HGTV DREAM HOME 2020 - Preview Event held by Belgard. Burkhart Outdoors is part of the Belgard Advisory Committee in which we were honored to get an exclusive tour of the home along side Belgard this January 2020. Burkhart Outdoors has no affiliation with Belgard or HGTV DREAM HOME 2020. This work was constructed by HGTV Hired Contractors.

Evoking a sense of calm and equilibrium for all who visit, this symmetrical poolscape provides a haven in a Hauppauge, NY backyard. Unilock Beacon Hill Smooth pavers, with custom-made 2'x2' slabs, provide a smooth transition from the side walkway and up the stairs to the elevated, geometric pool. As guests and family gather on the expansive poolside patio, they can take in plenty of sun while listening to the calming rush of three nearby waterfalls. The stone-like design weaves its way around the property, leading right up to the front door for ultimate curb appeal and elegance. From the front yard to the back patio, clean lines and a delicate balance encompass both the paver and pool design, while incorporating lush gardens and symmetrical hedges.

Exterior Worlds was contracted by the Bretches family of West Memorial to assist in a renovation project that was already underway. The family had decided to add on to their house and to have an outdoor kitchen constructed on the property. To enhance these new constructions, the family asked our firm to develop a formal landscaping design that included formal gardens, new vantage points, and a renovated pool that worked to center and unify the aesthetic of the entire back yard. The ultimate goal of the project was to create a clear line of site from every vantage point of the yard. By removing trees in certain places, we were able to create multiple zones of interest that visually complimented each other from a variety of positions. These positions were first mapped out in the landscape master plan, and then connected by a granite gravel walkway that we constructed. Beginning at the entrance to the master bedroom, the walkway stretched along the perimeter of the yard and connected to the outdoor kitchen. Another major keynote of this formal landscaping design plan was the construction of two formal parterre gardens in each of the far corners of the yard. The gardens were identical in size and constitution. Each one was decorated by a row of three limestone urns used as planters for seasonal flowers. The vertical impact of the urns added a Classical touch to the parterre gardens that created a sense of stately appeal counter punctual to the architecture of the house. In order to allow visitors to enjoy this Classic appeal from a variety of focal points, we then added trail benches at key locations along the walkway. Some benches were installed immediately to one side of each garden. Others were placed at strategically chosen intervals along the path that would allow guests to sit down and enjoy a view of the pool, the house, and at least one of the gardens from their particular vantage point. To centralize the aesthetic formality of the formal landscaping design, we also renovated the existing swimming pool. We replaced the old tile and enhanced the coping and water jets that poured into its interior. This allowed the swimming pool to function as a more active landscaping element that better complimented the remodeled look of the home and the new formal gardens. The redesigned path, with benches, tables, and chairs positioned at key points along its thoroughfare, helped reinforced the pool’s role as an aesthetic focal point of formal design that connected the entirety of the property into a more unified presentation of formal curb appeal. To complete our formal landscaping design, we added accents to our various keynotes. Japanese yew hedges were planted behind the gardens for added dimension and appeal. We also placed modern sculptures in strategic points that would aesthetically balance the classic tone of the garden with the newly renovated architecture of the home and the pool. Zoysia grass was added to the edges of the gardens and pathways to soften the hard lines of the parterre gardens and walkway.

To counteract the formidable placement of the pool (diagonal to the house), a stronger diagonal was developed by placing a sunning deck, which appears to float, and a dining pergola at 90 degrees to the pool. These hardscape elements set the stage for an exotic, tropically themed sanctuary. www.hortusoasis.com

Natural Shape Pool

Red clay pavers on the pool deck. Valders stone coping on the pool. Boulder retaining wall made from WI granite. Columnar maples soften the building facade. Feather reed grasses in front of retaining wall.

Photo: Jim Bartsch Photography

ryan@ryangammaphotography.com

Paul Schlisman Photography Courtesy of Southampton Builders LLC

Richard Leo Johnson/Atlantic Archives, Inc.

Howard Roberts

A sampling of a custom designed pool project from Elements Landscape.

Pool