Your driveway is the gateway to your home, your sanctuary, and your palace. Why give off the impression of a lackluster property with a sub-par driveway featuring cracks and faded styling? Instead, decorate your driveway with unforgettable accents that improve the form, function, and appearance of this important landscape feature.
Pavers
One way to achieve instant curb appeal is to add decorative driveway pavers. Pavers are versatile pieces of materials that can mimic the look of natural stone with a lower overall cost and less need for maintenance. You can mix and match the look you want, create a pattern or blend colors with different colored pavers, something you can’t do with poured concrete.
They can be easily replaced or changed out if they fall victim to cracks, without the need to remove the whole driveway and start from scratch. Rely on professionals for installation, as it can be quite tricky as far as the setting and patterns of these materials.
Garden Pathway
If you’re looking to incorporate a pathway along your driveway to serve as the entrance to your backyard garden, you have plenty of options. SFGate recommends setting off your entryway with pillars, posts, gates, and arched trellises. Not only do these elements clearly mark the entrance of the path, they also send a big message to those not invited.
Adding these accents to the driveway area brings the beauty of your garden to the entrance, showing your guests a hint of what is to come. Decorate the pillars and trellises with climbing vines for a pop of green color.
Edging
If your driveway is in decent shape but gets lost amidst your surrounding landscape, add a border of natural stone edging in beige. This will make the driveway stand out and clearly define it from the grass and other landscaping elements. There are two types of edging you can do: flat and raised. For flat edging, use Belgian block, brick, or stone pavers for a contrast in color, advises Do it Yourself.
Alternatively, you could install two rows of edging material on either side to make a wider border that allows your driveway to stand out even more. If you love variations in color, choose a few different shades of brick or pavers to lend a bit of eye-catching variety to the space. For raised edging, line the driveway with river wood, logs, or railroad ties for a rustic look that’s sure to impress.
Lighting
As a beacon to visitors in the evening, This Old House recommends installing a 7- to 8-foot-tall post lantern at the entrance of the driveway to help people easily identify the home. You don’t have to line the whole driveway with lanterns and lampposts, as car headlights will take care of that job at night.
However, to better accent the driveway, especially if it’s long and curvy, it’s a good idea to add small low-voltage spread lights every few feet to define the pavement area. To avoid the airport runway feel, stagger some shielded path lights that offer a hidden light source that still does the trick.
