The driveway is more than just the path to the garage. With the proper design, it can become an essential part of your curb appeal, since it creates a clear path that the eyes can follow. Combine that with a garage door revamp and your driveway will become a show on its own.
But what kinds of design, materials, and paths can you use for a driveway?
Below you will see a great selection of ideas to answer that. You will find materials that can be used to set the path as well as ways to decorate, giving you a lot of options!
“When something is important enough, you do it even if the odds are not in your favor." – Elon Musk
1. Stone path
A simple stone path is more than enough to make an impression. This works really well if your driveway is rather short but you still want to create something visually interesting.
Combine the jagged stone patterns with grass for a natural look that goes perfectly with almost any home, whether your house’s style is modern or rustic.
If your home features a short path, you’ll also want to invest in a beautiful garage door!
2. Bricks
Bricks are an easy bet when it comes to the material. Used for millennia, bricks are sturdy, versatile, and visually varied. With the use of patterns, they can offer a good deal of visual interest too.
As you can see here, this long path isn’t limited to a single pattern.
The bulk of it is made of a herringbone pattern, but the very start of the driveway goes for a simple linear stack. Also notice the borders separating it from the landscape – simple, but effective!
3. Gravel path
Sometimes you don’t have to make it more complicated than necessary. Whether you’re looking for simplicity or for something that better fits your budget, you can go for a gravel path.
It offers enough traction for your car to go through without issues and it also helps with drainage issues in the event of heavy rain. Plus, it looks great to compliment your landscaping efforts!
The process of prepping and installing is also faster than most other options, which is good if you want fast results.
4. Lights
Lights are often ignored when it comes to the driveway itself. It’s common for homeowners to have one big light for the whole path, or to rely entirely on the headlights when coming home and parking at night.
But that alone isn’t very exciting nor safe. Lights not only boost your curb appeal, but also make the house brighter, safer to walk in and also has the benefit of preventing burglars that could easily hide in the dark.
These landscaping lights are perfect for lighting a path across your driveway, making it pop even during the night while also giving you an extra source of light – which is always useful. You can also go for solar powered options to save on electricity.
5. Curved asphalt path
Asphalt is quite common as a driveway material due to its versatility across different weather conditions. This isn’t surprising since it’s also the material used for most roads in the world, so it needs to withstand a lot of wear and tear.
Compared to other options, asphalt installation is quite fast and the cost relatively low, making it a very attractive option overall. You will need to reseal and repair regularly (usually every 3 years or so), but it’s still one of the best options on the market.
6. Stone pavers
Also known as cobblestone, this attractive driveway material is made of natural stone and offers a very unique look.
It resembles your typical brick, but it’s a bit rougher in texture, giving it a more rustic appeal when compared to bricks. Despite that, it still looks great along modern homes.
The cost is on the more expensive side, but concrete pavers require very little maintenance in comparison to other driveway materials. It’s also unlikely to crack or require repairs for many years.
7. Concrete slabs
Concrete driveways are right up there with asphalt as one of the most popular choices.
The reasons are straightforward: it offers most of the same pros, while the cons are far from dealbreakers.
Concrete is durable, easy to install, and relatively low-maintenance. For the sake of visual variety, you can use concrete slabs as seen above instead of a single flat surface. This makes any eventual repairs even easier in the long run.
Ready to plan for your driveway? Get free quotes today from concrete pros for a new driveway!
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