A beautifully colored concrete driveway adds instant curb appeal and style to your home’s exterior. A concrete driveway color that ties together the existing color scheme of your home’s exterior materials and accents is a seamless choice. If your house exterior features warm earth tones like tans, browns, and reds, choose a concrete color in the same color family such as terracotta, cinnamon, or rust shades. For cool-toned exteriors with grays, blues, and greens, opt for concrete hues like slate gray, pale blue, or sage green.
Complement nearby landscaping
Try matching or coordinating the concrete color with plants and flowers growing nearby. For example, opt for a rich green concrete color that complements lush green shrubs bordering the driveway. Or select a warm beige concrete hue that works with desert landscaping and features around the home. Let your home’s natural surroundings inspire the perfect concrete color.
Think about the general style of your home when selecting a concrete driveway color. For traditional home designs, timeless concrete colors like brick red, tan, gray, or slate blue are classic options. For Arts and Crafts style bungalows, try earthy hues like ochre, olive, or terra-cotta. For a colonial-style house, go for a driveway color in cool whites, grays, or powder blue. Choose colors that enhance (rather than overwhelm) the home’s architecture.
Visualize how color affects light
Lighter concrete colors tend to brighten up shady areas of your property, while darker concrete colors make bright, hot areas more manageable. For partly shaded driveways, lighter concrete colors like buff, stone, or white will reflect more sunlight and brighten the area. In hot climates, darker colors like olive, brown, or slate gray will absorb sunlight and heat while staying cooler. Many concrete companies cast small test slabs of different concrete colors for you to view on your property. Seeing actual concrete samples in the context of your home’s exterior, landscaping, and natural light allows you to make the best color selection. If possible, view samples both wet and dry since the concrete color will vary slightly.
Consider maintenance with concrete color
Lighter concrete colors like light gray will show less dirt, tire marks, and general wear-and-tear over time compared to darker concrete hues. Lighter concrete also shows imperfections like cracks and stains more easily. Darker earth-toned concrete hides flaws well but requires more cleaning and power washing to maintain its curb appeal. Consider the upkeep required for potential driveway colors. Concrete is colored during the mixing process for integrally colored concrete, or stained after it has cured.
Integrally colored concrete has color evenly dispersed throughout, while staining creates effects primarily on the surface. Stained concrete shows more variation but chip or fade more easily. Integrally colored concrete offers uniformity and longer color retention. If you’re having trouble visualizing the perfect concrete color, look for inspiration online or by walking around your neighborhood. Browse photos of beautifully designed homes to see examples of concrete driveways Sydney with appealing colors. Just observe nearby houses where colored concrete driveways complement the home nicely.
