of colors. Should the area to be paved blend in calmly to create a subdued appearance or do you want the area to appear more vivid to jazz up subdued surroundings? Ask your professional to provide you with color samples, spread them out on your premises and "live" with those samples for a period of time to ensure you feel comfortable with them.

Your next decision concerns shapes. Manufacturers offer a multitude of shapes that can be combined, from simple patterns to intricate patterns. You can create your own unique design by mixing and matching different shapes and colors. Some shapes and their patterns are of larger dimensions and they need a larger area to show their beauty. If you have a combination of larger and smaller areas, combining different shapes will be easy. Keep in mind that you should use color combinations for a pleasing effect. The same applies for areas to be installed with 2 3/8" pavers in ground and 1" pavers on existing surfaces. Most shapes come in the two sizes to provide a match, but again you can easily mix shapes as long as you keep within the same color scheme.

Remember that color is the first impression your recreational areas will reflect from afar, a higher elevation and up close. Choosing the right shape is important, but the perfect color is the key to a successful beautification of your recreational areas.