- Stamped Concrete
- Stained Concrete
- Decorative Concrete Overlays
- Colored Concrete
- Concrete Polishing
- Concrete Countertops
- Concrete Resurfacing
- Design Ideas for Decorative Concrete
- Concrete Designs: Decorative concrete ideas for patios, floors, driveways, pool decks, countertops, and more
- Six Hot Decorative Concrete Design Ideas on a Budget
- What Is Decorative Concrete?
- Glossary of Decorative Concrete Terms: What is a band? What is a field?
- Types of Textured Finishes: Float and trowel textures, broom finishes, rock salt
- Decorative Concrete Mix Design
- Decorative Concrete Cost
- Maintaining Decorative Concrete
- Cleaning Decorative Concrete
- Concrete Sealers
- Other Resources
- Going Green with Concrete Floors and Countertops: An overview of concrete's eco-friendly benefits
- Concrete Contractors: Find A Concrete Product Supplier or Distributor
Don't Be Afraid of Going Gray
Associated with aging, gloomy skies, and industrial coldness, the color gray often gets a bad rap. While that certainly accounts for much of the appeal of colored concrete, not all concrete warrants decorative coloring. The natural gray tones of concrete work beautifully with a wide variety of color schemes, blending well with neutral earth tones while complementing bright primary colors, such as red and blue. Some of the most stunning concrete projects we've seen on The Concrete Network have embraced the beauty of gray, whether for reasons of economy or a desire for a functional, unadulterated surface with a timeless appearance. See these examples of gray concrete in all its glory.
Countertops
"I have made concrete countertops in some wild colors, from chartreuse to bright blue to cranberry red," says Jeff Girard of the Concrete Countertop Institute. "However, these bright colors are a rarity. By far the most popular color is natural gray concrete. Close seconds are light cool gray and dark charcoal gray."
Entryways
The front porch and steps of this home feature an ashlar slate pattern in gray tones that match the stone-clad posts and porch walls while serving as a neutral backdrop to the bright red door. See more concrete entryways.
Floors
Despite the unlimited color options and patterns possible with concrete floors, many people still prefer classic gray. What these floors lack in boldness, they more than make up for with their unassuming charisma and ability to blend with any décor and color scheme.
Driveways
The patterns and varying shades of gray in this driveway help to differentiate the vehicular and pedestrian uses. The ashlar slate pattern and gray tones also complement the home's stone facade.
Patios
This residential patio features a Roman ashlar slate pattern with hand-cut borders. The Dolphin gray base color is accented by Neptune gray highlights.
Pool decks
Different patterns and shades of gray make this concrete pool deck a real stand-out. The main fields of the deck were stamped in an ashlar slate pattern. Then a seamless slate pattern in a darker shade of gray was used to outline the pool and create design contrast. See more concrete pool deck photos.
Fireplaces
This fireplace and mantle have a modern appeal. They were created using precast concrete in a soft twilight gray that works well with bright accent colors.
