Interior Design, Custom Furniture Design, & Art Curation by Chango & Co. Photography by Raquel Langworthy Shop the East Hampton New Traditional accessories at the Chango Shop!

Exterior solar shades and awning systems are the most efficient solution to protect your windows and patio areas from the sun's damaging heat and UV rays. Blocking up to 99% of UV, motorized retractable shading systems allow you to block the sun and heat or reverse the strategy to allow in natural light and heat as desired.

Amazing Contemporary Home in Scottsdale AZ. Impressive lautner Edge and Negative Edge Entry feature and Gravity Defying, Acrylic Panel Walled, All Bisazza Glass tile Roof top pool and spa is an example of engineering excellence Photo Credit Michael Duerinckx of INCKX Photography

16'x28' Radiant oval semi in ground pool with step

Photo by Paul Jonason

Christopher Vollmer

Tropical islands are the focal point for the design build of the acreage behind this stunning, Mediterranean-style home. The hardscape features a three level pool, including a toddler pool and a wading pool. Starting at the reef, there are three leaf petal loungers which allow you to recline in four to six inches of water at your feet. Limestone holy boulders are placed strategically along the edge for a natural element. A beautiful blend of earthy colors within the flagstone create a natural and rustic pool deck. All of the steps and bench seating inside the pool are also made of flagstone (custom fabricated flagstone coping for this project was completed on site). The toddler pool features fiber optic lighting which was installed at the bottom of the pool in the gunnite shell to create the reflection of a starry, celestial sky (fiber optic lighting can be used to create any number of shapes or constellations). An infinity edge crashes over beautiful stone and tile work, falling into a wading pool below. Another special feature is a water feature of riverstone cobbles sitting below dancing flames. Large stepping stones alongside this feature lead you to a lounge pool deck creating the feeling of an island retreat. Limestone slabs were used for a path of steps that take you through the landscaping back to the main house. A gazebo was added to hold an outdoor kitchen, an outdoor shower and a pool house with restrooms. All of the outdoor features are automated, allowing you to operate water temperature, fire features, water features, even the music and lighting from your smartphone.

Joshua Dover

Photo Credit: Rixon Photography

Years ago, Exterior Worlds was contacted by a couple by the names of Rick and Susan Ashcroft. They asked if we could do something about the lagoon-style swimming pool that had been built behind their house in the late1940s. This style had been very popular at that time, and it is still a favored by some of the world’s more lavish resorts. However, ever since the day they had purchased their home, the Ashcroft’s had always been agitated by the ostentatiousness of the whole thing, and had finally decided to have it redesigned as a natural swimming pool. They wanted their back yard to retain the feeling of a tropical locale, but lose the touristic element in favor of that of a cozier, more private corner of paradise. We agreed with their sentiments wholeheartedly. Just a cursory glance at the property confirmed that a natural swimming pool design was a much better fit for the grade of the landscape and the surrounding opportunities for vegetation and lighting. The Ashcroft residence was located on the side of a hill that sloped down toward a ravine, and the house itself house was built 40 feet back from the road. The steep grade of the land posed construction challenges to any type of water feature, but there was a way to build a natural swimming pool here that would achieve the aesthetic the Ashcroft’s were seeking and create a lasting element that required only limited and very intermittent periods of maintenance. We began by stripping the pool down to its shell and building a retaining wall that offset the grade of the land. We shaped the surrounding earth around it into a much deeper basin that would allow water to collect naturally like it does at the base of a cliff. A series of interlocking pavers was laid around the perimeter to create a flat surface that extended from the back of the home to the retaining wall. This is a standard aesthetic used in most natural swimming pools, but it also served a special, practical purpose in this instance. Since this area was subject to heavy land erosion from runoff rainwater, pavers provided a very efficient way of reconstructing key elements of the structure every 5-10 years. The natural swimming pool now appeared as an inviting portal into a remote hill country getaway, just a stone’s throw away from the back of the house. We made it easier to reach by building two series of stone steps that led down to either side of the water’s edge. We were careful to avoid making them look too much like stairs. Instead, we designed them to closely mimic the layers of rock that often jut from the sides of mountains and dormant volcanoes on islands all over the Pacific. To further develop this theme, we placed a large flat stone to serve as a diving area, and we created a waterfall on either side of it by laying down stones in a manner that created varying speeds of water. Our construction methods here were very unique in comparison to those of our competitors. We took almost a month to consciously and deliberately lay each stone by hand. While this may seem painstakingly detailed to some, the rewards were astonishing, because our natural swimming pool mimicked Nature in such a way that it lacked almost all evidence of human engineering, and looked virtually identical to something you would stumble upon in the jungle of a tropical paradise. If you are interested in any high-quality landscape services, Exterior Worlds has been providing the high-end residential landscape services and garden design services discussed above for the Houston and the surrounding areas including memorial villages (Piney Point Village, Bunker Hill Village, Hunter Creek Village), Tanglewood, River Oaks, West University and the greater Houston (Hou), area since 1987. Contact us at 713-827-2255 For more the 20 years Exterior Worlds has specialized in servicing many of Houston's fine neighborhoods.

The glamour of the outdoor space continues by day with multiple cushioned chaise lounges on a decorative grasses patio. The calming lap pool provides a centerpiece for the lounge area. Photos by Joe Traina.

Robin Stancliff

The complete Luxe custom outdoor environment with the swimming pool as the crown jewel topped with a sunken fire pit island. A super Luxe oversized freeform spa adjacent to the pool and the beach entry. Trimmed in natural stone and Oklahoma flagstone to match the custom capped grotto. A complete amenity center patio extension with an outdoor kitchen and sink. Custom designed & built pool cabana Arbor with booted columns & cedar throughout. An expansive perimeter pool deck and custom-engineered plumbing using top-of-the-line sanitation circulation equipment by Jandy™.

James Brady Photography

This residential Lazy River is all about activity! It has a big swimming/play area (30' accross & 40'+ length) plus the lazy river. It has a basketball goal, fire pit, and if you go down the Dolphin slide, one of the lazy river pumps sends you accross the pool to the river entrance! The bridge has a tropical feel and takes you to the island where a secret path leads to the dive rock. Designed by Mike Farley - FarleyPoolDesigns.com

Perimeter Overflow Pools by AAA Custom Pools, Inc #elegance #pooldesign #overflowpool #floridaliving #floridapooldesign http://aaacustompools.com/portfolio-of-south-florida-perimeter-overflow-pool-designer.html

Amazing Contemporary Home in Scottsdale AZ. Impressive lautner Edge and Negative Edge Entry feature and Gravity Defying, Acrylic Panel Walled, All Bisazza Glass tile Roof top pool and spa is an example of engineering excellence Photo Credit Michael Duerinckx of INCKX Photography

Jim Schmid