Creative Stained Patios
When it comes to concrete, there's a lot of room for creativity. Your backyard patio is the perfect spot to go bold with pattern or color. Check out these outrageous stained concrete patios to see what can be done.
Photo: Concrete Mystique Engraving
Vine Patio
It's amazing what can be done with concrete. This award-winning patio was stained to look like vines are growing across its surface. A heavy diluted black acid stain provides the base color, while the vines were stained with full strength black. Dark walnut was used to add shadowing underneath the leaves. Notice that the design also continues up onto the seat walls.
Photo: Concrete Mystique Engraving
Intricate Design
This patio became a canvas for artistic expression. Concrete engraving and acid stains were used to create a series of swirls and motifs. By starting with a very dark stain color, then using lighter colors, the swirls appear almost to jump off the patio. If this is too bold for your taste, consider just adding a contrasting border to the edge of your patio.
Photo: Special Effex
Tone-on-Tone
Using shades of the same color is a great way to add some interest without going over-the-top. This patio features a gentle swirl in a darker shade. The entire patio was engraved with an ashlar slate pattern. In this case, pigmented dyes were used instead of stains to achieve a deeper, more even color.
Photo: Custom Designcrete, Inc.
Leaf Pattern
If you have a clear design vision for your patio, then decorative concrete is the material for you. Many homeowners don't realize how versatile concrete is until they talk with a contractor. This patio was textured with Brickform's Sierra Seamless Texture Skins and colored with a dry shake color hardener in Adobe Buff. For the leaf, the pattern was saw cut and then stained with Kemiko's Golden Wheat, Vintage Umber and Black.
Photo: Steven Ochs
Aloe Vera
In 2010, attendees of the Concrete Décor Show transformed the exterior courtyard at the Children's Museum of Phoenix. They created an Aloe Vera design that pays homage to the desert surroundings. Stains from Smith Paints were used for the vivid green plant. A Paladiano stamp pattern was used for the background.
Photo: Morton Aboretum
Fall Leaves
Most people hate when fallen leaves pile up on their patio. However, at this arboretum they wanted it to look as if their concrete was always covered with the colors of fall. The leaf shapes were engraved and then stained using Perma-Cast Sierra Stain in Kona Brown, Cordovan Leather, Stygian, Balkan Amber & Tannin.
