Achieve a Rustic Front Entrance With the Right Driveway Pavers and Landscape Design in Wheaton, IL

COVID-19 has brought us all closer to home, and many people are rediscovering the joys of a simpler, more rustic lifestyle. Now, you may not be raising chickens and growing all of your food, but you’ll feel even more at home with a more relaxed and simple outdoor space with a rustic, homey vibe. Here’s how you can achieve a rustic front entrance with the right driveway pavers and landscape design in Wheaton, IL.

Mixed Materials/ Rustic Pavers

Back when people were building homes by hand, they used materials on hand. This meant mixing materials. You can do the same on your entry and driveway. For example, you can use granite cobblestones (or concrete pavers made to look like granite cobbles) as the main field of your driveway… complement that with a textured flagstone walkway and entry… and tie the look together using smooth cobblestone or dimpled brick borders.

Or, you could use natural bluestone on your walkway and entry, flagstone-look concrete pavers on the driveway, and tie the look together using a natural stone seat wall that runs the length of the driveway and arcs around in a welcoming embrace at the front entry.

The contrast of colors and textures will give you the best finished effect: just remember to stick to no more than three materials to prevent an overly busy look.

We’ve mentioned a few different types of pavers already. The rustic look comes from irregular edges, rougher or more weathered finishes, and pronounced textures. Some concrete pavers come with rustic edges that look hand-hewn; but underneath you’ll find precision and dimensional consistency that makes it easy to interlock pavers for a sturdy surface, which is particularly important on the driveway.

Flagstone, bluestone, limestone, sandstone, brick (especially distressed brick), granite, and limestone all make great rustic pavers. You can find natural paving stones or concrete pavers with a natural or vintage finish, to suit your budget and design aesthetic. When laying pavers, go for an easygoing pattern such as Ashlar, that isn’t too formal or predictable. It’s not random, but looks like it is!

Landscape Tips for Rustic Spaces

Making your landscape look as natural as you can will add to the rustic flair. That doesn’t mean wild and unkempt! Just avoid straight lines, formal gardens, perfectly trimmed hedges, monochromatic plantings, or too many exotics. You’ll get the best results using native plants that are perfectly adapted to your home’s location.

Reduce the size of your lawn (you’ll be thrilled by the lower maintenance) and replace areas of lawn near your home with collections of native shrubs and flowers - you can think of them as little islands of nature, such as pollinator gardens that invite beneficial insects and wildlife to your landscape.

Give your driveway and entry a warm welcome by guiding your visitors along a beautiful masonry wall made with stacked flagstone (whether natural or a concrete alternative), to a gently meandering walkway that’s just right for the size of your home… add some shade with local flowering trees, some cheerful color and inviting fragrance with native perennials and annuals…

Foundation plantings can be simple: some ground covers reaching away from the walkway and driveway to relaxed, un-manicured shrubs and perennials.

Finish the look with a welcoming stone or wooden bench at the home’s entry and a rustic stone fountain that brings the joyful and relaxing sounds of water to your landscape. Landscape lighting can be incorporated into the wall so that your attention rests on the natural features.