I put in a simple paver surface on the front terrace. I’m really happy with it. The surface is formed from 4″x8″x2-3/8″ Belgard pavers. They are installed upside down, so that the beveled edges intended to be visible on the top are actually hidden on the lower side. That way, I get a nice crisp “brick” look. My contractor was Appian Paver Systems (owner Doug Anthony). He bought 840 sq-ft of material (an even number of pallets) and then just installed it all…allowing the rear terrace to be whatever size it ended up being. That way we got the most area possible for a given cost. These pavers run about $12-14/sq-ft installed, which is more than plain concrete, but about the same as stamped concrete. I much prefer the look to the various concrete alternatives. I also much prefer this surface to that of a wooden deck.