How to make your driveway stand out

Collaborative Post | A driveway is one of the top must-haves for homeowners as very few of us live without the convenience of at least one car these days.
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Of course, having a driveway is all well and good, but it’s less of a bonus if it looks ugly. All too often, a driveway looks like a plain, grey rectangle at the front or side of our house.
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So, how do you elevate your driveway and make it stand out from your neighbours? Here’s some ideas to give you a well-designed and attractive driveway that boosts your kerb appeal.

Photo by Matt Jones on Unsplash

Use warm colours

One of the great things about a resin driveway is you can customise it with warm-hued stone colours. You could use a terracotta stone to blend with your red brick house. Or go with a buff stone or a mix of beige, black and white stones to get a rich and welcoming driveway colour. The type of stone can affect your resin driveway cost but typically, you shouldn’t pay more than £1,800 for a one-car driveway. 

Create a contrast to your house

One way to really make your driveway stand out is to create a contrast to your house. For instance, you might have a white rendered house and jet-black driveway. Or you might go with a green driveway to create a contrast to a brick-built house. You can achieve this by using a permeable driveway grid and letting grass or wildflowers grow up through it. Although, you’ll need to keep it in check of course. There are companies who can install this type of drive for you or you can buy interlocking grid panels and do it yourself.

Add ornate gates

You can instantly make a standard driveway feel more luxurious by installing an ornate set of gates. Traditional black metal gates with gold edging have timeless appeal and can boost the grandeur of almost any home. But beautifully curved wooden gates or modern aluminium panelled ones may work better with the style of your home and will certainly add just as much kerb appeal. You could also consider an automated entry system to add value and functionality. However, this will also add at least £1,000 to your gate costs.

Use pattern

To perk your driveway up, you could introduce patterning. You can do this by laying pavers, slabs or setts in a specific way. Or you could go with a concrete driveway and imprint a pattern onto it. Herringbone, basketweave and stretcher bond are three popular styles but mosaic and geometric patterning is also possible. And you might want to lay circles, scallops or diamond patterns inside your regular pattern, just to add more interest.

Edge around it

A driveway is going to look a lot neater and more defined if you use edging. And it will contribute to your garden’s landscape design. There are lots of materials you can use such as cobbles, edging stones and bricks. So, you can make the edging stand out or keep it subtle. You don’t need to use hard edging on your driveway either as you could use flower beds or strips of lawn instead.

Bring in lots of greenery

One of the best things you can do with a driveway is to add in lots of greenery. Not only will the extra colour brighten it up but it will add depth and interest too. If you don’t have a garage or car port, then using tall ornamental grasses, bushy shrubs and small trees will also add shade. So, you can keep driveway and car cool in the summer.

Shed some light on it

Incorporating some lighting into your driveway will also make it stand out. Done well and it should make your driveway more practical to use and will add to your kerb appeal. If your driveway is bordered by a wall, you could set lights along it to illuminate the whole stretch. Or you could set the lighting into the driveway surface itself. Whatever you choose, go with glare-free lights, so they don’t hinder your vision. And consider sensors, so your lights come on as it goes dark or when movement is detected.

Give it a centrepiece

If you’re lucky enough to have a large driveway that can fit more than two cars in it, then you might have enough space to give it a centrepiece. Think stately homes with fancy stone fountains at the head of the drive. Of course, you don’t need to go quite that far but a focal point such as a small water feature, ornamental tree, vibrant flower bed or decorative metal sculpture, would work wonders.


Disclaimer: this is a collaborative post.