Under the Umbrella

Written by Sherry Moeller

When asked, “What did you do on your summer vacation?,” many area residents may reply, “Relaxed in my own private resort.” Local pool experts agree that homeowners are often looking no further than their own backyards to enjoy the pleasures of resort living. Today’s poolside companions include pool houses or pergolas, sheer descent or vanishing edges, waterfalls or fountains, beach entries or fire pits, or all of the above.

Cover Up

Seek Shade Inside Pool Houses, Under Pergolas, or Within an Enclosed Pool

The idea behind current pool designs is for homeowners to “walk out of their houses and feel like they’re on vacation,” says Michael Patterson, president of Broadview Manor Inc. “You can really pretend you’re anywhere in the world,” he says, when enjoying the pool and surroundings. “We’re interested in combining all the elements, including pools and spas with accentuated elevation changes, into usable year-round spaces.” Clients have winter solstice parties around gas fire pits, use spas in the snow, and take advantage of warmer days in the springtime like we had this year, Patterson adds.

Falling Waters

Trick the Eye With Sheer Descent or Vanishing Edges and Keep the Flow in Motion With Waterfalls

“Water in motion,” such as waterfalls, fountains, and vanishing edges, is key to creating an outdoor pool setting that brings sights and sounds to the living areas, says Walt Williams, one of the owners of Alpine Pool & Design. Sanitizing systems are also big and changing, Williams adds, taking homeowners away from chlorinated pools with the use of saline. By introducing salt that goes through a cell into a pool, a pure form of chlorine is produced, says Burton Gray, president of Town & Country Pools Inc. Gray and pool experts at other companies, such as Browning Pools & Spas and Huston Pools Inc., also see a rise in using alternate interior pool finishes, such as Pebble Tec, instead of the typical plaster interior. The vanishing edge pool, pictured, by Lewis Aquatech is finished in blue glass tiles to create a shimmering base and a lasting impression. And automatic covers continue to be a necessity while adding heat and chemical retention and a measure of safety to pools, says Sandy Huston, president of Huston Pools Inc.

Beaches + Bonfires

Create a Shoreline With Sand and Jetties and Find the Right Blend of Lighting for the Pool, Patio, and Plantings

Homeowners are bringing the shore to their poolside settings with sandy beach entries in or around pools. Starting at patio level, a ramp creates a slow, sloped entry to the pool, says Chuck Browning, who, along with Aaron Browning, owns Browning Pools & Spas. Creating a natural environment with stones, landscaping, and lighting is an integral part of the pool setting, Browning adds. Using stones that are native to the area is common, adds Will Smith, landscape architect for McHale Landscape Design Inc. Light fixtures, fire pits, and fireplaces are becoming common components in overall designs as well. Both landscape lighting and lights within pools are popular additions to pool settings, says Bob Spero, owner of Maryland Pools Inc. Huston is also seeing synchronized and color changing lights added inside pools.

Playing Poolside

Enjoy Total Entertainment Areas With Family and Friends

“More and more homeowners are referring to their backyards as outdoor rooms,” says Steve Braun, owner of Backyard Creations, bycpools.com. They’re limited only by their budget, which often exceeds $1 million. Some recent creations on homeowners’ wish lists include wet edges, where the waterline meets the patio, fire pits within shallow pool water, swim-up bars, and misting systems, says Don Gwiz, vice president of Lewis Aquatech. Turkish travertine and pink granite make patios cooler underfoot, while temperature-controlled environments, including adjoining cigar or TV rooms, make the pool and its surrounding amenities usable past the warmest months, Gwiz adds. Actually, he’s seen outdoor pools open from about April to mid-November.

Homeowners often request fountains, planters, and sculptures that are visible while in the pool, says Robbie Fitzgerald, designer and partner at Garden Architects, who often works with McHale Landscape Design Inc. on finishing touches. Hardscapes are now a prominent part of a pool project, says David Adams, owner of Landscape Associates Inc. In addition, while pools are no longer just rectangular in shape with concrete patios, they’re also not as deep as they once were either. Today homeowners want to play volleyball and basketball while enjoying the cooling effects of the water, says Robbie Keri, co-owner of Pools By Young Ltd. Therefore, many pools have gone from nine feet at the deepest end to six feet in the center.

Using innovation, imagination, and the latest materials, homeowners and specialists make resort living possible without leaving home.