A very small South Tampa backyard (typical) turned into a very usable space. Approx. 265 sq. ft. this small pool or spool (spa pool) has everything one needs to enjoy outdoor living life. Offset to one side of the yard, it allows for max use of the space. The approx. 330 sq. ft. french pattern silver travertine pool deck and straight edge pool coping gives this backyard a clean, simple, modern feel. With the soft zoyisa grass expanding almost to pool edges it gives the small space a vast, clean feel. The sunshelf in the pool adds a place of pause before entering the pool which has a max depth of 6 feet. No matter what time of year the spool is equiped with a pool heater that will have this oasis to 87 plus degrees within several hrs or less. Landscape Fusion

Interior Designer Jacques Saint Dizier Landscape Architect Dustin Moore of Strata while with Suzman Cole Design Associates Frank Paul Perez, Red Lily Studios

Kenny Manchester

Originally designed by one of the most notable landscape architects in town, this once impressive project had faltered in recent years. The pool and spa still functioned well, and the client wanted to keep it intact. In addition, they wanted to keep as much of the existing landscaping as possible. The surrounding decks, walls, and steps were fair game. At first glance, one might think that our changes were simple material changes. Upon closer inspection, however, one can see the subtle, yet transformative changes that come together to update this classic pool in a tasteful, timeless manner, and improve the flow and usability of the deck areas, while softening the feel of the massive hardscape. The subtle changes begin as soon as you walk out the back door of the house. The existing decking had a lot of what we call “tweeners”; areas that are overly generous walkways, yet not large enough to house furniture. The awkwardly small bluestone patio was expanded to accommodate a generous seating area, by pushing the step-down closer to the pool. Our talented stone mason carefully married the new bluestone into the existing, resulting in an imperceptible difference between the two. As you descend the new bluestone steps to the pool level, your bare feet will be thankful for the new smooth-finished limestone colored concrete, with a hand cut pattern carefully etched into its surface. The old red brick decking was so hot that the owners could not walk around the pool in bare feet. The brick coping was also replaced with an eased edge Pennsylvania Premier Stone which matches the new step treads throughout the project. Between the house and the pool, a large raised planter was reconfigured, giving additional space to the pool deck for a shaded lounge chair area. Across the pool, a bank of rather tall painted brick retaining walls were cut down, shortened, and moved. This lessened the visual impact of the walls, which were rather overwhelming in the space, as well as opening up a new seating area, nestled under the arms of the massive pecan at the back of the property. Rather than continuing solid decking around the entire pool, the area near these walls has been transformed to large stone stepper pads set in a sea of beautiful St. Augustine lawn. This creates a visually softened area that is still suited to setting tables and chairs when the guest list calls for additional seating. The spa area is quite possibly the most dramatic change on this project. Yet more raised planter walls divided this area into awkward spaces, unsuited to proper furniture placement. The planters were removed, new stone decks, once again expertly married into the existing, opening the area to house a large dining table and new built in bbq area. The spa itself was re-imagined with the bluestone coping, and painted brick veneer. The most impressive addition though is the new handmade glazed tiles that surround the existing cast stone water feature. This water feature was almost unnoticeable against the painted brick wall, but now the dramatic arch and pop of color draw the eye to this quaint little corner of the property.

The client purchased this property with grand plans of renovating the entire place; from top to bottom, and from inside to outside. And while the inside canvas was very generous and even somewhat forgiving, the outside space would be anything but. We wanted to squeeze in as much seating space as possible in their limited courtyard area, without encroaching on the already compact-sized pool. The first and most obvious solution was to get rid of the trees and shrubs that separated this house from its zero-lot-line neighbor. With the addition of Lueder limestone pavers, this new area alone would free up nearly 120 additional square feet, which happened to be the perfect amount of space for a mobile gas fire pit and sectional sofa. And this would make for the perfect place to enjoy the afternoon sunset with the implementation of a custom-built metal pergola standing above it all. The next problem to overcome was the disconnected feel of the existing patio; there were too many levels of steps and stairs, which meant that it would have been difficult to have any sort of traditional furniture arrangement in their outdoor space. Randy knew that it only made sense to bring in a wood deck that could be mated to the highest level of the patio, thus creating and gaining the greatest amount of continuous, flat space that the client needed. But even so, that flat space would be limited to a very tight "L-shape" around the pool. And knowing this, the client decided that the larger space would be more valuable to them than the spa, so they opted to have a portion of the deck built over it in order to allow for a more generous amount of patio space. And with the edge of the patio/deck dropping off almost 2 feet to the waterline, it now created the perfect opportunity to have a visually compelling raised wall that could be adorned with different hues of plank-shaped tiles. From inside the pool, the varying shades of brown were a great accent to the wood deck that sat just above. However, the true visual crowning jewel of this project would end up being the raised back wall along the fence, fully encased in a large format, 24x24 slate grey tile, complete with a custom stainless steel, square-tube scupper bank, installed at just the right height to create the perfect amount of water noise. But Randy wasn't done just yet. With two entirely new entertaining areas opened up at opposite ends of the pool, the only thing left to do now was to connect them. Knowing that he nor the client wanted to eliminate any more water space, he decided to bring a new traffic pattern right into the pool by way of two "floating", Lueder limestone stepper pads. It would be a visually perfect union of both pool and walking spaces. The existing steps and walkways were then cut away and replaced with matching Lueder limestone caps and steppers. All remaining hardscape gaps were later filled with Mexican beach pebble, which helped to promote a very "zen-like" feel in this outdoor space. The interior of the pool was coated with Wet Edge Primerastone "Blue Pacific Coast" plaster, and then lit up with the incredibly versatile Pentair GloBrite LED pool lights. In the end, the client ended up gaining the additional entertaining and seating space that they needed, and the updated, modern feel that they loved.

Nestled perfectly along a mountainside in the North Scottsdale Estancia Community, with views of Pinnacle Peak, and the Valley below, this landscape design honors the surrounding desert and the contemporary architecture of the home. A meandering driveway ascends the hillside to an auto court area where we placed mature cactus and yucca specimens. In the back, terracing was used to create interest and support from the intense hillside. We brought in mass boulders to retain the slope, while adding to the existing terrain. A succulent garden was placed in the terraced hillside using unique and rare species to enhance the surrounding native desert. A vertical fence of well casing rods was installed to preserve the view, while still securing the property. An infinity edge, glass tile pool is the perfect extension of the contemporary home. Project Details: Landscape Architect: Greey|Pickett Architect: Drewett Works Contractor: Manship Builders Interior Designer: David Michael Miller Associates Photography: Dino Tonn

modern west University

This modern/transitional design included a 50' infinity pool and spa, a pavilion with a large outdoor kitchen, bathroom, and fireplace, and other great features like terraced travertine patios, a 10' fire pit behind the infinity edge, cable handrails, LED lighting, landscaping, a paver driveway extension, and an in-ground trampoline!

Gold Winner - Five Star Spas - http://www.fivestarspas.com.au/

Russell Abraham Photography

This modern pool uses a unconventional mosaic color giving a beautiful and distinctive look. The mosaic is color 260, and it has bands of aventurina, which gives it a subtle glittery effect. There are many mosaic colors that share this effect including greens, browns, blues and more. Combinations can also be made to fit your style.