Looks like you already have a path to the gate at the left side. And at the right side, the back gate shows in the picture about a mile away ... so nothing a photoshopper can work with. At the right side, a path to the back gate would logically branch off of the walk approach to the house entrance ... not from the drive.

If you line the outside of a path with plantings, it seems narrower and more confined. Given the tight spacing conditions of the houses, is that really what you want to achieve? I'd think not.

How wide is the drive now ... and how wide do you want to make it? If more than a foot or so at each side, you'll probably be losing a couple of larger plants.

I would check property lines, setbacks, covenants, etc. to make sure widening your driveway is even possible. Do you park your car in the garage? Doing so would enhance the look of your house. Would you consider replacing the garage door with one that has some glass in it (at least at the top)? Your plants near the house seem crowded and the ones near the end of the drive seem sparse. Perhaps a uniform border of low planting with some higher planting behind those would be nice. Good luck!

There is already minimal green space. Reducing that further would have a negative impact. It also looks already at the limits for setback. You’d need to verify that.

If you want to do something to increase curb appeal, Paint the garage door a darker color that blends in better, rather than stands out so much. Getting rid of the asphalt in favor of a stamped concrete or pavers in a color that coordinated with the house would help to tie it in and appear as less stark. Good luck!

Me,

If the tree out by the street is your neighbors, that will be tricky, you won't want to damage that tree. Did you plant it?

I see what you want to do, you want to get 2 cars in there, and if you are careful, you can slightly widen the driveway, yes, but just enough to get 2 cars in there. Do it with surgical precision, measure ti real good. Don't driveway anything you don't have to. Then landscape around the finished drive.

I would go with pavers

Agree with Norwood Architects, check your survey for the lot lines and easements. Contact your city/county for side setback requirements. Still, even if you have enough room, it looks so unattractive to be front end loaded with concrete or asphalt or pavers. It makes your house and front yard look crowded and too commercial IMO.

Check the survey for lot lines and setbacks. You may not have any options.

if it helps to visualize how yours could be, we just recently extended our driveway with stamped concrete

I understand from your previous thread that you want to be able to park two cars in that driveway. You might be able to widen it enough to achieve that, but I think you'd be asking too much aesthetically of what is really a very small space.

Before doing anything, check with City...

I would reduce the hardscape in favor of more grass.

Garage in Fairfield · More Info

Before you make any decisions, talk to your neighbours about your plans. To widen your driveway by the road, you’ll have to go the full width of your pie-shaped property and you don’t want any disagreements on property lines after the work is done. Also, you should know that stamped concrete is VERY slippery when wet, even with a sharkskin coating. I’ve fallen a few times on mine and I warn everyone who comes to my house. Perhaps consider aggregate or plain brushed concrete instead.

@Denita
Was thinking cobblestone for the driveway to make it look more residential and pleasing to the eyes.
Stamp concrete looks beautiful, but some say it can get really slippery...

A grass strip in the middle looks odd..

Vatavay@
Looks beautiful.
I might do Woden it as you did, however, because here we get snow and ice, I might have to use cobblestone instead of stamp concrete?

I’d like to know how to tie in a path to the gate on the right of the house?

@celerygirl
Looks beautiful with the pavers/cobblestone. Should I bring it all the way to the gate on right side?
Lovely row of plants on left side.. but I might. It have room for that

I don’t care for my current shrubs in front of the veranda.. too close to foundation.

Property line

The question still remains, have you checked with your municipality to see if what you want to do is allowed?

Paver driveways and cold climates don’t play well together. It would be really expensive to have it done.

IMO I see no reason for a wider driveway, what is it you are trying to achieve.To lose green space for more concrete makes no sense to me.

Instead of widening the whole driveway, just add more driveway at the top, enough for two cars. You may be able to add a parking area from sidewalk to sidewalk and not all the way to the street.

I’m visiting in Beverly Hills California right now snd was struck by the often ingenious ways sophisticated homeowners have created extra parking on small lots. The best I saw (and I may post a picture if I walk by it again) featured a kidney shaped paver extension off the short driveway. You don’t need to widen the whole straightaway like a highway— just create a space for an additional car. The aesthetic trick is to make as much of the parking area look like a courtyard equally inviting to pedestrians. The curve made it a beautiful hardscaping feature. Also best to make it an impervious surface so you capture stormwater in your own soil and not send it down the sewer.

Kitasei, did you really mean impervious? Or perhaps porous. The latter would soak up rain. The former not.

@kitasei,
I would love to see.
Of if you have the name of the street..

To achieve an additional parking space.

Something that might be suitable for you to get your extra spot and not pave over the whole front is drive on grass pavers like the pic below. You end up with an extra parking space and still have the green effect. JMO

driveway with extra parking spot - Google Search · More Info

Yes floral! I meant reduce the impermeable area! Thanks for the catch. I got a picture of one the driveway courtyards here to post tomorrow.