Outdoor Decor Uses of Concrete
There are many reasons to use concrete on an outdoor patio, walkway or driveway, including its durability and practicality. It is also a great decor piece for many reasons. There are several kinds of decorative patterns for outdoor and indoor use at a home or office building.
Patterns can be made with a stamping process that makes concrete look like granite or stone. Professionals can replicate stone by continuing the notch or ridge over the edge to the ground. There are also several colors to choose from when the decor style calls for a specific look. Dark red, different shades of gray, pink and several shades of brown are available, and a color may look different in one environment than another.
Sometimes gray stains take on shades of blue or green depending on what the surrounding setting is. A shady area with a lot of green plants may add a green hue, or it may show up the difference in the stone and make it look more gray or blue. Red and brown hues add character to a southwest theme, and neutral hues fit into a more monotone contemporary look.
Stone is expensive, and concrete is one way to avoid that cost, especially when it can be made to look like stone. Design patterns create large, flat “stones” across an expanse or smaller, border stones around the perimeter. The border can be a different color than the rest of the concreted area if so desired.
A patio or walkway can also have a natural stone look when the colors vary throughout, with two or three shades of color, like stone as it appears in nature. Hues can also be dark or light, according to the ambiance of the outdoor area. Light, open and airy or dark, cool and shady appearances can be enhanced by decorative concrete.
Most home swimming pools have concrete surrounds, and it can change or create a specific décor focus to update an old pool area or lay out a new one. The same is true for a barbecue site on or away from a patio. How large of a patio area is needed? The concrete design can make an area appear larger or smaller along with the furniture and arrangement of a barbecue structure.
The choices seem endless so give concrete a try you’ll be glad you did.
