I used concrete paint and painted 'tiles' on a diagonal, using 2 colors~I chose a light and dark terracotta color. It was easy, just a bit of measuring. You can make the 'tiles' any size. I went with 16" for the size of my patio.

Thanks, Patty. I'm still hoping someone will weigh in on having the concrete guys groove into the wet stuff to make a border look or to balance out the look of expansion joints.

You can score the concrete into any design you want. Use google or ask your guy re: the best time to do this.

Personally, I wouldn't want a broom finish on a patio. The rough finish can make it more difficult to clean the surface since debris will tend to catch in those grooves.

I'm not sure of the reasons your concrete guy listed as to why not to use integral dye, but here's info on the pros/cons: http://www.valueconcrete.com/article/integral-colored-concrete-detailed-information-guide
I'm guessing the type concrete he's using is why he doesn't want to use the dye.

Below is a link showing lots of scored designs...........

Here is a link that might be useful: [Scored concrete[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/scoring-concrete-patio-phbr0lbl-bl~l_53151)

annz, thanks so much for the links! Very helpful. I have googled quite a bit but this particular site never came up in searches, must have used different keywords.

I'm actually ok with not having the concrete colored off the bat...too scared to be stuck with a color I'm not wild about and I know that happens sometimes. I might stick with plain or experiment with small pieces I'll ask him to pour in a box for me that I can try staining.

The broom finish is for non slippage......I love the look of sleek smooth concrete, but it can get too slippery for me. We are always using the patio. Luckily, he's pretty subtle with it, has done work for us before. The grooves are not very deep. Is there another way to finish it that would be smoother but non slip? Adding some sort of granular stuff or exposed aggregate would do it, but we don't really want those either.

Anyway, thanks for the help, I really appreciate it!

we are planning on having a patio built this summer. When talking to the stamped concrete guy that we were considering, he discouraged us from using the integral color, but I feel its because it is more of a hassle for the person pouring the concrete. Concrete companies charge extra for integral color because the mixing truck has to be cleaned thoroughly after each batch. Also the contractor has little control over variation between different batches pured for the same site, which likely leads to customers complaining about variations in color.

A landscaper friend of a friend recommended integral color over just staining since the color is more evenly distributed and less likely to wear off or need restaning compared to stained concrete.

We opted against stamped concrete for the time being. My conclusion was that conractors don't like integral color because it potentially means more headaches for them.

Good point, caliking.....in my case, I think it might cause me headaches too.....like regretting the color after the fact!