taste

Making the List
'When I teach seminars on watershape design,' wrote Brian Van Bower in opening his Aqua Culture column ten years ago, 'I always emphasize the importance of having a list of questions to ask prospective clients during initial conversations.  It's a point that always seems to ignite discussion - and it usually ends up with someone in the audience asking me to provide such a document for general use. 'I always refuse to do so, not because I
Tracking a Personal Trend
My feelings about diving boards and slides have changed through the years. When I was a kid, there was no poolside sight more welcoming than either one of those accessories. The clowning that took place on and around diving boards was, for starters, unmatched in hilarity, and there was nothing quite so satisfying as
Proportional Response
One of the real tricks in any art form can be the challenge of exercising restraint.  Bigger isn't always better, and both scale and size do matter.  In other words, just because you can create something grand, it doesn't always mean that you should.   This principle of proportionality has a sharp, specific meaning in the world of the custom watershaper, especially when clients ask for something that is oversized for the property or more elaborate than called for by the setting or surrounding architecture.  We all know where it comes from:  Clients have seen something they like, and it