7 Landscape Design Ideas for Your Paver Driveway in Hinsdale, IL
A paver driveway instantly adds sophistication to your home. With so many choices in materials, styles and colors, where do you start? Here are 7 ideas for your Hinsdale, IL paver driveway.
First… why should you choose pavers?
Aside from appearance and superior curb appeal, paver driveways are:
Easier to repair than concrete or asphalt (replace individual pavers or sections without redoing the entire driveway)
More durable than poured concrete or asphalt
Cooler on bare feet than asphalt
Eco-friendly: permeable pavers allow rain/snowmelt to seep through, preventing runoff
Paver materials, shapes, sizes, and textures
Driveway design begins with choosing the right pavers to get the look you want. Choose from:
Traditional clay brick pavers develop a gorgeous timeworn patina over time.
Concrete pavers offer a huge selection of styles, shapes, textures and colors to suit any decor.
Natural quarried stone: cobblestone or flagstone (including reclaimed) is durable and timeless.
Design elements for driveway pavers include:
Shapes: driveway pavers typically come in two standard shapes: square, or rectangular, as well as irregular flagstone shapes.
Sizes range from cobblestone to large, irregular flagstone. Thickness is most important: choose pavers around 3” thick to withstand vehicle traffic.
Textures: new pavers can be smooth, or textured and weathered.
Color ties the driveway in with the home. Concrete pavers offer the greatest color variety.
Design Ideas
Make a great first impression with a paver driveway.
Patterns
Herringbone: the most durable pattern for high traffic, pavers are set at a 45 degree angle to the garage. Not only does it look great, it also minimizes shifting. This is the brick pattern most recommended for permeable pavers due to their larger joints.
Running bond: the classic “brick” look complements the home’s brickwork. Pavers can be set either with the narrow edge or the broad edge toward the garage, and bordered with pavers set perpendicular to the field pavers.
Basketweave: a more relaxed look, this pattern looks more substantial due to the optical illusion of squares, and looks great with more contemporary homes.
Ashlar: a more random, modern look that mixes different sizes of square and rectangular pavers.
Artistic layouts including circles and fan/fishtail shapes add lots of personality.
Runners and Borders
Give a nod to tradition with a contrasting border or runners (narrow strips that run the length of the driveway, to mimic the look of centuries-old tire tracks).
Reclaimed brick and cobblestone
For unparalleled old-world charm, use reclaimed bricks or cobblestones as field pavers, accents, or borders.
Grass driveways
A growing trend is to set pavers in two continuous rows with grass between, to mimic the look of ancient roads. This helps minimize a large driveway and allows for rainwater and snowmelt to seep into the ground easily. Careful installation will prevent shifting under load.
Match the roof
A current trend is to match the color of the roof, either as the main paver field color, or as a border, runner, or embellishment.
Double borders
Double borders add a sophisticated and substantial look to a paver driveway.
Circles and other embellishments
Create a focal point and artistic flair with circles, fans/fishtails, or random free-form shapes. These embellishments can be done with field pavers for a more subtle look, or contrasting pavers for a bold look.
