hillside

The customer wanted it all: a large pool and spa made with natural materials; a fully-equipped outdoor entertainment area; a place to keep cool while lounging in the sunshine – all woven seamlessly into a work of watershaping art that took full advantage of a marvelously scenic location. Here’s a look at how designer/builder David Tisherman pulled all of the details into their dramatic final form.

Woven Beauty

This project is all about making connections - connections between the inside of a home and the outdoors; between surrounding wide-open spaces and an intimate backyard; between the colors of the hillsides and the materials used in crafting the watershape; between the clients' desire for recreation and their passion for beauty; and between the beauty of nature and the modern, sculptural lines of the design. If you've followed my "Details" column in WaterShapes in recent months, you've seen many of the components that have been incorporated into this particular

For years, designer/builder Skip Phillips has applied himself to creating elegant, finely detailed watershapes for a discerning, upscale clientele. Recently, the experience of constructing a pool and spa for his own backyard led him to explore the essence of what pools and spas are really all about on a personal level – and discover a thing or two along the way about the connections between watershapes and family fun.

Made to Order

When you design and build custom swimming pools for a living, I'd guess you're always thinking somewhere in the back of your mind about what your own pool would be like if you ever got the chance to build it. In my case, when I finally did have the opportunity to design and build one for my home, I knew it had to be a complete extension of my own design philosophy, standards of construction and product choices. That was a no-brainer. What surprised me was just how much excitement and pleasure I derived from the process of seeing my own backyard take shape. I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted going in. I've developed strong likes and dislikes through the years, and I knew with good degree of certainty that our pool would have a vanishing edge, an attached spa, interesting lighting and an array of beautiful finish materials. Even with all that in mind, however, landing on the perfect design that expressed all of those elements wasn't automatic by any means. As with any custom watershape, each facet of the project required consideration and a weighing of the options. This forced me to step back and decide what I thought was