TMS Architects
Example of a mid-sized beach style backyard stone and rectangular lap pool house design in Boston

It started with vision. Then arrived fresh sight, seeing what was absent, seeing what was possible. Followed quickly by desire and creativity and know-how and communication and collaboration. When the Ramsowers first called Exterior Worlds, all they had in mind was an outdoor fountain. About working with the Ramsowers, Jeff Halper, owner of Exterior Worlds says, “The Ramsowers had great vision. While they didn’t know exactly what they wanted, they did push us to create something special for them. I get inspired by my clients who are engaged and focused on design like they were. When you get that kind of inspiration and dialogue, you end up with a project like this one.” For Exterior Worlds, our design process addressed two main features of the original space—the blank surface of the yard surrounded by looming architecture and plain fencing. With the yard, we dug out the center of it to create a one-foot drop in elevation in which to build a sunken pool. At one end, we installed a spa, lining it with a contrasting darker blue glass tile. Pedestals topped with urns anchor the pool and provide a place for spot color. Jets of water emerge from these pedestals. This moving water becomes a shield to block out urban noises and makes the scene lively. (And the children think it’s great fun to play in them.) On the side of the pool, another fountain, an illuminated basin built of limestone, brick and stainless steel, feeds the pool through three slots. The pool is counterbalanced by a large plot of grass. What is inventive about this grassy area is its sub-structure. Before putting down the grass, we installed a French drain using grid pavers that pulls water away, an action that keeps the soil from compacting and the grass from suffocating. The entire sunken area is finished off with a border of ground cover that transitions the eye to the limestone walkway and the retaining wall, where we used the same reclaimed bricks found in architectural features of the house. In the outer border along the fence line, we planted small trees that give the space scale and also hide some unsightly utility infrastructure. Boxwood and limestone gravel were embroidered into a parterre design to underscore the formal shape of the pool. Additionally, we planted a rose garden around the illuminated basin and a color garden for seasonal color at the far end of the yard across from the covered terrace. To address the issue of the house’s prominence, we added a pergola to the main wing of the house. The pergola is made of solid aluminum, chosen for its durability, and painted black. The Ramsowers had used reclaimed ornamental iron around their front yard and so we replicated its pattern in the pergola’s design. “In making this design choice and also by using the reclaimed brick in the pool area, we wanted to honor the architecture of the house,” says Halper. We continued the ornamental pattern by building an aluminum arbor and pool security fence along the covered terrace. The arbor’s supports gently curve out and away from the house. It, plus the pergola, extends the structural aspect of the house into the landscape. At the same time, it softens the hard edges of the house and unifies it with the yard. The softening effect is further enhanced by the wisteria vine that will eventually cover both the arbor and the pergola. From a practical standpoint, the pergola and arbor provide shade, especially when the vine becomes mature, a definite plus for the west-facing main house. This newly-created space is an updated vision for a traditional garden that combines classic lines with the modern sensibility of innovative materials. The family is able to sit in the house or on the covered terrace and look out over the landscaping. To enjoy its pleasing form and practical function. To appreciate its cool, soothing palette, the blues of the water flowing into the greens of the garden with a judicious use of color. And accept its invitation to step out, step down, jump in, enjoy.

West Hollywood, California

AquaView Fencing - Serving North America

Patio - mid-sized modern backyard concrete patio idea in Los Angeles with no cover

Get $25 Off Your First Order

*Exclusions Apply

High-Quality, Curated Furniture
Free Shipping Over $49
Thousands of 5-Star Reviews

Shop products on Houzz

Windsor Parkway

Bonick Landscaping

Pool with Pennsylvania bluestone coping and decks, copper scupper fountains surrounded by a lush landscape. Photo By Sara Donaldson
Inspiration for a large timeless backyard rectangular and stone infinity pool fountain remodel in Dallas

Swimming Pools

FS Landscaping Contractors, Inc.

Stamped Concrete
Large elegant backyard concrete paver and custom-shaped hot tub photo in Philadelphia

Cor-Ten Cattails Sculptural Fence

Archer & Buchanan Architecture, Ltd.

Photographer: Tom Crane Made of 300, 10-foot steel blades set upright 8 inches apart, the award winning Cor-Ten Cattails Sculptural fence was designed for a home in Berwyn, Pennsylvania as a yard sculpture that also keeps deer out. Made of COR-TEN, a steel alloy that eliminates the need for painting and maintains a rich, dark rust color without corroding, the fence stanchions were cut with a plasma cutter from sheets of the alloy. Each blade stands 8 feet above grade, set in concrete 3 feet below, weighs 80-90 pounds and is 5/8 inch thick. The profile of the blades is an irregular trapezoid with no horizontal connections or supports. Only the gate has two horizontal bars, and each leaf weighs 1200 pounds.

Aquaview Fencing

AquaView Fencing - Serving North America

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.

Showing Results for "Pool Fence"