IMO concrete cracks in areas where freeze thaw is an issue so you will need to talk to concrete pros as to what is doable in your climate. As for design I have no clue as to your st yle of house even.

You are correct- cracks are common (and usually inevitable) in my area, but stamped concrete is a very common pool surround or patio near me. And pavers/stone tend to be a giant hassle requiring constant cleaning and maintenance (I'm totally over stone from multiple previous patios- brick, bluestone, travertine, techno-bloc).I guess my question is really what pattern would hide inevitable cracks best? Large vs small pattern? Straight vs curved lines? My home is a Georgian colonial. Backyard is 3 stories tall, tiered yard with a drystone retaining wall, and wooded. Very sunny and bright. My house is very manicured from the front but completely a blank slate out back. Style of the pattern is really not an issue as I could make anything work. Cracks. Hiding cracks is the issue...

If you can get a squares and rectangles pattern with a faux bond line that runs all the way across the slab at intervals, using that and then sawcutting an inch into the concrete after hardening is your best bet for encouraging cracks to go there. You can also use a stamp that just stone textures the entire slab and then sawcut a grid pattern for your "joints" (ie, a 4 ft x 4ft grid). I like that better because part of why stamped concrete always looks fake is there's not enough shadowing at the joints. Just be sure to talk to your installer about a sealer with grip enhancers, stamped concrete can be like wearing butter shoes on a teflon pan when it gets wet.

Thank you! Great advice!

Totally agree with Revolutionary Gardens - cutting control joints into the concrete will encourage cracking (which, as you say, will happen) to happen where you want it to and not just anywhere. We specifiy 1 1/4" deep control joints at not more than 20'-0" o.c. so that no uncut area is more than 400 s.f. Good luck!

Thank you! Way better to control the inevitable!