Inspiration for a contemporary white two-story mixed siding exterior home remodel in Orange County

The stage of this outdoor living space has been established by use of two separate elevations. An upper level granite terrace offers ample entertainment space close to the house. A fieldstone fireplace is the comment element between the upper and lower space. With the firebox being open in the front and back, the fire can be enjoyed from upper terrace or from below at the spa or pool. A granite pool terrace offers ample space for lounging and sun bathing.

Infinity edge pool with a raised spa with spillways and waterfalls leading into a secondary pool with a grotto and fire pit.
Example of a huge classic backyard custom-shaped and stone infinity pool fountain design in Austin

Photos by Francis and Francis Photography The Anderson Residence is ‘practically’ a new home in one of Las Vegas midcentury modern neighborhoods McNeil. The house is the current home of Ian Anderson the local Herman Miller dealer and Shanna Anderson of Leeland furniture family. When Ian first introduced CSPA studio to the project it was burned down house. Turns out that the house is a 1960 midcentury modern sister of two homes that was destroyed by arson in a dispute between landlord and tenant. Once inside the burned walls it was quite clear what a wonderful house it once was. Great care was taken to try and restore the house to a similar splendor. The reality is the remodel didn’t involve much of the original house, by the time the fire damage was remediated there wasn’t much left. The renovation includes an additional 1000 SF of office, guest bedroom, laundry, mudroom, guest toilet outdoor shower and a garage. The roof line was raised in order to accommodate a forced air mechanical system, but care was taken to keep the lines long and low (appearing) to match the midcentury modern style. The House is an H-shape. Typically houses of this time period would have small rooms with long narrow hallways. However in this case with the walls burned out one can see from one side of the house to other creating a huge feeling space. It was decided to totally open the East side of the house and make the kitchen which gently spills into the living room and wood burning fireplace the public side. New windows and a huge 16’ sliding door were added all the way around the courtyard so that one can see out and across into the private side. On the west side of the house the long thin hallway is opened up by the windows to the courtyard and the long wall offers an opportunity for a gallery style art display. The long hallway opens to two bedrooms, shared bathroom and master bedroom. The end of the hallway opens to a casual living room and the swimming pool area. The house has no formal dining room but a 15’ custom crafted table by Ian’s sculptor father that is an extension of the kitchen island. The H-shape creates two covered areas, one is the front entry courtyard, fenced in by a Brazilian walnut enclosure and crowned by a steel art installation by Ian’s father. The rear covered courtyard is a breezy spot for chilling out on a hot desert day. The pool was re-finished and a shallow soaking deck added. A new barbeque and covered patio added. Some of the large plant material was salvaged and nursed back to health and a complete new desert landscape was re-installed to bring the exterior to life.

Pool house - large traditional backyard rectangular natural pool house idea in DC Metro

Custom Swimming Pool and Spa with a large tanning ledge and in-pool bar. Pool is complemented with a raised spa and two fire/water bowls.
Pool - large traditional backyard stone and rectangular pool idea in Chicago

Side angle of the elevated pool deck supported by a tiered block retaining wall with integrated wall lights. A pool slide rises above the concrete deck, while a row of newly planted shrubs along drip irrigation and weed barrier lines the lower bed against the gravel border.

Rear patio and pool deck to elevated pool. Flood criteria required this pool to be elevated 3' from the adjacent grade. A short pool deck is covered by the primary suite balcony above. The full-width sliding doors allow for the interior living room to blend into the outside.

Example of a trendy pool design in Orange County

"Round Hill," created with the concept of a private, exquisite and exclusive resort, and designed for the discerning Buyer who seeks absolute privacy, security and luxurious accommodations for family, guests and staff, this just-completed resort-compound offers an extraordinary blend of amenity, location and attention to every detail. Ideally located between Napa, Yountville and downtown St. Helena, directly across from Quintessa Winery, and minutes from the finest, world-class Napa wineries, Round Hill occupies the 21+ acre hilltop that overlooks the incomparable wine­ producing region of the Napa Valley, and is within walking distance to the world famous Auberge du Soleil. An approximately 10,000 square foot main residence with two guest suites and private staff apartment, approximately 1,700-bottle wine cellar, gym, steam room and sauna, elevator, luxurious master suite with his and her baths, dressing areas and sitting room/study, and the stunning kitchen/family/great room adjacent the west-facing, sun-drenched, view-side terrace with covered outdoor kitchen and sparkling infinity pool, all embracing the unsurpassed view of the richly verdant Napa Valley. Separate two-bedroom, two en-suite-bath guest house and separate one-bedroom, one and one-half bath guest cottage. Total of seven bedrooms, nine full and three half baths and requiring five uninterrupted years of concept, design and development, this resort-estate is now offered fully furnished and accessorized. Quintessential resort living.

Charles Hilton Architects & Renee Byers LAPC From grand estates, to exquisite country homes, to whole house renovations, the quality and attention to detail of a "Significant Homes" custom home is immediately apparent. Full time on-site supervision, a dedicated office staff and hand picked professional craftsmen are the team that take you from groundbreaking to occupancy. Every "Significant Homes" project represents 45 years of luxury homebuilding experience, and a commitment to quality widely recognized by architects, the press and, most of all....thoroughly satisfied homeowners. Our projects have been published in Architectural Digest 6 times along with many other publications and books. Though the lion share of our work has been in Fairfield and Westchester counties, we have built homes in Palm Beach, Aspen, Maine, Nantucket and Long Island.

Ortus Exteriors - This beautiful one-acre home needed an even more beautiful outdoor upgrade! The pool features a large tanning ledge, an elevated back wall with 3 sheer-descent waterfalls, a TurboTwist slide, and PebbleSheen Irish Mist finish. Travertine pavers were used for the decking. The elevated spa has a waterfall spillway and a curved ledge with smooth 1" tile. The 600 sq. ft. pool cabana is perfect for those hot Texas summers! Besides the convenient bathroom, outdoor shower, and storage space, there's an entire kitchen for backyard chefs. Granite counter tops with outlets for appliances and a sink will take care of all the prep work, and a stainless steel grill with a side burner and smoker will take care of the meats. In the corner, a built-in vented stone fireplace with a mounted TV and seating area allows for movies, shows, and football games. Outside the drop-ceiling cabana is a gas fire pit with plenty of seating for s'mores nights. We put on the finishing touches with appropriate landscaping and lighting. It was a pleasure to design and build such an all-encompassing project for a great customer! We design and build luxury swimming pools and outdoor living areas the way YOU want it. We focus on all-encompassing projects that transform your land into a custom outdoor oasis. Ortus Exteriors is an authorized Belgard contractor, and we are accredited with the Better Business Bureau.

Ortus Exteriors - This beautiful one-acre home needed an even more beautiful outdoor upgrade! The pool features a large tanning ledge, an elevated back wall with 3 sheer-descent waterfalls, a TurboTwist slide, and PebbleSheen Irish Mist finish. Travertine pavers were used for the decking. The elevated spa has a waterfall spillway and a curved ledge with smooth 1" tile. The 600 sq. ft. pool cabana is perfect for those hot Texas summers! Besides the convenient bathroom, outdoor shower, and storage space, there's an entire kitchen for backyard chefs. Granite counter tops with outlets for appliances and a sink will take care of all the prep work, and a stainless steel grill with a side burner and smoker will take care of the meats. In the corner, a built-in vented stone fireplace with a mounted TV and seating area allows for movies, shows, and football games. Outside the drop-ceiling cabana is a gas fire pit with plenty of seating for s'mores nights. We put on the finishing touches with appropriate landscaping and lighting. It was a pleasure to design and build such an all-encompassing project for a great customer! We design and build luxury swimming pools and outdoor living areas the way YOU want it. We focus on all-encompassing projects that transform your land into a custom outdoor oasis. Ortus Exteriors is an authorized Belgard contractor, and we are accredited with the Better Business Bureau.

Aqua Design Pools and Spas, LLC
Small minimalist backyard l-shaped and concrete paver natural pool fountain photo in Atlanta

This late 70's ranch style home was recently renovated with a clean, modern twist on the ranch style architecture of the existing residence. We were hired to create the entire outdoor environemnt including the new pool and spa. Similar to the renovated home, this aquatic environment was designed to take a traditional pool and gives it a clean, modern twist. The site proved to be perfect for a long, sweeping curved water feature that can be seen from all of the outdoor gathering spaces as well as many rooms inside the residence. This design draws people outside and allows them to explore all of the features of the pool and outdoor spaces. Features of this resort like outdoor environment include play pool with two lounge areas with LED lit bubblers, Pebble Tec Pebble Sheen Luminous series pool finish, Lightstreams glass tile, spa with six custom copper Bobe water spillway scuppers, water feature wall with three custom copper Bobe water scuppers, Fully automated with Pentair Equipment, LED lighting throughout the pool and spa, gathering space with automated fire pit, lounge deck area, synthetic turf between step pads and deck and a fully loaded Gourmet outdoor kitchen to meet all the entertaining needs. This outdoor environment cohesively brings the clean & modern finishes of the renovated home seamlessly to the outdoors to a pool and spa for play, exercise and relaxation. Photography: Daniel Driensky

Challenge This 2001 riverfront home was purchased by the owners in 2015 and immediately renovated. Progressive Design Build was hired at that time to remodel the interior, with tentative plans to remodel their outdoor living space as a second phase design/build remodel. True to their word, after completing the interior remodel, this young family turned to Progressive Design Build in 2017 to address known zoning regulations and restrictions in their backyard and build an outdoor living space that was fit for entertaining and everyday use. The homeowners wanted a pool and spa, outdoor living room, kitchen, fireplace and covered patio. They also wanted to stay true to their home’s Old Florida style architecture while also adding a Jamaican influence to the ceiling detail, which held sentimental value to the homeowners who honeymooned in Jamaica. Solution To tackle the known zoning regulations and restrictions in the backyard, the homeowners researched and applied for a variance. With the variance in hand, Progressive Design Build sat down with the homeowners to review several design options. These options included: Option 1) Modifications to the original pool design, changing it to be longer and narrower and comply with an existing drainage easement Option 2) Two different layouts of the outdoor living area Option 3) Two different height elevations and options for the fire pit area Option 4) A proposed breezeway connecting the new area with the existing home After reviewing the options, the homeowners chose the design that placed the pool on the backside of the house and the outdoor living area on the west side of the home (Option 1). It was important to build a patio structure that could sustain a hurricane (a Southwest Florida necessity), and provide substantial sun protection. The new covered area was supported by structural columns and designed as an open-air porch (with no screens) to allow for an unimpeded view of the Caloosahatchee River. The open porch design also made the area feel larger, and the roof extension was built with substantial strength to survive severe weather conditions. The pool and spa were connected to the adjoining patio area, designed to flow seamlessly into the next. The pool deck was designed intentionally in a 3-color blend of concrete brick with freeform edge detail to mimic the natural river setting. Bringing the outdoors inside, the pool and fire pit were slightly elevated to create a small separation of space. Result All of the desirable amenities of a screened porch were built into an open porch, including electrical outlets, a ceiling fan/light kit, TV, audio speakers, and a fireplace. The outdoor living area was finished off with additional storage for cushions, ample lighting, an outdoor dining area, a smoker, a grill, a double-side burner, an under cabinet refrigerator, a major ventilation system, and water supply plumbing that delivers hot and cold water to the sinks. Because the porch is under a roof, we had the option to use classy woods that would give the structure a natural look and feel. We chose a dark cypress ceiling with a gloss finish, replicating the same detail that the homeowners experienced in Jamaica. This created a deep visceral and emotional reaction from the homeowners to their new backyard. The family now spends more time outdoors enjoying the sights, sounds and smells of nature. Their professional lives allow them to take a trip to paradise right in their backyard—stealing moments that reflect on the past, but are also enjoyed in the present.

This Grapevine project was designed to damage a minimum amount of trees on a nice hillside. A raised wall was incorporated on the back of the pool that acts as a retaining wall to provide a flat spot for the pool. On the upper terrace above we built the cabana. Two inch sawcut Limestone was used for all the veneer to give a clean tailored look to the project. The spa was elevated and white precast coping was used along with the pool. A dark pattern concrete was used for the deck color to contrast. On the cabana we tried to match the existing house style, precast columns were used instead of typical stone columns. The cabana was done in pine and painted white instead of the typical cedar application. A comp roof was used. Built in bar & cabinets to recess existing grill carts were installed. A fire pit was placed to the side of the cabana at the pool level. A finger ledge was used on the raised wall to provide safety. Sheer rain was used on the project to provide a focal point - It provides more of a visual effect against the white Austin stone vs. a sheer descent. A vaulted ceiling was done in the cabana to match the existing home. Patio was capped in pattern concrete to match the new pool deck as well. Designed by Mike Farley of Claffey Pools. Photo taken by Mike Farley

LOWELL CUSTOM HOMES, Lake Geneva, WI., -LOWELL CUSTOM HOMES, Lake Geneva, WI., - We say “oui” to French Country style in a home reminiscent of a French Country Chateau. The flawless home renovation begins with a beautiful yet tired exterior refreshed from top to bottom starting with a new roof by DaVince Roofscapes. The interior maintains its light airy feel with highly crafted details and a lovely kitchen designed with Plato Woodwork, Inc. cabinetry designed by Geneva Cabinet Company.

Julia Lynn
Beach style backyard stone and rectangular natural pool photo in Charleston