Fountain of youth: these newly renovated older pools enticed their owners to fall in love with them all over again - Aqua Scapes

Pool & Spa News, Oct 3, 2003 by Julie Sturgeon

Demolition of the pool confirmed Nantz's confidence: A network of 18-by-24-inch grade beams and 18-inch piers supported the poured-concrete pool, which also was reinforced with a double mat of No. 4 rebar. Stability wouldn't be a problem.

However, he wasn't sure how long the plumbing would hold up. He revised the entire plumbing schematic, using schedule 80 pipe that would not twist and snap if the ground moved.

That took care of the pool, but the yard had another eyesore: A thick, 15-foot-long brick wall between the home and pool. This element kept people from falling into a sunken area, but unfortunately, it also blocked the view from a nearby window and mucked up the otherwise clean, crisp backyard. Nantz removed the wall and, tipping his hat to the interior's stark atmosphere, he placed a stainless steel handrail between the pool and the house.

As a finishing touch, he softened the edges of his creation by planting horsetail around the pool. The hollow reed growth closely resembles bamboo.

"It just doesn't look like the same backyard," Nance says. "This was a challenge structurally, and quite a visual challenge as well. I get warm flames whenever somebody looks at it and says, 'That can't be the same pool!'"

Project cost: $125,000

The Power of a Classic

Geremia Pools Inc.

Sacramento, Calif.

Sometimes it's the designer's job to explain to a homeowner why their dream isn't quite right.

Mike Geremia's clients had just remodeled their 1950s home to a contemporary style, and the functional but bland pool didn't fit anymore. They asked him to create a natural setting with a waterfall cascading from the corner of the pool. But the second he saw the pool, he knew their dream was all wrong for the yard's dimensions: The 350-square-foot pool was set 35 feet from the back property line in a yard only measuring about 100 feet wide.

"They did what a lot of customers do--they looked at some Web sites, said, 'Oh, that's great!' and the idea was planted," says Geremia, co-owner and general manager of the Sacramento, Calif.-based company. "But in small yards like that, a big, overpowering waterfeature takes over the whole yard. When you try to sit near this crashing water, you can't even hear yourself talk."

Being a realist, Geremia knew he'd have to build a naturescape if the clients insisted. "But they were very eager to see what else they could do once I started showing photos of alternatives," he says.

His solution hinged on simplicity. Without changing the pool's shape (a geometric freeform with rounded comers), he attached a raised masonry retaining wall with a spillway. For an iridescent glow, he covered the wall with slate.

The slate added an artistic flourish, establishing texture and color in one broad sweep without resorting to overused glazed tile. For greater impact, Geremia repeated the slate on the existing steps leading from the back door to the pool area. The stone also mixed well with the exposed aggregate deck that the company had poured.

The final touch--a gray plaster pool interior--adds to the water's warmth retention and complements the deep tones of the surrounding materials.