How Martha Stewart Maintains A Gravel Driveway For Instant Curb Appeal

If your driveway needs a boost of curb appeal, Martha Stewart has a simple solution. The queen of home improvement has selected gravel as her driveway of choice. Gravel driveways excel in longevity, but they do require some tender love and care to look beautiful for countless years to come. Stewart has a handful of tips and tricks for how to keep your gravel driveway well-preserved, so that you can make the most of this low-cost material. Stewart chose to add gravel across the 4-mile road that leads to her farmhouse, and she shared that regular traffic and heavy rain had caused the gravel to shift over time (via her blog). 

Stewart's solution? She hired contractors to spread a fresh layer of gravel over the top. Stewart explains, "They edged, weeded, leveled, and then dropped and raked about an inch-and-a-half of new stone," she wrote on her blog. "The project took a few hours to complete, but it was an easy way to smooth and maintain the driveway and give it some instant curb appeal." Learn more about this simple technique and how to execute it yourself.

The first item that Stewart credits for the leveling job was a lawn and garden edging tool. This was used to add a clean delineation for the new layer. "He starts by the stone pavers and goes along the edge of the driveway removing any weeds or excess buildup of stone dust and gravel that have washed out of place," she wrote on her blog. You can purchase a similar item, like the Plantnomics half-moon edging tool from Amazon. Stewart also recommends cleaning around the catch basin before proceeding any further, as it is an essential step to ensure proper drainage.

There are many mistakes you can make when building out a gravel driveway, and one of them is not using a proper base. Before spreading your gravel, Stewart suggests using stone dust as a base as the best underlayment for your gravel driveway. Because it is more compact, it is more stable and will prevent you from having to replace the gravel in the near future. Finally, for the gravel itself, Stewart has a specific recommendation. "I like to use native washed stone in a blend of gray tones. This gravel is from Lawton Adams in nearby Somers, New York," she wrote. However, you can find a more easily accessible alternative, like the Mighty109 pea gravel. As a final touch, Stewart's team used a landscape rake to level the brand-new surface. You can purchase the large Ruijiu landscape rake. For more inspiration from the legend herself, check out the top Martha Stewart home must-haves that will add a touch of magic to your life.