Stone Patio with a Fire Pit

My latest flagstone paving venture turned out nicely despite a challenging slope situation.

I got the request from a repeat customer in Woodinville to build this flagstone patio around their existing steel firepit. I was told to pick out Pennsylvania Flagstone that was more rich in color, ie. had a lot of rust and browns in the mix. You see, "bluestone" as it's often called is not always all that blue. The closer the stone is to the surface, the more likely it is to have oxidized over time, the more likely the bluish-gray it is known for has been replaced with variegated color.

So I picked out the three pallets (about 6 tons worth) that most fit this description and went to town. After three weeks of laying out, fitting, cutting, leveling and sweeping these slabs we have a nicely-appointed flagstone patio that will stay this way for...100 years? 200? It's hard to say with any certainty - it could be longer than that, assuming it is maintained of course.

As for the existing shape of the ground, there is a natural slope to the yard (as is generally always the case in land development), enough so that making a patio even close to level was going to be impossible without installing a curb of some sort. And the existing lawn is very established such that I didn't want to have to dig it up and reshape it, thereby needing to replant a patch afterward. But I found I was able to be more fluid with the grade (ie. slope) since the patio was just meant to be stood on while enjoying the fire pit. In other words there is a slightly "domed" shape to it with the fire pit serving as the high point. Nuance and forethought win the day once again! :)