Robert Harris Photography

Greg Wilson Photography

Don Kadair

You can hear the echo of the craftsman’s tools in Blu. The same honest lines and rugged texture as our larger, 80mm version, the same opulent colors and modern yet eternal look, Blu 60mm is lighter in weight and has a smaller height, making it a better choice for pedestrian and light-traffic-only areas such as on walkways and patios.

Outdoor spa in Cleveland, Ohio.

Front of the new pool house, with 3 sets of French doors, awning windows, new hardscaped patio, flagstone coping on pool. Brian Krebs/Fred Forbes Photogroupe

A Neptune Pools Original design Infinity pool and spa fully tiled with Glass Mosaic tiles Photography by Patrick Redmond

Winnetka swimming pool, spa and outdoor kitchen by Rosebrook Pools. 847-362-0400 Classic swimming pool with contemporary detail. Glass tile accents pool and spa waterline, tanning ledge,and spa overflow. Laminar deck jets surround pool along with an additional raised stone water feature. The deck and coping are in Valders Limestone. The patio is equipped with a full outdoor kitchen and a pergola. The spa and kitchen use Connecticut stone veneer, and the kitchen is topped with black granite. Norman Sizemore Photography

A couple by the name of Claire and Dan Boyles commissioned Exterior Worlds to develop their back yard along the lines of a French Country garden design. They had recently designed and built a French Colonial style house. Claire had been very involved in the architectural design, and she communicated extensively her expectations for the landscape. The aesthetic we ultimately created for them was not a traditional French country garden per se, but instead was a variation on the symmetry, color, and sense of formality associated with this design. The most notable feature that we added to the estate was a custom swimming pool installed just to the rear of the home. It emphasized linearity, complimentary right angles, and it featured a luxury spa and pool fountain. We built the coping around the pool out of limestone, and we used concrete pavers to build the custom pool patio. We then added French pottery in various locations around the patio to balance the stonework against the look and structure of the home. We added a formal garden parallel to the pool to reflect its linear movement. Like most French country gardens, this design is bordered by sheered bushes and emphasizes straight lines, angles, and symmetry. One very interesting thing about this garden is that it is consist entirely of various shades of green, which lends itself well to the sense of a French estate. The garden is bordered by a taupe colored cedar fence that compliments the color of the stonework. Just around the corner from the back entrance to the house, there lies a double-door entrance to the master bedroom. This was an ideal place to build a small patio for the Boyles to use as a private seating area in the early mornings and evenings. We deviated slightly from strict linearity and symmetry by adding pavers that ran out like steps from the patio into the grass. We then planted boxwood hedges around the patio, which are common in French country garden design and combine an Old World sensibility with a morning garden setting. We then completed this portion of the project by adding rosemary and mondo grass as ground cover to the space between the patio, the corner of the house, and the back wall that frames the yard. This design is derivative of those found in morning gardens, and it provides the Boyles with a place where they can step directly from their bedroom into a private outdoor space and enjoy the early mornings and evenings. We further develop the sense of a morning garden seating area; we deviated slightly from the strict linear forms of the rest of the landscape by adding pavers that ran like steps from the patio and out into the grass. We also planted rosemary and mondo grass as ground cover to the space between the patio, the corner of the house, and the back wall that borders this portion of the yard. We then landscaped the front of the home with a continuing symmetry reminiscent of French country garden design. We wanted to establish a sense of grand entrance to the home, so we built a stone walkway that ran all the way from the sidewalk and then fanned out parallel to the covered porch that centers on the front door and large front windows of the house. To further develop the sense of a French country estate, we planted a small parterre garden that can be seen and enjoyed from the left side of the porch. On the other side of house, we built the Boyles a circular motorcourt around a large oak tree surrounded by lush San Augustine grass. We had to employ special tree preservation techniques to build above the root zone of the tree. The motorcourt was then treated with a concrete-acid finish that compliments the brick in the home. For the parking area, we used limestone gravel chips. French country garden design is traditionally viewed as a very formal style intended to fill a significant portion of a yard or landscape. The genius of the Boyles project lay not in strict adherence to tradition, but rather in adapting its basic principles to the architecture of the home and the geometry of the surrounding landscape. For more the 20 years Exterior Worlds has specialized in servicing many of Houston's fine neighborhoods.

When your client sets forth guidelines for his project such as wanting a resort style feel, a Hampton-esque look, form, high function and most importantly, show stopping beauty, Platinum’s team of designers had to dig deep into their resolve and were able to bring up this winner. The dimensions of the main pool are a modest 20’x40’ but when incorporated with an 18’x9’ sundeck and a massive 10’x12’ spa, this pool and spa combo dwarfs most. The spa boasts 12 hydrotherapy jets, two custom hydrotherapy lounges, LED lighting throughout, and full spa-side controls. Coupled with the massive 16-foot-tall fireplace, custom built pergola with bluestone accents that sits approximately 20 feet wide and a grill island complete with a 42” Wolf range, this project is inspiring from first glance. This backyard retreat was featured in the Techo-Bloc 2014 Sales Catalog and won two awards: Long Island Pool & Spa Association (LIPSA) and the Bronze Award for Gunite Pool/Spa Combo. See more here: https://www.platinumsdgroup.com/swimming-pool-cold-spring-harbor-ny

Dennis Mayer Photographer

Our client constructed their new home on five wooded acres in Northern Virginia, and they requested our firm to help them design the ultimate backyard retreat complete with custom natural look pool as the main focal point. The pool was designed into an existing hillside, adding natural boulders and multiple waterfalls, raised spa. Next to the spa is a raised natural wood burning fire pit for those cool evenings or just a fun place for the kids to roast marshmallows. The extensive Techo-bloc Inca paver pool deck, a large custom pool house complete with bar, kitchen/grill area, lounge area with 60" flat screen TV, full audio throughout the pool house & pool area with a full bath to complete the pool area. For the back of the house, we included a custom composite waterproof deck with lounge area below, recessed lighting, ceiling fans & small outdoor grille area make this space a great place to hangout. For the man of the house, an avid golfer, a large Southwest synthetic putting green (2000 s.f.) with bunker and tee boxes keeps him on top of his game. A kids playhouse, connecting flagstone walks throughout, extensive non-deer appealing landscaping, outdoor lighting, and full irrigation fulfilled all of the client's design parameters.

Cocktail Pool (Heated with 12 Therapy Jets) with 2 Shear Descent Falls and 2 Fire Features accented with stone veneer

Outdoor living space with custom pool and spa, fire and water bowls and custom patio with built in fire pit