A PATIO TO DYE FOR

When Liz Mediavilla and Thomas Eppel moved into their new home in Rancho Santa Margarita a year ago, they decided to do something different with the small patio on the side.

“We live in a great area, but it’s essentially a cookie-cutter development, so we didn’t want to just put in a patch of grass,” says Mediavilla, a visual communications designer. “We heard about concrete staining and decided to give it a try.”

Mediavilla created a design in her computer, which she drew on the concrete. Her landscaper then scored the concrete with a circular saw and added the initial coats of stain. Mediavilla finished the staining process by blending colors until she came up with something more eye-catching than your average patio.

“When it comes to choosing an outdoor paving surface, concrete has gone from functional to fun,” says Placentia landscape architect Carey Orwig. “Concrete isn’t just practical and inexpensive anymore.”

Thanks to new concrete procedures and products, you can create just about any look with concrete, says Reenie Sullivan, co-owner of Sullivan Concrete Textures in Costa Mesa.

“Concrete can be made to look like natural stone, brick, slate or tile, and there is a practically limitless palette of colors and textures to choose from,” she says.

Concrete also is really versatile, Orwig says. “While other materials have their limitations, you can do just about anything with concrete, including coloring it and cutting it into any shape. It can be put down in whatever thickness you want, withstands movement and is more durable than many materials, including stone. If you decide to remove part of it at a later date, you can do so without ruining the whole thing.”

When designing her patio, which includes circular shapes and swirls, Mediavilla had concrete’s versatility in mind.

“I capitalized on the fact that I could do things with concrete that I couldn’t do with materials like tile.”

The new architectural chemical stain finishes on the market even make punching up an existing concrete slab an attractive, inexpensive option, Sullivan says. “If your concrete is in relatively good shape, it’s easy to apply a chemical stain that will spark it up a bit.”

Textures

There is a wide range of concrete texture finishes available. Many landscapes include a combination of the following:

* Stamped concrete consists of a repeated pattern stamped into the concrete. The stamps come in many designs and can emulate just about any paving surface. Because it consists of a repeated pattern, it is best used in larger spaces where the pattern can be recognized.

Stamped concrete is good for the areas around pools because it is not slippery and slows down foot traffic. “A good stamp can actually have more texture than stone,” Orwig says.

* Exposed aggregate works for most size spaces. An aggregate such as rock, abalone shell, smooth glass or dark pebbles is mixed into the concrete and then, once poured, the top layer of concrete is removed to expose the aggregate. This method can allow you to get creative, but it can become expensive, depending on the aggregate.

* Smooth-troweled surface often is not used on its own because it is slippery when wet. It’s usually combined with other textures to create a contrast or accent. You’ll see it in banding around a more textured treatment such as stamping. It is very visually attractive, especially when wet, because it shines.

* Washed texture is slip-resistant and similar to rough sandpaper. It can vary from a light wash, which takes a little bit of concrete off the top and is slightly rough, to a medium wash that takes off more concrete. The more washed it is, the more rough it becomes.

* Sand-blasted texture barely removes the surface of the concrete so that you are left with a slightly rough texture that feels like suede. This is done on dry concrete, so it can be used on an existing space.

* Salt finishes were popular in the ‘60s and ‘70s but have gone out of favor because this method creates varying-size pits in the concrete, which tend to collect dirt. The concrete is poured and then salt is applied and left on for a specified period of time. When the salt is washed off, it leaves pits.

“Although it isn’t as popular as it once was, salt finish can give an artistic, fun effect in certain situations,” says Orwig, who recently used a salt finish on the border of a path.

Coloring

Coloring often is used in conjunction with one of the texturing methods. Some options include the following:

* Chemical stains enable you to color existing concrete if it’s in good shape. “Large cracks in the concrete will show up through the stain, although hairline cracks often aren’t noticeable,” Sullivan says.

These stains give concrete a rustic, antique, mottled look because the concrete tends to soak up stain in different concentrations throughout.

* Integral color is mixed into concrete at the plant and then poured into the desired area. Though this provides a uniform color throughout, the color is not as deep as other coloring methods and tends to fade as the concrete dries and ages.

* Dust-on color is troweled onto the surface of a new concrete slab. It provides an intense, consistent color throughout and doesn’t fade. Integral and dust-on color are sometimes combined to create more depth.

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Laguna Designer Turns to Cement for Furniture That’s Built to Last

Looking for indestructible tables and chairs? Really indestructible? Gary Simpson of Laguna Beach has something for you.

After years of testing techniques, Simpson has designed tables and chairs that have the details and styling of traditional mediums, such as teak, but that are more durable. His solution? Lightweight cement.

What better to withstand the elements--outside or inside? The heavy-duty furnishings resist cracking and are as close to maintenance-free as furniture can be.

The chairs ($1,500-$2,000 each) come with upholstered padding. They weigh about 60 pounds and are usually 17 inches high and 22 inches wide. Tables (starting at $3,000 for a 30-inch square) weigh about 80 pounds.

Each piece is custom-made and colored to suit your style. The color is part of the cement, not painted on, so it can’t chip or peel. The sealers used will not absorb stains, so you can slather on the catsup or mustard and spill without worry.

For information, call (949) 494-3046.