The windows are down, top down, the radio is off, and the only soundtrack is the beautifully consistent white noise from the wind rustling your hair and the hum of the engine. As you turn the corner of the long driveway, the setting sun briefly obscures your vision and flushes an all encompassing warmth into your being as you catch the first glimpse of home. In this fantasy, skyscraping cyprus trees escort you up the curved, beautifully paved driveway spilling into the entryway. At last, you can see your “monticello” presiding grandly over her domain.
I have a lot of blogs to write for my fantasy to become a reality, naturally, but an elegant driveway is a most certain reality for you at Virginia Beach Patios.
Driveways were birthed as both a necessity and an artistic element of landscape design. Long, curved carriageways provided a path to the home but also a climatic and dramatic arrival to the focal point of the land. With the invention of the automobile, curved driveways were replaced with linear drives. The designs became less about the journey to the home and more about the stopping point. In 1937, a how-to-guide called Construction of Private Driveways by the Department of Agriculture detailed different possibilities for the middle class market such as gravel, asphalt, and concrete that ultimately shifted design of driveways to the savvy and budget of the homeowner (Saloman 2017). Today, we can see a variety of driveways based on topography, geography and personal aesthetic.
As we have seen a trend emphasizing exterior design, we cannot forget about the driveway-after all, its original purpose was to create a pleasant, climatic experience in arriving at the home. Innuendos aside, designing your dream driveway is easy with Virginia Beach Patios. We stand by that the possibilities are only limited by your imagination.
So why a paved driveway? Here are all the reasons you need:
THE DRAMA- this is the first extension of your home. Make it a gorgeous one. The beauty of the pavers is the first impression guests will have. Virginia Beach Patios has a variety of pavers to complement your home and landscaping.
No Cracking- the weather in Virginia Beach is ever-changing. It's hot-then it's cold in a span of 24 hours which can lead to expanding and cracking of concrete and asphalt driveways. The method in which pavers are installed allows for needed flexibility with temperature change.
Easy Maintenance- If a paver is cracked or stained, no worries. We can replace the little guy quite easily versus having to repave an entire concrete slab.
Environmentally Conscious- Did you know your project could qualify for the Virginia Conservation Assistance Program? Call us to talk about permeable pavers and how they help prevent run-off.
We can’t wait to help you create the most spectacular experience arriving at your home.
Sources
David Salomon. (2017). Research Notes: Toward a History of the Suburban Driveway. Buildings & Landscapes: Journal of the Vernacular Architecture Forum, 24(2), 85-99. doi:10.5749/buildland.24.2.0085