Your driveway significantly influences your house’s attractiveness and market value regarding curb appeal. If you’re building a new home or renovating your landscaping and hardscape, you should look into the most modern driveway designs and materials.
Famous designs from a few years ago have vanished due to various disadvantages, changes in taste, and the development of new materials. Homeowners choose driveway designs based on cost, maintenance, attractiveness, and long-term viability. Modern, permeable pavers, for example, prevail over conventional materials in an eco-friendly effort to return rainwater to the soil and reduce runoff that causes erosion. However, this is far from the first surprise trend reversal. Please continue reading to discover more driveway fads on their way out. Our pros discuss fading trends with us and offer novel strategies for creating a suitable driveway for your property. If you’re looking for more details, get in touch with Elizabeth Paving. We’re here to assist you.
Straight Line Driveways
Straight lines in landscaping and hardscaping do not improve your home’s curb appeal. “Outdated driveway designs tend to include a lot of straight lines, such as a long stretch of square concrete blocks,” explains Raf Michalowski, designer and CEO of Meble Furniture. Straight lines are unappealing and may make a house seem chilly and unwelcoming.”
Nature, rather than linear lines, influence modern design conceptions. “As people’s tastes evolve, they’re seeking more natural styles incorporating curves and softer lines,” he explained.
We like the polar opposite of what’s popular, so tidy lines give way to less rigid and constrained designs. “As an emerging alternative, I recommend driveways with winding patterns or organic shapes.” These patterns may be created using several materials, such as brick, gravel, or pavers. “They give the space a more organic look, making it inviting and cozy,” Michalowski told me. A beautiful driveway might be curved, U-shaped, round, or Y-shaped. Any of these options prevent the harsh appearance of a straight stretch of pavement from the street to your property.
Brick Driveways
Brick may be fantastic if you want to devote time, effort, and money to keeping your driveway. On the other hand, most homeowners would prefer less cost and inconvenience. “Driveways made of bricks or paving stones, or stamped to resemble them, are simply not as popular as they once were.” To begin, paving a driveway brick by brick is expensive. “It’s much more labor-intensive, and the materials are more expensive than concrete or asphalt,” says Rent To Own Labs CEO Martin Orefice.”These driveways need frequent maintenance as bricks heave and crack with the freeze/thaw cycle.”
If you create a brick driveway, the installation cost is just the beginning of your investment. The bricks must be regularly cleaned, sealed, re-grouted, and replaced. Furthermore, brick may be a poor choice for a driveway due to its propensity to collapse with the weight of automobiles driving and parking on it frequently.
Natural Stone Driveways
Natural stone driveways have substantial drawbacks while improving your property’s curb appeal. “Natural stone driveways have become popular in recent years, but this trend may be ending.” “While natural stone driveways are low maintenance and attractive, they can be costly to install and maintain,” Keith Sant, founder and CEO of Kind House Buyers, adds.
Building materials costs have increased considerably in our present economy, forcing homeowners to look for methods to save money on new construction and home repair projects.
One way to save money is to avoid using expensive paving materials like stone. “With the ever-increasing cost of materials, many homeowners are opting for more affordable driveway options,” Sant said. Asphalt and concrete driveways are becoming more popular among homes. They are affordable to install, simple to maintain, and available in various colors. Various colors and designs that may give your home a unique appeal.”
Colored Concrete Driveways
Homeowners are looking for ways to give their driveways a unique flair to increase curb appeal and set their properties apart from others on the block. Trendy treatments, on the other hand, come and go. “Another popular trend on its way out is colored concrete driveways.” These driveways’ bright, eye-catching colors may look amazing initially but fade quickly due to outdoor exposure.”This fading might leave your driveway bland and antiquated over time,” Sant says.
Sant recommends stamping rather than coloring to provide a high-end look to a concrete driveway. “Compared to colored concrete, concrete stamping is more durable and cost-effective.” Stamped concrete offers the same customizability as painted concrete but is more resistant to fading and damage. This makes it an ideal choice for heavily frequented driveways.”
A stamped concrete driveway may be built in various textures and patterns that resemble stone, slate, pavers, brick, wood planks, and other materials. Even though it may crack over time owing to freezing and thawing cycles, stamped concrete is easy to maintain. Brush or blow away the loose debris, then rinse as required with a garden hose.
Gravel Driveways
You should consider paving your gravel driveway if you have one. “Gravel driveways were once seen as a cost-effective option for homeowners,” adds Sant, “but this trend is quickly fading.”While gravel roads are inexpensive to install, they are challenging to maintain. The gravel should be replenished regularly, and the driveway surface should be polished.”
Gravel driveways have a variety of additional drawbacks. Because the crushed stone particles have scattered over the neighboring grass, they look messy. They are dusty in dry weather and may develop muddy ruts in wet weather. Gravel driveways are difficult to walk on, especially in high heels, accumulating dirt in your car.
As an alternative to a gravel driveway, Sant suggests pavers. “Paver driveways are an excellent alternative to gravel driveways for homeowners seeking an aesthetically pleasing, low-maintenance driveway.” Avers exist in various forms, colors, and sizes, making them perfect for creating custom designs. “They’re also more durable than gravel driveways and require less upkeep over time,” he said.
Gated Driveways
It would help to skip the expensive gates at the end of your driveway unless you live at Buckingham Palace. According to Shaun Martin, owner and CEO of Denver-based We Buy Houses, “Homeowners who value privacy and simplicity are becoming less popular with large, elaborate gates.”Instead of investing in a large ornate gate, more homeowners opt for smaller, simpler styles that blend in with the landscape or have more modern lines.”
Modern technologies may be used in addition to simpler designs to protect privacy and security. “As they provide convenience and security, automated gates are quickly becoming the preferred option for driveway design.” “Homeowners can open and close their gates with the push of a button or even remotely from within their home, making it simple to keep their property secure at all times,” Martin said.
A motor that slides or swings open and closed powers an automatic gate. The gate may be opened remotely using a smartphone app or by inputting a code on a keypad. Modern landscape and architectural styles are harmoniously complemented by the sleek design of today’s automated gates.
Minimalist Driveways
Simple, poured-concrete driveways that don’t mix in with the surroundings may seem simple, but they don’t boost your home’s curb appeal. Minimalist driveways are losing popularity since they need distinguishing characteristics or ornamentation. According to a house flipper and real estate investor, Ben Wagner, “People want driveways that reflect their style and personality.”Minimalist driveways can only be used as driveways.” Consequently, their allure is fading with time.”
Natural elements incorporated into driveway designs are among the ideas displacing minimalist options. “Incorporating green infrastructure into driveway designs is becoming increasingly popular.” Green spaces are becoming more popular among homeowners. “This includes planting beds or grass strips within their driveways,” Wagner continues.
To break up the monotony of minimalism, build a curving, Y-shaped, or circular path around planting beds with trees, shrubs, and flowers. Furthermore, driveways with ribbons from the past are reappearing. One of these ideas is a ribbon of turf grass growing between two concrete tire-supporting strips on your car.
Unsustainable Driveways
Unsustainable driveways composed of environmentally harmful materials are being phased out. According to Ron Wysocarski, a Wyse Home Team Realty real estate broker, “eco-friendliness and a new aesthetic look have made permeable driveways a trend among Gen Z and Millennial homeowners (the largest portion of the housing market).” “Permeable driveways permit rainwater to percolate through the surface and into the ground, reducing runoff and improving water management.” These roads might be built using permeable pavers or even grass pavers. “They provide a more natural and visually appealing appearance while also providing environmental benefits,” he said.
Turfstone pavers may be used to build roadways that absorb water and restrict the discharge that causes soil erosion. Turfstone systems comprise a lattice-like grid of concrete pavers with significant gaps that allow grass to grow through the hardscape. Turfstone driveways may be maintained by mowing the grass like a lawn. It gives your driveway a lush, green look that mixes well with the surroundings while decreasing the problem of muddy ruts in the soil.
