Unexpected Spa and Pool Combo by Caviness Landscape Design

This plan for White Fences Estate by Caviness Landscape Design was a challenge the designers loved. As they put it, “In the design, we put the spa in the middle of the pool. We then thought of how cool it would be to keep the spa hidden under the water level when it is in normal pool mode operation.” So they did: when spa mode is activated, the water level of the pool drops an inch and a half, revealing a glass-tiled spa and stone beam bridge from the patio. And that “hidden spa” is only one unusual feature of this multi-pool design. The “pool” is actually two pools: one is 46 feet long by 22 feet wide and has a diving rock at one end; to get to the spa from this main body of water, swimmers go through a faux rock tunnel! Swimmers can also enter the spa, of course, over the stone path…a truly ingenious layout.

The already fun layout is enhanced further by the waterfall, which is activated in either spa or pool modes. Customized colored lighting was installed to up-light the boulders and falls area as well as illuminate the pool for nighttime swimming fun. A spacious flagstone deck provides plenty of room for entertaining around the water; towering pines behind the waterfall create a “forest” illusion that adds to the ambience. And this design is also a prize-winner: the APSP (Association of Pool and Spa Professionals) has given it their “Gold” award in the category of Spas Built in Conjunction with Swimming Pools. The clients, of course, don’t care too much about the award part — they’re too busy having fun off that diving rock.

 

 

 

SPA-Like BEYOND Bathtubs And Showers Collection

BEYOND is a beautifully designed series of bathtubs and showers designed by Claudia Danelon and Federico Meroni for Italy’s Glass Idromassagio. This collection shows beautiful shapes and natural-looking design: the natural organic egg-like shapes of the tub or shower tray are made of Pietraluce – that’s an anti-limescale and anti-bacterial composite material. These shapes are combined with the architectural rationality of a monolith constructed from resin, wood or mosaic tiles. I think these appliances are ideal for a modern bathroom as they give a SPA touch to the décor and you feel as at some exclusive resort.

 

bathrooms-Beyond Collection

bathrooms - BEYOND collections

 

 

 

USING STONEWORK TO TIE TOGETHER A SANTA BARBARA HOME AND GARDEN

When these clients hired Grace Design Associates for their garden layout, they had just built a home and studio on Pedregosa Street in Santa Barbara, CA. But, true to its name pedregosa meaning “rocky” in Spanish the site was replete with sandstone unearthed during construction, everything from boulders to a large wall and curbs. The clients wanted all stone to be integrated into the landscape and any new stonework made to blend with the old. They needed to tie the new construction together with already existing historical homes in the neighborhood, some dating from the 1800s. As if those parameters weren’t challenging enough, the clients  recent Iowa transplants also wanted a “little bit of home” and a prairie feel about the grounds.



Grace went to work, using boulders and terracing to make outdoor “rooms” for different uses. A stone amphitheater  for proposed musical/social evenings  and fire pit are now central gathering places; fixed seating on one side allows for the other side to be used as anything from additional “stage” area to a spot to lay out sleeping bags. Near the fire pit is a cedar hot tub, close enough for enjoyment of the flames but distant enough to provide solitude. Plantings are simple, with lots of native grasses that not only conserve water, but are low-maintenance. Best of all, as the designers put it, “Every last piece of stone was used on site…and some were then ‘broken down’ to differing degrees to suggest a long history of site occupation.” Thus, “The garden connects the house to the site, the neighborhood, and the larger setting seamlessly.”









 

A Dream Pool to Match a Dream Home: Edgewater Estate

 

What do you do once you’ve built your dream house? Sometimes, you build a dream pool to match it. That’s what these clients of Caviness Landscape Design did. These clients had an advantage: they had had a pool before and definitely know what they did and didn’t want. As the designer explains, “The client wanted to be able to see the waterfall from his home office window.” The customer also wanted specific details as well: stone steps to the patio area; a 3-foot waterfall with a swim-up bench; a 9 x 17-foot wide cascading fall; and 18-inch deep play area under the waterfall. Finally, the family wanted a spa that could seat 22 people, and a glass rock fire pit with bench seating.




What results is an oblong pool with rounded edges enclosed in colorful flagstone. Pool, spa, and all waterfalls are backlit, as are clustered pines behind the larger waterfall and other trees that frame the space. The fire pit, up one level from the main poolside area, has curved stone seating more than ample for a crowd; another level of stone entirely reachable through an arched doorway from the house  holds more space for lounging. Finally, when the client wanted the flagstone around the pool to match the travertine at the back of the house, Caviness obliged by cutting the flagstone into squares and rectangles. Edgewater Estates is a private, inviting retreat now…with a great view from the home office .




 

ANSWERS TO YOUR KIDS' AWKWARD BATHROOM QUESTIONS

There are few places you will get more awkward questions from your small child than in the bathroom. How do you answer these crazy questions? Well, when you get finished blushing, laughing or fainting on floor, you've got to give them an answer that they can understand. Here are a few of the more awkward questions kids might ask in the bathroom and some answers that my keep you from standing there tongue tied and wondering what to say.

WHAT IS POOP?

This is an easy one! Poop is the leftover stuff that passes through our body after we get all the good nutrition we can from the food we eat. It is waste, and it has germs in it, so it's important that we wash our hands after we use the potty.

WHERE DOES THE POOP GO WHEN YOU FLUSH?

Toilets fascinate kids. Actually, toilets kind of fascinate me, too. I'm so glad they work so well and do the job they do. To answer where the poop goes when you flush, explain that pressure and gravity help move it through pipes out of your house and into the sewer and far away. If your kids are older and want more information, check out this tutorial on how toilets work.

WHY DO BOYS PEE STANDING UP?

Girls may wonder why boys pee standing up, and boys may wonder why girls pee sitting down. Just explain that the opening where urine comes out is positioned differently on both boys and girls, and each of us use the potty the way that is cleanest and most comfortable.

WHY ARE YOU SO HAIRY?

Moms and dads have hair in places that little kids don't. Children are likely to notice your body hair, especially if you shower with them or change together at the pool. Try not to be embarrassed by the question, and just tell them that body hair is something everyone gets more of when they go through puberty and start to change from children to grownups.

WHAT IS THAT THING?

Having boy and girl twins, we never really had a single moment where they were shocked by the sight of the anatomy of the opposite sex. But they did eventually want to know why my son had a different set of parts than my daughter.

What exactly is that thing? Whether your kids see another child naked, or walk in on you or your spouse in the bathroom, they'll likely ask that question at some point. Be honest. Explain that boys have a penis, girls have a vagina, and that like most creatures, human beings are male or female and have the body parts to go with their particular sex.

WHY DON'T I HAVE BOOBIES?

Breasts are another body part that fascinate children. As they start to recognize that their bodies are unique and different from others, they will probably wonder why their mom has protruding breasts and their own chests are flat. Again, just explain that breasts grow at puberty, as girls start to become women.

WHY IS IT SO MUCH BIGGER THAN MINE?

Preschoolers love to compare. This circle is bigger than that one. That rectangle is taller than this one. Whether you are talking about breasts, a penis or whatever, if your kids see their mom or dad naked, they will want to know why certain parts are so much bigger than their own. The simplest answer is that all body parts grow as we go from being little kids to adults. Show them how much bigger your feet are than their own as a good example.