Ways To Experiment With Coloured Concrete Around Your Home

Coloured concrete on a driveway, path or patio converts an ordinary grey slab into an attractive and decorative surface. Retaining the durability of concrete, these surfaces have the added benefit of good looks and style. Here are a few ways for you to get creative.

Playing With Colour

With concrete, you have access to unlimited colour options. Integrally coloured concrete includes pigments within the cement mix itself, so the hues run throughout. To create stained and dyed concrete, contractors apply the pigments to the concrete surface. All give slightly different looks and provide excellent choices for decorating your driveway or path. Because you can mix and match these methods, by using a stain on top of a dye, for instance, you can create a unique surface for your environment. 

For the best result, look at your home and the surrounding landscape. You could repeat the hue of the roof,or go lighter or darker. If you have a Mediterranean style home, why not use rust or terracotta shades? Alternatively, earthy clays and browns will give a rustic feel to country-style homes. Choose a hue that complements rather then overpowers the space to tie everything together.

Contrast Surfaces

Use contrast to create exciting and varied surfaces that organise the space. On a patio, stained concrete could form the main surface, with borders of stamped concrete around the edges, providing variation. Next times you're in a paved or tiled public space, notice how the designers vary the surface and use their ideas for your purposes. Why not use integrally coloured concrete for the bulk of your patio but insert several curved lines of faux pavers that sweep across the surface? Alternatively, you could interrupt a flat hue with several criss-cross lines of another colour. You can do this in a subtle, understated way to create a fascinating, interesting surface. Remember, you want to relax and enjoy the space for many years and not feel overwhelmed each time you see it.

Take Advantage Of Texture

While you might associate concrete with smoothness, it doesn't have to stay that way. You can combine colour with stamping techniques to create textured surfaces that have a natural feel. Stone, brickwork or simulated pavers are popular options. To achieve these effects, while the poured concrete is still un-set, contractors press special moulds or stamps across the surface. Because of its texture and traction, stamped concrete is an ideal non-slip surface for around pool areas, but it also creates attractive borders for coloured driveways or patios.