Mixing and matching concrete colours adds interest, design, and definition to your outdoor spaces. Whether it’s plain concrete, coloured concrete with a stamped pattern finish or exposed aggregate, adding texture and/or colour to concrete can produce a very unique look customised to your home.
Today there is a myriad of ways to develop specific hues and tones for concrete. Doing your research, discussing the options with a qualified expert and visiting our showroom will help you make the most well-informed decision for your property. Our consultants suggest options you may not have considered, such as stamped concrete, exposed aggregate styles and integral colour.
Combinations of concrete colours and textures, borders, edges and patterns along walkways and driveways can define living, walking and driving spaces. Here are some ideas to get you thinking and creating.
Exposed aggregate – using pebbles and stones to alter the concrete colour
Panorama Concrete Paving’s Benchmark Exposed Aggregate comes with natural plain grey concrete. The stones within the aggregate mix ordered from the supplier will usually have quite a lot of black aggregate with some grey, beige and brown stones within it which when exposed will give interesting colour highlights to the paving. Overall the paving will have a slightly darker tone than the original concrete.
Colours of pebbles and stones (aggregates)
Aggregates and pebbles come in white, green, gold, tan, black, grey, brown, pink, terracotta and black and white variegated colours and are often used in combinations of 2 or 3 different colours and textures to give a personal aspect to your paving.
To add a warmer tone to natural grey Exposed Aggregate concrete
Gold and beige pebbles seeded on top of the concrete paving as it is being installed can result in a creamy, warmer hue to the paving even with other stones in smaller quantities present in the mix. The amount of gold and beige pebbles used will determine the colour differential from the plain exposed concrete mix.
To add a darker tone to natural grey Exposed Aggregate concrete
Using dark grey and black pebbles perhaps accented with the occasional white pebble will ensure that the paving has a much darker look than natural plain concrete
To match Heritage Houses
Pink stones are a good match with the red bricks of older houses. The sample below is natural grey concrete exposed aggregate mix with lots of pink stones and some gold and white seeded on top.
Benchmark Range samples showing some of the colour toning achieved using different coloured pebbles and stones on top of natural plain concrete.
Exposed Aggregate with integral colour added – see Panorama Concrete’s Platinum Range
Panorama Concrete’s Platinum Range comes with integral colour added to the exposed aggregate concrete mix. There are around 30 different colours to choose from to contrast with the colour of your house or blend in with landscaping. Coloured aggregates and pebbles or coloured glass can also be added as a highlight to match or contrast with house bricks or render colour.
See below close up photo of a Platinum Range dark grey base with white and pink stones added on top of the mix when installed at an older style home. The dark grey coloured concrete contrasted with the red brick home and the pink stones were a good match with the house bricks.
Gold stones have been added to the dark grey integral exposed aggregate sample Platinum sample below. The contrast ensures the gold stones stand out well and work as a good match with sandstone coloured retaining walls or house renders.
Using glass in the Platinum Range Exposed Aggregate
In the example below we have used quite large blue glass pieces for a dramatic effect with grey coloured concrete and white stones but there are coloured and clear glass pieces available for more nuanced finishes. Small clear glass pieces seeded on the top can give a dewy shine to any of the paving colours.
Sample below with more subtle terracotta glass pieces.
To define borders and spaces
A higher concentration of a different coloured pebble seeded on to a specific area can highlight the area while ensuring it still blends in with the rest of the paving. Borders on driveways can be defined this way or a front pathway given a more specialised treatment with pebbles or glass pieces.
Smooth, low profile Panorama Concrete Milled Finishes in outdoor entertaining areas
Another way to highlight a specific area with a more sophisticated look is by using specialised retarding agents when the concrete is being installed. A lower profile exposed finish is created with small pieces of aggregate showing through rather than whole stones. This means a slightly offset colour from the rest of the paving even though the same aggregates and colours have been used and a smoother finish for table legs to sit on and kids to ride with their bikes on.
More examples of Panorama Concrete Paving’s Platinum Range Exposed Aggregate
Using different decorative finishes together
In the patio below, we combined the handcrafted sawcut concrete which is smooth to walk on and for table legs to balance, with a Platinum exposed aggregate pathway. Two different but complementary integral colours have been used with a quite heavily seeded exposed aggregate mix for the paths around patio.
Adding ceramic tiles as a border with Using a decorative finish or plain concrete
In the photo below ceramic tiles have been used as a border with Exposed Aggregate concrete. This is another way to introduce an additional colour which perhaps matches the house eaves or roof.
Being creative with integral coloured concrete
For the Adelaide Airport front plaza, we used two different integral colours with our Milled Exposed Aggregate low profile finish to create the architect’s specified design. The coloured concrete creates distinctive patterns that you would be all too familiar with if you’ve been to the Adelaide airport recently.
This is a two-coloured concrete combination with exposed aggregate, plain coloured concrete or one of our stamped finishes. The idea can be extended to your home’s living spaces. In the example below, the driveway has two concrete colours using the grey for the main driveway, and the lighter beige colour as a border to define the space.
Visit our concrete display centre to mix and match concrete colours
Choosing concrete colours is the most enjoyable part of the project. During our consultation process we’ll suggest options you may not have considered and show you different samples.
If you decide to sign up with us and pay your deposit you can take one or two of our samples home to place next to your house and other landscaping areas. Visit our concrete display centre at 1 Maple Avenue, Forestville which is open Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 6pm. Or call us to arrange a no obligation visit to your home on 08 8297 9611.