Typically a pool house is a place to slip on a bathing suit and grab a fresh towel before taking a dip. In other words, a nicety. And then, there’s this recent build in Scarsdale: an 8,000-square-foot structure that elevates the pool house concept to new heights—quite literally.
The story begins with a couple choosing this particular piece of property specifically for its generous size, because the game plan was to build a pool house with a full-size indoor basketball court. Enter the pros at Alisberg Parker, an award-winning, full-service architecture and interior design firm based in Old Greenwich. Lead architect Ed Parker, along with architects Will Jameson and Shaun Gotterbarn, were handpicked to oversee a thorough renovation of the interior of the main house and design a separate structure that would sit about 150 feet away.
Nailing down the details for the new outbuilding, intended to serve the adjacent tennis court as well as the pool was no small feat. The team opted to complement rather than copy the style of the main house, using similar materials and colors but changing the vernacular from traditional French Normandy to contemporary.
The structure has three separate levels, each with a distinct purpose. The basement is a full-on sports refuge, thanks to a regulation size basketball court and top-tier golf simulator. The first floor is down-time oriented, with a kitchen, a bar, and plenty of space to hang out. A fully functional home office and two guest bedrooms fill the top floor. All the spaces are seamlessly linked by a white steel-framed staircase.
This pool house offers the chance for a very sports-oriented family to play basketball and golf year-round.
The size and scale of the basketball court is nothing short of breathtaking but make no mistake—the logistics were complicated. Most notably, due to non-negotiable local height restrictions, the court had to be situated below ground. The AP team decided that curved glulam beams, stained to match the white oak elements throughout the pool house, would provide the structural backbone for the 27-foot-high domed ceiling. Concealing ductwork and motorized shades in the ceiling was another integration challenge.
Inside, the soaring wood beams imbue warmth and elegance that are almost unheard of in a gym-type setting. The two-tone floor design and blue wall mats nod to the client’s college alma mater, and the blue and white theme carries through into the golf simulator, where the family takes lessons. Installing white oak cabinets to match the kitchen results in a lighter, brighter feel and a more cohesive overall design.
“The homeowner really just loves to play and even hosts a small league for friends,” says Parker. “The basketball court was definitely complex, but such a fun space to design.”
Above the court, the homeowners wanted an airy, comfortable space with a bar for entertaining. The lilac marble backsplash, streaked with plumcolored veining and accented with floating glass shelves, packs a dramatic punch while a custom banquette provides a chill, nightclub-ish vibe.
Just beyond, white oak cabinets with painted white accents frame the kitchen. A stainless-steel ladder provides access to additional storage and a tambour door keeps appliances under cover. The island consists of a large 3D stone rectangle with a ½”-thick stainless-steel plate that offers space for serving and eating. The steel plate cantilevers out, so it looks like it’s floating. The stone appears solid from the entertaining side, but it’s actually a series of stone slabs mitered at the corners, with functional drawers for storage on the back. Jameson, who designed the piece, thinks of it as “a functional sculpture.”
One thing this kitchen doesn’t have is an oven, because building code prohibits them in pool houses. A pro-grade grill and pizza oven in the outdoor kitchen solve that problem handily. “They rave about the pizzas they can make,” says Gotterbarn. The saltwater pool measures eight feet deep, with some large steps for lounging. The surrounding stone, Madras, is a limestone from India. “It’s great to be able to find light colored stones that don’t get as hot as bluestone,” says Gotterbarn. “We continued it inside throughout the first floor, to reinforce the indooroutdoor mood and for easy maintenance.”
The lilac marble backsplash, streaked with plum-colored veining, packs a dramatic punch.
As for the top floor, there are two well-appointed bedrooms to give longer-staying guests their own space separate from the main house. A fully functional trading office provides a quiet, distraction-free workspace when needed, and a roof deck offers views in every direction.
“In a space that’s mainly for entertaining, you can take chances with design elements and materials,” says Jameson. “For most people, this may be a basement or an outdoor area. Utilizing striking materials, pops of color, and modern elements are great ways to go for a more edgy design.”
In this case, the result is a magnificent building that meshes beautifully with its surroundings yet stands proudly on its own, like a vacation home right in the backyard.
