Creative Atmospheres, Inc. Creates a Backyard Paradise

By Monday West, Creative Atmospheres, Inc.

Creative Atmospheres had to cut into the backyard slope five feet to level out the uneven back yard. To accomplish this they used a Bobcat excavator. Photos courtesy of Creative Atmospheres inc.

This San Clemente, California hardscape project challenged the contractor by asking for no less than a pool, a spa, a kid-friendly slide, along with a fire pit, an outdoor loggia, a BBQ/Bar, and a putting/chipping green all placed into a 2,000 square foot back yard.

The pool deck and coping are Napolina Limestone, which was imported from Europe through the homeowner's company. Specified plants for the pool area included: Vinca minor Periwinkle, Bougainvillea, Phoenix roebellini Pigmy Date Palms, and Dipladenis scandens.

Creative Atmospheres, Inc. included illustrated designs to show the client what the finished project would look like. Their designers use hand drawing and sketching to convey ideas, and then the drawings are then transferred to an AutoCAD computer-aided drafting program to generate the technical construction documents.

It takes carefully planning, design and installation savvy to place so many elements into a confined space, while simultaneously making the area seem spacious, and making foot traffic easy. But, as you can see, Creative Atmospheres, Inc., in Lake Forest, California achieved it with style. The homeowners, who own a stone and tile company, wanted to use hardscape materials exclusively from their company.

All of the materials used were pre-ordered product the homeowners' company
imported exclusively before the construction even started. This presented a challenge for the contractor, because the pool excavation, gunite, and plaster had to be precise in order to fit the pre-ordered pool coping. The BBQ veneer and pool/spa bond-beam is Nova Gold Limestone. Small details on the bond beam like rope tile and 4x4 insets presented installation challenges as well.

The BBQ splash and the counter slab is Brazilian Granite.

Excavating away the original concrete driveway with Bobcat, as well as using a Bobcat-Extension Jackhammer took three workers two days to complete. The design in the middle of the driveway is on a poured concrete base (unlike the pavers) and is 12 by 12-inch Napolina Limestone with a Nova Gold Band. The driveway was covered with 700-square feet of Belgard Mega Bergerac pavers.

Manufactured stone veneer was also installed on the house to complement the new limestone front entry. The El Dorado, Durango Mountain Ledge stone veneer measures out to 250 square feet, and took three employees three days to complete. The front yard includes the White Iceberg roses and Purple Fan flowers.

Throughout the project there were many changes such as re-location of the BBQ, and the putting green, the replacement of the existing driveway and manufactured stone veneer on the house to complement the new limestone front entry. The driveway pavers are Belgard Mega Bergerac, with detail materials used in the back.

Creative Atmospheres, Inc.'s owners Marc Rau, Bill West and Monday West laid out a meticulous plan and followed it with stunning results.