Casual and beachy courtyard, with natural materials and pavers. Ceilings are wood beadboard, stained. Fastpix, LLC

A swimming pool covered by a glazed retractable enclosure was added to this existing residence south-east of Parker, CO. A 3000 square foot deck is on the upper level reached by curving steel stairways on each end. The addition and the existing house received cultured stone veneer with limestone trim on the arches. Robert R. Larsen, A.I.A. Photo

The outdoor kitchen — featuring a sink, refrigerator, ice maker and gas burners — looking up the slope with a winding path up to the house.

Trusloe Limestone pool terrace from Artisans of Devizes.

NICOLAS MATHEUS

courtesy of Giorgi Exclusive Homes

ATHENS PLANTER (L30″ x W30″ x H30″) Planters Product Dimensions (IN): L30” X W30” X H30” Product Weight (LB): 50 Product Dimensions (CM): L76.2 X W76.2 X H76.2 Product Weight (KG): 23 Athens Planter (L30″ x W30″ x H30″) is part of an exclusive line of all-season, weatherproof planters. Available in 43 colours, Athens is split-resistant, warp-resistant and mildew-resistant. A lifetime warranty product, this planter can be used throughout the year, in every season–winter, spring, summer, and fall. Made of a durable, resilient fiberglass resin material, Athens will withstand any weather condition–rain, snow, sleet, hail, and sun. In any room in the home and any area in the garden, Athens will complement focal features with its bright, visible presence, exuding vibrancy throughout the indoor or outdoor space. Herb gardens and colourful non-traditional, as well as monochromatic modern floral arrangements are perfectly suited to this stylish, contemporary planter, its square shape an elegant addition in any interior or exterior environment. By Decorpro Home + Garden. Each sold separately. Materials: Fiberglass resin Gel coat (custom colours) All Planters are custom made to order. Allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. Made in Canada ABOUT PLANTER WARRANTY ANTI-SHOCK WEATHERPROOF DRAINAGE HOLES AND PLUGS INNER LIP LIGHTWEIGHT

Product: Authentic Thick Limestone Pool Coping elements for pool edge Ancient Surfaces Contacts: (212) 461-0245 Email: Sales@ancientsurfaces.com Website: www.AncientSurfaces.com The design of external living spaces is known as the 'Al Fresco' space design as it is called in Italian. 'Al Fresco' translates in 'the open' or 'the cool/fresh exterior'. Customizing a contemporary swimming pool or spa into a traditional Italian Mediterranean pool can be easily achieved by selecting one of our most prized surfaces, 'The Foundation Slabs' pool coping Oolitic planks. The ease and cosines of this outdoor Mediterranean pool and spa experience will evoke in most a feeling of euphoria and exultation that on only gets while being surrounded with the pristine beauty of nature. This powerful feeling of unison with all has been known in our early recorded human history thought many primitive civilizations as a way to get people closer to the ultimate truth. A very basic but undisputed truth and that's that we are all connected to the great mother earth and to it's powerful life force that we are all a part of...

A family in West University contacted us to design a contemporary Houston landscape for them. They live on a double lot, which is large for that neighborhood. They had built a custom home on the property, and they wanted a unique indoor-outdoor living experience that integrated a modern pool into the aesthetic of their home interior. This was made possible by the design of the home itself. The living room can be fully opened to the yard by sliding glass doors. The pool we built is actually a lap swimming pool that measures a full 65 feet in length. Not only is this pool unique in size and design, but it is also unique in how it ties into the home. The patio literally connects the living room to the edge of the water. There is no coping, so you can literally walk across the patio into the water and start your swim in the heated, lighted interior of the pool. Even for guests who do not swim, the proximity of the water to the living room makes the entire pool-patio layout part of the exterior design. This is a common theme in modern pool design. The patio is also notable because it is constructed from stones that fit so tightly together the joints seem to disappear. Although the linear edges of the stones are faintly visible, the surface is one contiguous whole whose linear seamlessness supports both the linearity of the home and the lengthwise expanse of the pool. While the patio design is strictly linear to tie the form of the home to that of the pool, our modern pool is decorated with a running bond pattern of tile work. Running bond is a design pattern that uses staggered stone, brick, or tile layouts to create something of a linear puzzle board effect that captures the eye. We created this pattern to compliment the brick work of the home exterior wall, thus aesthetically tying fine details of the pool to home architecture. At the opposite end of the pool, we built a fountain into the side of the home's perimeter wall. The fountain head is actually square, mirroring the bricks in the wall. Unlike a typical fountain, the water here pours out in a horizontal plane which even more reinforces the theme of the quadrilateral geometry and linear movement of the modern pool. We decorated the front of the home with a custom garden consisting of small ground cover plant species. We had to be very cautious around the trees due to West U’s strict tree preservation policies. In order to avoid damaging tree roots, we had to avoid digging too deep into the earth. The species used in this garden—Japanese Ardesia, foxtail ferns, and dwarf mondo not only avoid disturbing tree roots, but they are low-growth by nature and highly shade resistant. We also built a gravel driveway that provides natural water drainage and preserves the root zone for trees. Concrete pads cross the driveway to give the homeowners a sure-footing for walking to and from their vehicles.