To be successful amid the outdoor living boom, it's critical for retailers and builders to stay abreast of rapidly changing consumer tastes in backyard products. To help keep your product lines up to date, AQUA has partnered with design megasite Houzz to bring you more content about outdoor living, from pools and spas to outdoor kitchens and patio furniture. Here, a Houzz expert walks us through a zen-inducing poolhouse.
Photo by Tricia Shay Photography
Pool House at a Glance
Who uses the pool house: A retired couple and their family and friends
Location: Cleveland
Size: About 3,000 square feet (about 278.8 square meters)
Designer: Wendy Berry of W Design Interiors
The clients asked for an overhaul of their pool house to bring it into the 21st century and provide a spa-like atmosphere. Designer Wendy Berry and her team reshaped the pool and the ceiling overhead, adding architectural detailing. They created a coved tongue-and-groove ceiling of Spanish cedar with a clean transitional line that keeps the room from appearing too rustic. “We sampled so many woods to find one that could withstand water and humidity,” Berry says. “Spanish cedar was it.”
Photo by Tricia Shay Photography
The spa’s water feature is a major focal point in the pool area. The mosaic glass tiles used on the spa surrounding the steps and pool border are from Walker Zanger. At the pool edge is buff sandstone coping that provides a comfortable seating area for dangling your toes.
Photo by Tricia Shay Photography
Berry and her team added stained walnut cabinetry to store towels and other pool supplies as well as matching columns to create an architectural rhythm to the space. The feature walls and sink back splash are covered in split face travertine from Anatolia Tile & Stone.
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Photo by Tricia Shay Photography
Furnishings around the pool include a three-seat sofa and lounge chairs from Sutherland covered in washable Canopy Porcini fabric from Romo. The pair of occasional tables are topped with dark teak and have stainless steel bases.
RELATED: Furniture for a Contemporary Sitting Area
Photo by Tricia Shay Photography
The new massage room features a decorative wall covered in stacked stone tiles with recessed openings that hold candles for ambience. The slatted doors are walnut and allow natural light in from the adjacent pool area. Around the perimeter of the room are black pebbles that serve as water troughs.
Photo by Tricia Shay Photography
After a busy day, the new two-tiered cedar sauna beckons guests to relax and work up a healthy sweat — an ideal spot for cold Cleveland winters.
