Create a Grander Entrance With a New Driveway in Naperville and Wheaton, IL
For your visitors, the driveway is their first impression of your home. If your driveway is taking away from the aesthetic of your home, a few changes to an ordinary asphalt driveway can make dramatic improvements to your front yard and greatly improve your home’s curb appeal. Not only that, but your own experience coming home will improve as well. Here’s how to create a grander entrance with a new driveway in Naperville and Wheaton, IL.
Choose Pavers
A paver driveway is inherently more elegant than any other surface. You can choose from classic brick to natural stone-inspired pavers including those that mimic limestone, sandstone, or granite. Or, if your home is modern and you want an eye-catching driveway, there are driveway-rated paver options with unique characteristics such as brushed finishes or oversized plank-style shapes.
Add an eco-friendly touch with permeable pavers which feature somewhat larger spaces between pavers to allow surface water to seep into the ground. Combined with a snowmelt system, a permeable paver driveway will be dry - and beautiful - year-round.
Add Creative Accents
When you’re designing the driveway, the main paver field is the focus but the edges of your paved surface present wonderful opportunities for creativity. Add paver borders to your driveway, an apron at its entrance, or even inlays that proudly display your family’s initials or a custom design. These pavers can have a different color, shape, size, and texture from the main driveway surface.
Embrace Curves
In both traditional and contemporary landscapes, the use of curves in long driveways can add an elegant feel to the space. The driveway is intended to be a bridge between the outside world and your home. It looks more interesting if it follows the natural curves of the landscape instead of shooting in a straight line to the garage.
If your driveway is short, consider more undulating landscaping: instead of a row of hedges along the driveway, for example, a series of small “islands” of flowers; a rock garden; or even curved raised masonry plant beds will add interest as well as an exclusive well-designed look.
Use Strategic Plantings
To help the front yard feel even more expansive, create a tree-lined alley. This, along with sparse landscaping, creates an incredible sense of elegance. The fewer details you have along the length of your driveway, the more the driveway will emphasize the home.
Add a Stone Entry Gate and Wall
Nothing makes a driveway feel grand quite like a gate at its entrance. Depending on your home’s aesthetic, your gate can take design cues from stone and steel gates of an English estate or the wood and steel arches of a Texas ranch. A gate will give your visitors the impression of luxury and security when they first enter, letting them feel a sense of awe at the beauty and grandeur of your front yard landscape and home.
A low wall that follows the driveway is a beautiful accent that can also serve an important purpose: lighting the way, since landscape lights can be embedded into the masonry.
Elegant Lighting Strategies
Elegant lighting can be achieved using walkway lights along the length of the driveway and subtle lighting integrated into the landscaping to create a sense of dimension. Just be sure to avoid the motion-activated flood light which will blind your visitors and cast a harsh glare.
