Detroit News - Summertime in Michigan finds us enjoying the outdoors as much as we possibly can. And how wonderful it is if we have a backyard where we can create an outdoor space to unwind after a long day, to spend time with our family and to entertain our friends.

 Nowadays many backyards are being transformed into what are now referred to as "outdoor rooms," luxurious extensions of the house.

Yes, an increasing number of homeowners are going all out with elaborate outdoor kitchens that have sinks, refrigerators, cabinets and countertops, sitting areas with comfy cushioned furniture, real fireplaces and elaborate water features. Of course, without all of those additions, we can still enjoy our backyard.

Typically the backyard hardscape begins with a patio, or what some might call the outdoor living and dining room. Decorative concrete patios are emerging as a new and exciting material for today’s patio or outdoor room. But the days of plain gray concrete are long gone.

Stamped, decorative concrete offers a vast selection of choices for color, texture, pattern and design, giving each installation the look of individuality. Concrete is a warm, natural material that can be made to resemble brick, slate, flagstone, stone, tile, and even wood.

It can be lightly smoothed or heavily brushed; surfaced with attractive pebbles; swirled or scored; tinted or painted; molded and patterned.

Patterns could be a herringbone design for the brick look, weathered slats for the wood look, squares or cobblestone patterns for clay or slate tile, or hand-scored to look like natural flagstone.

Colors and patterns can blend with other existing stone or tile elements at your home. Although color possibilities are vast, I prefer the natural browns, tans, charcoals and terra cottas.

The same colored concrete can be made to look different, just by using different finishing techniques: For example, brooming the concrete in opposite directions creates shadow effects. Swirl or fan patterns create a different look. For an even more dramatic effect, the colored concrete can be lightly sandblasted or heavily sandblasted, or a retarder can be used and then the aggregate exposed.

My husband and I selected decorative concrete for our new patio. I don’t always like one material made to look like another, but this works. Our concrete is stamped into a cobblestone pattern and finished in a mottled bronze to coppery tone to match the colors in our slate top dining table. It looks great.

Maintenance is easy. Sealers can be applied for water-and-stain resistance, and clean-up can be as simple as hosing down the area. Every two or three years, re-apply a sealer.

Contractors tell me that concrete patios cost less than patios made of real stone, brick or tile. The lower price tag is one of the main draws for choosing a concrete patio, combined with the wide array of patterns and colors available

A couple of fun concrete ideas that I gleaned on the Internet are: concrete patterned and colored to look like an area rug, and a concrete sofa and chair.

I also discovered an interesting piece of information that opens up my mind to all kinds of exciting possibilities: resurfacing. Apparently there are concrete coatings systems that can be placed over existing cement and then the look of brick, stone, tile, slate, etc. can be simulated. I can’t help but think that not only can you transform an existing cement patio, but what about the potential to make our ordinary gray cement walkways and driveways look like cobblestone or brick?