Concrete Driveway Design Tips
Concrete. The darling of brutalist architecture. Durable, but it is grey and boring when unpainted. But concrete is easy to work with, and its materials can be sourced easily in most places.. Its maintenance cost is relatively low, and when done correctly, it doesn’t deteriorate easily as time goes by.
Concrete doesn’t have to be boring, though, especially if you’re planning to use it in your driveway. Here are some concrete driveway design tips that you might find helpful if you’re planning on installing or repairing yours.
Think long term
When building a concrete driveway, always think long-term. Are you planning to add a second car in the future or are you stopping at just one? It makes sense to build a smaller concrete driveway if you only have one sedan or SUV for the whole family and you’re not planning to buy another one. But if you’re planning to buy another car or if you have guests over every weekend and parking is scarce in your neighbourhood, then make sure to build a driveway large enough to accommodate more vehicles at one time.
Other purposes
Driveways are more than a place where you drive your car in and out of the garage. Homeowners use it to park cars or as an extension of a workshop for those who love DIY. Kids even use it as an impromptu playground. If this is the case, it is best to go for a smoother concrete driveway that won’t scratch your kids’ knees and elbows. But if your property is located on a sloping surface, then it’s best to install a more textured driveway for added traction when it’s raining outside.
The shape of things to come
Most driveways have rectangular shapes, but yours doesn’t have to be that boring. Our experts at Versatile Concrete suggest that you try a classic crescent-shaped driveway or a circular one if the space in front of your property is large enough for these designs. Or go for a driveway that curves right down your front door or garage to make it more interesting.
Brighten it up
As we said above, concrete doesn’t need to be boring. You can brighten things up by adding some colour to the same old dreary concrete. A coloured driveway, for example, lends your home a touch of elegance and modernity. You can also go for classic beige, cream, or terra cotta. Another great colour option is a darker shade of grey that exudes understated elegance.
Give it some contrast
Sometimes, it’s nice to mix and match your colours to give your driveway that interesting detail. A dark-grey driveway, for example, looks nice with a bright white trim. A white concrete driveway can be made more interesting with rust-colored or beige trims. You can even use tiles or bricks to amp up your concrete driveway’s design.
Add some landscaping
A driveway doesn’t need to be a single uninterrupted block of boring concrete. If you want to make it stand out, intersperse it with some grass or some gravel or coloured pebbles.