Can you post a picture of the entire backyard so we can see how all the pieces fit together?

It is a basic tenet of landscape design that any paths or walkways have a defined destination. They should never end just anywhere or at a wide plain of open grass. Sometimes that means omitting any formal path but more often LD's will construct them to connect with an appropriate destination. Can't see the whole layout from the photos but perhaps that would be the pool coping or to the fenced equipment enclosure? Or both?

Why would you worry a bout the minimal loss of grass between a gate garage door, the pool equipment and next stop is patio.....

Not to mention grass clippings kept at bay as the pool is entered! You don't love a dead end road, right? : )

Draw your concern on paper and add pictures of the full back yard to include pool

Paths can be seen in Nature. They start and end based on function. Nature has been around longer then landscape design. For example, a lawn area with a forest space at the far end. A path through the forest up a slope can start anywhere with no leading path to it over the lawn. If you want a hardened pathway to run along the side of your house, the gate is a logical starting point. It can end in a fan or circle where the side yard ends. If you walk from the patio to thedoor to the left a path for that could be extended to connect with the side path.

: ) Nature hasn't much "planned" hardscape unless were talking pebbles, rocks, boulders and the Grand Canyon ? Short list lol

I need to see the whole backyard and maybe even some drawings of what you are thinking All that posted here in comments DO NOT start another post.

A back garden is not "nature". It is an intended, designed landscape. And paths are connectors, conjoining one defined area with another. The connection needs to be full and complete.

What she said.

Paving in the backyard isn't the most esthetic way of making a walkway or work area around your pool equipment. If you don't have a big budget, perhaps you can consider pavers, something like below...

Thank you all. Here are more images
You walk into the backyard where that metal shed is. (Shed is getting removed and landscaping coming in. I’ll show design)

The garden has been removed. The new path will get us into garage and paved pool equipment.

Here is the design I had in mind…

Of course you can have a path that leads to the backyard grass. Here are some side yard inspiration phtotos for you to show to your landscape guy:

PLANTING · More Info

Fremont Firepit · More Info

Sagg Main, Sagaponack · More Info

@beverlyFLADeziner - would you be able to do that same diagram with the gray path, but with it hugging the pool equipment like our mason is suggesting? This visual is SO helpful.

We will be using the border pavers as we have already from the pool patio - (Cambridge ledgstone onyx) While I love the stepping stones, our grass is too unruly and/or muddy for it to look nice year round.

Now that I just saw the entire back yard, for uniformity, I would use the same pavers and extend the patio in front of the pool equipment and have a path go down along the house. You can also have some plantings, either inground or in a long flower box, between the pool equipment and garage door for a more finished look. I also suggest you paint your shed white so that it blends into the white fence behind. I noticed you seem to have a few different types of fences in the back yard perimeter, I you're able to paint some of them white on your side the back yard would look much better,

Thank you lisedv. Shed is being removed and fences all replaced to match. I love what you did but Unfortunately we can’t extend pavers as you show. We have to just add on. (Issues with not doing the job all at once!)

If you mean you can't get the exact same style of pavers, I'm sure you can find something similar and most importantly in the same colour.

You can go L-shaped or Z-shaped pathway that connected to all your areas.

Some rough inspro

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