finishes
Campania International (Pennsburg, PA) produces the Del Rey Fountain in cast stone. The product –…
Pebble Technology (Scottsdale, AZ) offers Shimmering Sea, a combination of cultivated abalone and mother of…
One of the things I like most about working in the watershaping business these days is how clever and creative designers and builders have become at what they do. It's not just the big details such as vanishing edges, play-pool configurations, sun shelves or swim-up bars. And it's about more than beach entries, grottos, laminar jets and cool spillways. Those are all great, every one of them, but what I'm talking about here is the attention to the small things - the subtle ways more and more watershapers are finding to make
There are few things prettier than the classic sky blue that results from the combination of white plaster and clear water. In recent times, however, amazing and even startling colors and color combinations are appearing within swimming pools and other watershapes courtesy of either integrally colored plaster, white plaster paste coupled with colored aggregate or colored paste with a colored aggregate. Various textures are also available courtesy of these finishes, with surfaces ranging from
Once a new swimming pool is filled with water and turned over to its owners, the designer and builder have completed their work: Let's assume that the results have met or exceeded the clients' expectations and that everyone is pleased by the outcome. If all has truly gone well, little will occur in subsequent weeks to change the general sense of
Through all the years I’ve spent communicating with other pool designers and builders and in working directly for or consulting with clients, I’ve come across all sorts of design processes and decisions I’d classify as questionable (at best) or just plain wrong, foolish or even actionable (at worst). I’d originally listed them as ten common mistakes pool designers make (and should try to avoid), but a recent incident forced me to expand the list to cover
Last month, I introduced my rundown on books I like to have at hand in my studio by mentioning a project that included a pool, an outdoor kitchen, stone walls, a fire pit and some other amenities. A feature I didn't mention - but one that may well be unique for a backyard in upstate New York - was the Peruvian Travertine we chose for use around the pool. While decking material seldom takes center stage in a design, its high visibility tends to make it more than just a bit player. Indeed, the choice of a material can either
Last month, I introduced my rundown on books I like to have at hand in my studio by mentioning a project that included a pool, an outdoor kitchen, stone walls, a fire pit and some other amenities. A feature I didn't mention - but one that may well be unique for a backyard in upstate New York - was the Peruvian Travertine we chose for use around the pool. While decking material seldom takes center stage in a design, its high visibility tends to make it more than just a bit player. Indeed, the choice of a material can either
In a couple of my recent "Details," I've discussed the early stages of a wonderful project located on the waterfront of Long Beach Island, N.J. As is the case with many top-level jobs, this one required a great deal of work in the early going to make sure we were set up for complete success once the installation process was under way and the pool, spa and surrounding structures began to come together. Although the pool in question is a simple rectangle designed to function mainly as a subtle and elegant reflective surface, there are certain features within the "shape" of the shell that make it something special - and particularly relevant to how the clients