Stamped Concrete and Aged Brick Patio
I shared a sneak peek (ok, maybe a little more than a sneak peek) of my back porch when I shared our news about moving. But today I’m going to share all the details. What we did and why. We chose a combination of stamped concrete and aged brick…
And I love it.
I had every intention of finishing the landscaping and paint and then giving you all a full tour with a new photo shoot… Here’s hoping I get that chance. Right now, though, our back porch is covered in kitchen-renovation materials… So in the meantime, you’ll get the almost finished version.
We started with a wooden deck over broken up concrete – revealed when we took up the deck – and one large possum – also revealed when we took up the deck.
No lie.
The dated columns would have made great table legs (still kicking myself for letting them get hauled off with the trash!!), but they were not great porch posts. In fact, one of them had rotted under the deck which was causing the porch roof to sink and separate from the main roof AND is what caused the giant leak in our kitchen. But I digress…
Point is, something had to be done.
To help with furnishing the long, skinny porch, we replaced the four posts with only three so that furniture could spread out beyond the posts more easily.
We created a more organic shape, including a new little sidewalk from the driveway to the back door (previously it had been a sea of concrete).
I debated forever on what materials to use… and finally decided on a concrete and brick patio. We used a blue/gray stamped concrete for the main portion of the porch and bordered it in an antique-looking brick.
I just love the combination, especially against the crisp white trim and our industrial spool table and chairs.
We also used the brick for the back steps (cue awesome music for my gorgeous herringbone – my favorite part!).
And, the most functional part of the renovation (other than fixing the roof, obviously) was to add doors from the dining room…
allowing for another set of brick steps.
There were previously floor to ceiling windows there already, so we just replaced them with French doors. Ok, it wasn’t quite that simple (we had to have custom ones made and trim shifted and…. you get the picture), but at least we didn’t have to blast through the brick wall.
Since this is Texas, I can enjoy it year round when it’s not a million degrees or raining.
And I find it peaceful and lovely.
What do you think? Do you like the combination or do you find it too busy?
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Well, i love it. It’s a marvelous place for friends and family gathering.You guys did a wonderful job.
Thank you so much, Marlene!
I think it looks great! My question is, did you have the concrete stamped or did you take this on yourselves? We need a patio and that is why I’m asking. Is this a project for a handy diy’er?
We had a contractor do it, Kathy. I’ve read about some brave DIYers who managed it themselves (and I admire them!), but I’m afraid I can’t speak to that myself. I do wish you the best, though!! 🙂
Oh man. I’m daydreaming of some pretty, sunny weather too with that patio. You did a lovely job! I’m not always a fan of industrial spools for tables, but you nailed it in this space. 🙂
Thank you so much, Lauren! We’ve had ONE day of sun in the past several weeks… I think I might die of Vitamin D deficiency! No really, I’m very ready for the kitchen reno stuff to get off my porch so I can enjoy it a little before we move. 😉
Oh my gosh. I think it’s OVER THE MOON beautiful. I used old bricks for my back patio and steps and front porch and sidewalk as well. But the stamped concrete is the finished elegant touch. It’s just so pretty and so serene. I’m jealous!! Ha.
Oh, Mary, thank you! I can’t tell you how much that means. You are so sweet!
Hi! Love everything you did! I have existing brick stairs and would love to give it the antique look with the thick mortar you used. Did you do it yourself? Any information would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Kelley,
Thank you so much! I’m so glad you like it. Unfortunately, we had someone else do it. We did, however, choose a brick that was heavily tumbled (the edges were not sharp or crisp). I think that contributed to the thick mortar effect and antique look. I love the idea of trying to age some bricks by adding mortar, though… I think it sounds awesome! I’m no help on how to do it, but I’d love to see it if you try! 🙂
It is absolutely gorgeous, Rachel! You did amazing job! Love the back of your home and am excited about spending time on the deck soon! Love those spool tables too!! So neat!
You are so sweet, Kendra, thank you!!
I think it’s absolutely perfect, and I love how you exposed some red brick on the house as well to tie it all in.
Thank you so much for your kind words, Kim!
It’s gorgeous, Rachel. I can’t wait to see what your new house holds for you and your family.
Hugs, Jamie
Thank you so much, Jamie. I so appreciate you, friend!
Wow, that patio and concrete look so great! I love the combination of brick and concrete to give that classic, vintage look. Plus, I’m sure that all this remodeling is great for adding curb appeal to your home. You’d get a lot of return on a project like this!
Thank you so much, Delores! I sure hope that’s the case. 🙂
Oh my goodness, we’ve been waiting years to install the big patio we wanted to wrap around the sunroom behind our house, because I was so set on real stone like bluestone, which made the cost too high. I’d rather do nothing than not do what I wanted! 🙂 But your stamped and colored patio, the texture is beautiful. Hmmmm. I could see doing this and line it with a darker edge, because my gardens are edged with creeping plants and I think they’d look really cool spreading over a darker stone. Really nice patio and thank you for sharing it!!
That’s wonderful, Deb! Our patio really turned out beautifully. I hope you are able to find something you love!
Do you know the name of the brick you used? Was it a true antique brick or just made to look that way? It’s STUNNING!
It was a mix of red and brown from a local brickyard in Houston. It was not a true antique, but it did have that look, didn’t it? So glad you like it! For what it’s worth, I have since found something similar here. It’s what we used on our fireplace in our new house, and I love it. 🙂
I have dreamed about this patio, it is so lovely! Do you happen to remember which brickyard in Houston you used?
Thank you! It was Western Brick on Washington. I hope this helps! 🙂
What was the name of the colors you used on the stamped concrete?
I’m sorry, it’s been several years since we tackled that and I don’t remember the names of the colors we chose.
I love this!!! My husband and I are looking to do stamped concrete on our back patio but are having a hard time deciding on colors. Did you use a lighter color release by chance? Love the antiqued looking brick, too!
Thank you! We did use a lighter color release, but I’m afraid I don’t remember the name of either now.
We have old school chicago brick ALLLL over our fireplace; I’ve considered lightening the grout to make it stand out more; like your patio. Did you do the grout yourself or…??? Ours is currently a similar color brick but with gray grout. Help!! 🙂
It’s a totally doable (but messy DIY). You could use a dremel bit to grind out the existing grout and apply a lighter color!
Beautiful!! What color gray did you use on your house? does it show more blue in the daylight? I am looking for a gray that goes with the reddish brick like you have here. Any suggestions?
Hi Nicole! We used Ellie Gray by Sherwin Williams with Extra White and True Black details. Hope that helps!