Pool - modern pool idea in San Francisco

Inspiration for a large modern backyard stone and rectangular lap pool remodel in Houston

This project began as a design-build proposal to build an addition for an indoor swim spa and exercise room to a ranch style house. The Clients were seeking a functional and inviting space reminiscent of the luxury resorts and space they have visited during their international travels. One of the biggest challenges was to fit the program within the site and buildable area constraints. In order to maximize floor area, the exterior walls of the addition were located parallel to the property lines along the required setbacks, which resulted in a non-orthagonal geometry in plan. The volume of the addition began to take shape with large floor to ceiling openings strengthening the connection to the outdoors with roof line that rises northward to capture daylight. A series of operable skylights ventilate the room and allow more daylight to penetrate into the adjacent existing den. Inspired by modern additions made to historic structures in Europe, we made a conscious decision to not try to blend the addition into the language of the existing ranch house, choosing instead to juxtapose a structure that was layered and felt light next to the cement tile roof and framed picture windows. The interior walls were finished with a marine grade plywood to withstand a humid environment, and the exteriors were clad with a cedar rainscreen to give privacy where needed and gradually reduced to allow for more glass and visibility. The Clients are immersed in the technological environment of Silicon Valley and appreciated the simple geometries and aesthetics of modern design. david wakely

Materials: Aztec Blue 6x6 Tile, Gold Travertine Coping, and Oyster Quartz Diamond Brite plaster
Small minimalist backyard concrete and custom-shaped natural pool fountain photo in New Orleans

Hot tub - mid-sized modern rooftop rectangular aboveground hot tub idea in Phoenix with decking

Minimalist pool photo in Los Angeles

Matched vein-cut travertine paving covers the floor and seamlessly continues through the living room and out onto the exterior sundeck, terminating at the swimming pool which is completely bordered by travertine coping containing slots for drainage that allow the top edge of the pool’s water to become perfectly aligned with the top edge of the adjacent travertine paving, thus creating a level surface from the kitchen to the infinity edge of the pool.

Large minimalist backyard tile and rectangular hot tub photo in Miami

Aquaview frameless glass pool fencing suits a wide range of applications from private residences to commercial developments. Merging design from the most prestigious world-class resorts and hotels with American ingenuity and dedication for safety, the Aquaview line of products truly represent a new affordable approach to landscape design.

Inspiration for a large modern backyard concrete and rectangular infinity pool remodel in Dallas

Minimalist brick pool house photo in New York

An inspired mix of ORIJIN STONE’s porcelain paving and custom-crafted natural stone, can be found at this striking “Modern European” Orono, MN home. Bright “sky” colored porcelain, beautifully trimmed with a warm grey Indiana Limestone, is found at the dramatic entrance, around the expansive pool and patio areas, in the luxurious pool house suite and on the rooftop deck. Also featured is ORIJIN's exclusive Alder™Limestone wall stone. Architecture: James McNeal Architecture with Angela Liesmaki-DeCoux Builder: Hendel Homes Landscape Design & Install: Topo Landscape Architecture Interior Design: VIVID Interior Interior Tile Installer: Super Set Tile & Stone Photography: Landmark Photography & Design

A stunning, lakefront contemporary outdoor space that exudes elegance and function with captivating views. The negative edge linear pool boasts an over-sized sun shelf with bubblers, a negative edge glass tiled spa, fire bowls, and a dramatic water feature that cascades off the cabana.

This is a small pool designed for a small space! Which includes the pool, a fire pit, and outdoor seating
Minimalist pool photo in Dallas

Inspiration for a modern pool remodel in Charleston

Mid-sized minimalist backyard rectangular hot tub photo in Dallas

Hot tub - mid-sized modern backyard concrete paver and rectangular lap hot tub idea in Los Angeles

The planning phase of this modern retreat was an intense collaboration that took place over the course of more than two years. While the initial design concept exceeded the clients' expectations, it also exceeded their budget beyond the point of comfort. The next several months were spent modifying the design, in attempts to lower the budget. Ultimately, the decision was made that they would hold off on the project until they could budget for the original design, rather than compromising the vision. About a year later, we repeated that same process, which resulted in the same outcome. After another year-long hiatus, we met once again. We revisited design thoughts, each of us bringing to the table new ideas and options. Each thought simply solidified the fact that the initial vision was absolutely what we all wanted to see come to fruition, and the decision was finally made to move forward. The main challenge of the site was elevation. The Southeast corner of the lot stands 5'6" above the threshold of the rear door, while the Northeast corner dropped a full 2' below the threshold of the door. The backyard was also long and narrow, sloping side-to-side and toward the house. The key to the design concept was to deftly place the project into the slope and utilize the elevation changes, without allowing them to dominate the yard, or overwhelm the senses. The unseen challenge on this project came in the form of hitting every underground issue possible. We had to relocate the sewer main, the gas line, and the electrical service; and since rock was sitting about 6" below the surface, all of these had to be chiseled through many feet of dense rock, adding to our projected timeline and budget. As you enter the space, your first stop is an outdoor living area. Smooth finished concrete, colored to match the 'Leuder' limestone coping, has a subtle saw-cut pattern aligned with the edges of the recessed fire pit. In small spaces, it is important to consider a multi-purpose approach. So, the recessed fire pit has been fitted with an aluminum cover that allows our client to set up tables and chairs for entertaining, right over the top of the fire pit. From here, it;s two steps up to the pool elevation, and the floating 'Leuder' limestone stepper pads that lead across the pool and hide the dam wall of the flush spa. The main retaining wall to the Southeast is a poured concrete wall with an integrated sheer descent waterfall into the spa. To bring in some depth and texture, a 'Brownstone' ledgestone was used to face both the dropped beam on the pool, and the raised beam of the water feature wall. The main water feature is comprised of five custom made stainless steel scuppers, supplied by a dedicated booster pump. Colored concrete stepper pads lead to the 'Ipe' wood deck at the far end of the pool. The placement of this wood deck allowed us to minimize our use of retaining walls on the Northeast end of the yard, since it drops off over three feet below the elevation of the pool beam. One of the most unique features on this project has to be the structure over the dining area. With a unique combination of steel and wood, the clean modern aesthetic of this structure creates a visual stamp in the space that standard structure could not accomplish. 4" steel posts, painted charcoal grey, are set on an angle, 4' into the bedrock, to anchor the structure. Steel I-beams painted in green-yellow color--aptly called "frolic"--act as the base to the hefty cedar rafters of the roof structure, which has a slight pitch toward the rear. A hidden gutter on the back of the roof sends water down a copper rain chain, and into the drainage system. The backdrop for both this dining area , as well as the living area, is the horizontal screen panel, created with alternating sizes of cedar planks, stained to a calm hue of dove grey.

Aquamarine Pools of Texas
Example of a small minimalist indoor concrete and custom-shaped pool design in Dallas