Photo by Paul Johnson
Get inspired by these idyllic outdoor areas, featuring perfect pools, a divine pool house, and family-friendly entertaining areas.
– Perfect Pool House –
The Pros
Rosamund Young
Rachel Laxer Interiors
Cum Laude Group
Rivi Oren
Carla Noletti of Gedney Farms Nursery
Shoreline
The Project
A pool and pool house where entertaining meets relaxing. This project in Scarsdale provides visual delight, ultimate comfort, and is low maintenance for the homeowners. The key is a design that flows with both the new outdoor environment and the current design of the main house. Architect Rosamund Young says, “The pool-house structure takes cues from the main house. All the materials we used in the pool house emulate the main house. Same brick, windows, and limestone, all on a smaller scale.”
Just Keeping Afloat
A large destination pool is perfect for both swimming laps and general water play.
Relax, Please
Surrounding the pool are beautiful patios for lounging, dining, and entertaining. Patio offers areas in both sun and shade, accommodating large or intimate gatherings equally well. Having a pool away from the main house provides the homeowners with a backyard ideal for entertaining and offers a spa-like environment for a relaxing cabana getaway.
The Head-Turners
Dining and lounging in the bar and kitchenette make this pool house an easy hangout. The head-turners: a TV, fireplace, storage, climate-control, and private pool garden, with a specially designed approach from both the parking court and main house.
The Fine Details
The pool and pool house are carefully sited and integrated completely into the existing property. With a playful-but-sophisticated interior, the furnishings include RODA Italian furniture, a custom-designed John Houhmand coffee table, custom James De Wulf console tables, a stone fireplace and bathroom by Marble America, vintage French skylights, backed with mirrors to create the illusion of depth. Vintage accessories are mixed with a modern touch of West Elm.
– Fabulous Firepit –
The Pros
Barrett Oswald Designs
Beresford Landscape Design
The Project
A backyard renovation to complement that of the recent home renovation in Larchmont. Similar to the home’s interior, the backyard boasts a luxe space that is contemporary comfortable, and functional for the family.
The Yard
An outdoor oasis that transitions seamlessly between seasons — made possible by an outdoor fireplace, outdoor kitchen, and a pergola to provide shade. The design utilizes areas as intimate settings.
Simply Serene
The backyard offers a functional outdoor living space all year long in a serene and cozy setting.
The Look
White brick on the built-in grill and outdoor fireplace matches with elegant teak furniture throughout. Barrett Oswald says, “We love a multifunctional space like this one. Our clients can enjoy a family dinner, an intimate conversation, or relax by the fire in the complete comfort of their own home.”
– Contemporary Cabana –
The Pros
Cum Laude Group
Opacic Architects
Carla Nolletti of Gedney Farms Nursery
The Project
A traditional-meets-contemporary European-styled home in Scarsdale with old-world elegance and modern detailing.
Keep It Contemporary
Inspiration for the design of this home came from French country estates. “We created a residence with traditional and historic elements but simplified with cleaner, more modern details,” says Radoslav Opacic. “The house creates an exceptional interface between exterior and interior spaces. The grand loggia and new cabana are complementary in style and material. The exterior stucco of the house is used on the interior of both spaces for continuity with the outdoors. Each of the three large-arched openings to the grand loggia on the rear façade are detailed to conceal a motorized screened panel that retracts completely, allowing for a more gracious connection to the yard. The link between the kitchen and the loggia makes this space a choice entertaining area for the family.”
Old-World Elegance
French doors and windows, stucco exterior finish, generous hipped slate roof, European travertine floors, European-style mahogany tilt-and-turn windows from Quebec, and custom ironwork at the second-floor French balconies scream “traditional sophistication” in the home.
Private Cabana
“A new cabana was designed with bath and changing facilities, and [features] a large, open-air pavilion facing the pool. This new cabana relates to the style of the new home and offers more outdoor living and lounging opportunities,” says Opacic.
The Great Outdoors
The homeowners’ priority was to have a screened-in living-and-dining porch that would be central to the main body of the house, as well as the kitchen, and thereby seamlessly bring three-season backyard entertaining into their home. “We created a centralized grand loggia space that becomes the focus of the house,” says Opacic. “It is seen and accessed through a series of French doors off of the formal entry, and it has a direct connection to the kitchen and family room beyond.”
– Relaxing Retreat –
The Pros
Zavaglia Associates
Benedict A. Salanitro
Almeida Pools
The Project
An outdoor design to complement the home’s architecture while serving as a family-friendly environment. The pool accommodates entertainment needs while not overwhelming the property and the property has multiuse outdoor areas for year-round enjoyment, multiple patios for entertaining and lounging and open yard areas for child’s play.
The Upgrade
The family recently purchased this Greek Colonial home in Rye and completed a full interior renovation. Next step was to create an exterior environment that feels like the ultimate staycation. The 1.6-acre property provided plenty of room to create the dream space.
The Vision
“The property was definitely a diamond in the rough that needed TLC and imagination,” says Jess Zavaglia. “But the yard was very large, so there was a lot of potential to create something special.”
Family First
The client wanted a space that worked not only for the current time but with the evolving needs of a growing family. A nearly empty yard left a blank canvas for a trampoline and level area, where the children can enjoy soccer, football, baseball, and other outdoor sports.
Old Meets New
The unique Greek Revival architecture of the home allows for the opportunity to pair gracious, old-world styling with contemporary aesthetics, honoring the client’s Greek heritage. Clean lines and a rich, green palette complement the overall look and feel of the home.
