Greetings!
 With so many ways available to enhance concrete with stamps, skins, texturing tools and color, there's no reason you can't offer all your clients -- even those on a tight budget -- something that goes beyond plain gray. While decorative concrete may be more expensive than an unadorned slab, you can still achieve amazing results at a reasonable cost by using a few tricks to maximize stamped concrete's attributes. Here are five ideas for sprucing up concrete without breaking your clients' budget.
Jim Peterson,
The Concrete Network
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Think Outside the Box
A stamped concrete walkway or patio doesn't have to be square and boxy. At little additional cost, you can form concrete into any shape your client desires and soften those square edges. The concrete can conform to the landscaping, encircle an existing tree, or create a meandering pathway. See these examples of three stamped patios with very distinct shapes.
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Add a Border
Keep your concrete economical by leaving the "fields" (the central areas of the concrete) plain and dressing up the edges with a patterned border. Borders help to frame the concrete, giving it a finished look. In addition, using borders rather than stamping the entire concrete slab will reduce your labor and material costs.
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Less Can Be More
Adding color to stamped concrete can make the pattern look more realistic, but you don't have to go overboard with elaborate hand staining or multiple layers of color. You can still make a big impact and save money by using the same color throughout. Read more about coloring concrete.
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Create Patterns with Sawcuts
Stamped concrete typically involves a repeating pattern. But an economical alternative is to create free-form designs with sawcuts. For example, you can cut curved joints to mimic large pieces of slate and then use a texture skin to add some dimension to the pattern. See how using sawcuts in a tile pattern enhanced this residential driveway.
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Keep it Continuous
You'll achieve greater impact with stamped concrete by creating continuity. If you're installing a stamped concrete driveway, consider continuing the pattern onto connecting walkways. To save on costs, only stamp the border of the driveway and continue it onto adjacent surfaces.
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