Outdoor Living, Fire Features, Amenities & Lighting

“My Prettiest Picture . . . Why?”
The visual grace and simplicity of this deceptively nuanced project betray the slew of design details and careful planning required to pull it off. As David Tisherman explains here, the rooftop Los Angeles pool offered a unique opportunity to apply elevated design principles and technical discipline in a dreamlike, yet challenging, setting. ...
The Misguided Push to Eliminate Natural Gas from California’s Backyards
Legislative moves to prohibit natural gas from backyards in California is badly misguided, argues Scott Cohen. While reducing carbon emissions is a valid objective, he says, trying to do so by eliminating natural gas-driven amenities does little to help the environment while stabbing at the heart of the state’s renown outdoor lifestyle. ...
CCEI offers 24V Light Safety Transformer
CCEI-Pool USA is pleased to offer a 24V-DC Transformer that is designed to safely power pool and spa lights. The transformer allows the direct connection to underwater pool and spa lights and has two compartments keeping the primary and secondary light connections independent to ensure a safe installation. The transformer is equipped with an ON/OFF switch and offers a re-settable circuit breaker to protect the transformer and lights in case of overload.  Equipped with quick connectors for easy electrical installation. Learn more here.
Concrete Sealer from V-Seal
V-Seal offers V-Seal 101 Concrete Sealer, a multi-surface penetrating sealer designed for use on all porous masonry substrates and new concrete. According to the manufacturer the product Increases surface strength, repels moisture, salts and oils, and can be used on existing concrete or new construction as a driveway, pool deck or sidewalk sealant. Learn more here.
Kingsley Bate Offers Sag Harbor Wicker Seating Ensemble
Kingsley Bate offers the Sag Harbor wicker seating ensemble Inspired by the relaxed style of the Hamptons. The set is hand woven in a premium, extra-large fiber, making it sturdier and more substantial than standard outdoor wicker furniture, the company says. The fiber’s variegated tones create a natural appearance that pairs well with an assortment of Kingsley Bate teak tables. Learn more here.
Lakeside Luxury
Given complete creative carte blanche by a client focused on fun and luxury, Alison Felschow capitalized on the property’s setting and sight lines to weave a layered design that brims with interesting details and winding contours—all with one major surprise along the way. ...
Achieving Realism: Finishing Techniques for Cast-Concrete Rocks
It’s true that some artificial rock installations are not convincing. In an effort to solve those disconnects, today’s cast-concrete rock panel systems are taken from natural stone. When installed and finished correctly, rock panels can look like the real thing. ...
Making Rocks Work
The marriage between rockwork and architecture can be a contentious one, especially when the visual relationship isn’t thought out ahead of time. Making rocks work in built spaces requires strategic thinking, says Terence Thornton and Kevin Kraft, with an eye toward the way nature does things. ...
Real Advantages of Artificial Turf
Artificial turf has rapidly grown in popularity in recent years, and especially so in its use beside swimming pools and other bodies of water, says turf specialist Nick Ogilvie. Water conservation, radically reduced maintenance and great appearance are all reasons for the movement toward grass that never grows and never dies.  ...
Riding the Tides (25 years of WaterShapes)
Since its debut in February 1999 as an innovative print magazine, WaterShapes has spent the past 25 years exploring the art and science of water – and the oceans of possibilities waiting to be discovered along the way. As Eric Herman shares in this special retrospective, the long journey through the world of water has been its own unique reward.   ...