10 Ideas for Designing Your Driveway
Make a great first impression by treating your driveway to a makeover with one of these smart ideas
Patricia Tyrrell
2 September 2016
Houzz Ireland Contributor Patricia Tyrrell is an award winning landscape and garden designer and horticulturist with specialist knowledge of planting design.
Houzz Ireland Contributor Patricia Tyrrell is an award winning landscape and garden... More
The first impression you have of any house is the entrance and driveway and, as they say, first impressions last. So it’s important to pay attention to the details if you want to really get that wow factor. Not only does a thoughtfully designed drive serve its owners well, it also creates a welcome for visitors.
While most aspects of a home’s design are considered down to the last detail, the driveway is often overlooked, and it’s sometimes even left to the builder to decide on dimensions, kerbing and layout. Poor design can lead to excessive surfaced areas, poor functionality and unnecessary expense. This is an area where a landscape designer can really add value, and where creativity and technical knowledge combine to come up with the optimum solution.
While most aspects of a home’s design are considered down to the last detail, the driveway is often overlooked, and it’s sometimes even left to the builder to decide on dimensions, kerbing and layout. Poor design can lead to excessive surfaced areas, poor functionality and unnecessary expense. This is an area where a landscape designer can really add value, and where creativity and technical knowledge combine to come up with the optimum solution.
Make an entrance
For the visitor or even the passer-by, the entrance offers an intriguing glimpse of the house or grounds and creates the first impression. The entrance to your driveway should be in keeping with the property, but also with the setting, whether that be urban or rural.
Here, the traditional wooden gates fit in beautifully with the style of the house, and the soft, water-bound macadam completes the look. An entrance doesn’t necessarily have to be elaborate: it could be a simple hedge or a pair of trees – something that expresses the character of the house and the personality of its owners.
For the visitor or even the passer-by, the entrance offers an intriguing glimpse of the house or grounds and creates the first impression. The entrance to your driveway should be in keeping with the property, but also with the setting, whether that be urban or rural.
Here, the traditional wooden gates fit in beautifully with the style of the house, and the soft, water-bound macadam completes the look. An entrance doesn’t necessarily have to be elaborate: it could be a simple hedge or a pair of trees – something that expresses the character of the house and the personality of its owners.
Go lightly with kerbing
Kerbing is essentially a means of creating an edge between the grass and the chosen driveway surface. It should be subtle and refined, almost invisible, as in this driveway. It’s the frame, not the picture!
Again, employ a material in keeping with those in the house. As an alternative to stone or concrete, you could consider treated timber, which becomes almost invisible, or a metal edging for a modern, urban but subtle finish.
Kerbing is essentially a means of creating an edge between the grass and the chosen driveway surface. It should be subtle and refined, almost invisible, as in this driveway. It’s the frame, not the picture!
Again, employ a material in keeping with those in the house. As an alternative to stone or concrete, you could consider treated timber, which becomes almost invisible, or a metal edging for a modern, urban but subtle finish.
Relax the look
Sometimes, key elements of a driveway, such as kerbs, are so much the norm, we don’t even question their necessity. However, a softer, more natural look is achieved here by omitting the kerb and keeping the surfacing to a minimum. This would work really well in a relaxed countryside setting or even in an urban setting with a minimalist style.
Sometimes, key elements of a driveway, such as kerbs, are so much the norm, we don’t even question their necessity. However, a softer, more natural look is achieved here by omitting the kerb and keeping the surfacing to a minimum. This would work really well in a relaxed countryside setting or even in an urban setting with a minimalist style.
Turn the tables in tight spaces
The turning circle of a car is the minimum space required to drive your car around in a circle in one movement. Once we get to smaller spaces, as we all know, the amount of forward and reverse shuffling to exit a space can become unacceptable or even impossible.
If your driveway is impossibly tight for turning a vehicle, you could consider installing a turntable, costs allowing. Simply drive your car on and let modern technology do the rest!
The turning circle of a car is the minimum space required to drive your car around in a circle in one movement. Once we get to smaller spaces, as we all know, the amount of forward and reverse shuffling to exit a space can become unacceptable or even impossible.
If your driveway is impossibly tight for turning a vehicle, you could consider installing a turntable, costs allowing. Simply drive your car on and let modern technology do the rest!
Pave the way
When accommodating lots of cars, particularly in a tight space, it can be worth thinking of an alternative route for pedestrians, even if this involves a slight diversion. Here, the front garden has been converted to accommodate two cars in a gravel parking area, while a separate and more pleasurable route through planting is provided for visitors on foot.
See 13 ways to green up your front garden
When accommodating lots of cars, particularly in a tight space, it can be worth thinking of an alternative route for pedestrians, even if this involves a slight diversion. Here, the front garden has been converted to accommodate two cars in a gravel parking area, while a separate and more pleasurable route through planting is provided for visitors on foot.
See 13 ways to green up your front garden
Create a hierarchy
A well-laid-out driveway should subtly indicate where visitors can park without looking like a car park. This sounds challenging, but people are generally very sensitive to visual clues.
Looking at the driveway above, the choice is easy. There are steps and a small courtyard area in front of the door, prompting visitors to park there. Even though the drive continues on past the house, it narrows and implies, “This is just for people who live here.”
In the foreground, there’s an extra area of parking to allow for busier times. The whole drive is subtle and easy to negotiate, with ease of access and turning.
A well-laid-out driveway should subtly indicate where visitors can park without looking like a car park. This sounds challenging, but people are generally very sensitive to visual clues.
Looking at the driveway above, the choice is easy. There are steps and a small courtyard area in front of the door, prompting visitors to park there. Even though the drive continues on past the house, it narrows and implies, “This is just for people who live here.”
In the foreground, there’s an extra area of parking to allow for busier times. The whole drive is subtle and easy to negotiate, with ease of access and turning.
Consider the environment
Increased use of hard surfacing in driveways is contributing to flooding. Rainfall on grass or planting will soak in and slowly percolate through the soil, but rainfall on hard surfaces flows off quickly into drains and rivers, leading to flash floods.
Each homeowner has a role in contributing to this and one of the ways you can address it is by using permeable materials. Here, grass blocks are used. These are a concrete frame filled with soil and then seeded, providing a stable but green and permeable surface. Gravel is also permeable and creates a subtle and attractive surface. There are many other types of permeable paving also available.
Increased use of hard surfacing in driveways is contributing to flooding. Rainfall on grass or planting will soak in and slowly percolate through the soil, but rainfall on hard surfaces flows off quickly into drains and rivers, leading to flash floods.
Each homeowner has a role in contributing to this and one of the ways you can address it is by using permeable materials. Here, grass blocks are used. These are a concrete frame filled with soil and then seeded, providing a stable but green and permeable surface. Gravel is also permeable and creates a subtle and attractive surface. There are many other types of permeable paving also available.
Soften the edges
No matter how little space you have, there are areas of your driveway where the car is not king. Planting between the drive and the house softens the boundary between the vertical and horizontal hard surfaces and adds colour and interest. It can also help to tie different elements together and hide unsightly utilities.
There’s a trend to completely pave front gardens for the purpose of parking without really looking at the opportunities for small areas of planting within it. Make space for greenery and your scheme will immediately perk up.
See creative ways to hide your rubbish and recycling bins
No matter how little space you have, there are areas of your driveway where the car is not king. Planting between the drive and the house softens the boundary between the vertical and horizontal hard surfaces and adds colour and interest. It can also help to tie different elements together and hide unsightly utilities.
There’s a trend to completely pave front gardens for the purpose of parking without really looking at the opportunities for small areas of planting within it. Make space for greenery and your scheme will immediately perk up.
See creative ways to hide your rubbish and recycling bins
Control the views
An old design trick and one used to great effect here is the idea of hiding and then revealing the house to create interest and intrigue. Aided by a challenging, sloping site, the first glimpse of the house is framed by pleached hornbeam, then the view is closed off by a hedge, to be revealed again as you turn the corner and arrive at a level parking area, where you’re treated to breathtaking views of the countryside.
An old design trick and one used to great effect here is the idea of hiding and then revealing the house to create interest and intrigue. Aided by a challenging, sloping site, the first glimpse of the house is framed by pleached hornbeam, then the view is closed off by a hedge, to be revealed again as you turn the corner and arrive at a level parking area, where you’re treated to breathtaking views of the countryside.
Show guests the door!
A driveway leads you through a garden space. No matter how big or small the garden, it’s a journey. On that journey we appreciate the plantings and views to the house. The driveway itself should be simple, with richer detail kept for the point of arrival.
This is a subtle way of indicating where the front door is and creating a welcome for guests – or just a ‘welcome home’. Here, the change of flooring materials also creates a transition and a foil for the house. In design principles, the transition between inside and outside is one of the most important, as it’s a place where we linger and observe the detail. The simple lines and seating here create an attractive and welcoming space to spend a few moments.
What you think of these driveway design ideas? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
A driveway leads you through a garden space. No matter how big or small the garden, it’s a journey. On that journey we appreciate the plantings and views to the house. The driveway itself should be simple, with richer detail kept for the point of arrival.
This is a subtle way of indicating where the front door is and creating a welcome for guests – or just a ‘welcome home’. Here, the change of flooring materials also creates a transition and a foil for the house. In design principles, the transition between inside and outside is one of the most important, as it’s a place where we linger and observe the detail. The simple lines and seating here create an attractive and welcoming space to spend a few moments.
What you think of these driveway design ideas? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
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Wow! A work of art!!
Great Ideas. I live in Northeast Ohio. I want to replace my concrete driveway without using concrete or asphalt. I would love to have a paver/grass driveway. I just wonder how it woul hold up to our winters.
Hi budzowr. Are you thinking of the third image with grass in the middle? Ohio seems to have a similar climate to here with about the same amount of rainfall, so I would think this would hold up very well. Is your drive fairly level or is it on a slope?