Elegant Backyard Retreat

By Scott Cohen, Scott Cohen Designs

The fire features were built by Grand Effects and have automatic igniters. The fire can be started by remote (or the homeowner's iPhone.) The contractor ran standard-sized gas and electric lines, strictly following the project's code requirements.

When Scott Cohen of Scott Cohen Designs first encountered this California project he came face to face with a backyard that had a lap pool with no spa, with concrete that had heaved one inch above the pool. The lot's grading was poor, with steps and trees blocking the flow of traffic through the yard. The homeowners challenged Cohen to create a completely new yard suitable for entertaining and for ''backyard vacationing'' in style and luxury.

Cohen's design took advantage of the home's stunning views, adding outdoor rooms, a pool and conversation areas to take advantage of the backyard's prime viewing vistas. To achieve this, the contractor based his design around a large fan-shaped vanishing-edge swimming pool with a swim-up bar. Adjacent to the pool, the contractor constructed a solid-roof pavilion with a recessed dining patio. To continue the outdoor-living motif, a full service outdoor kitchen was built as well. A living room with a fireplace, two putting greens and fire elements round out the backyard features.

The pool coping is bull-nosed travertine and matches the adjacent paver patio. For this, the contractor specified a laser-cut travertine tile liner on the raised water features to tie-in materials used on the fire pit. The spa perimeter overflows into a narrow channel that spills back into the pool.

 


The pool is lit with color-changing line-voltage LED lights. The hanging lights are tied into a low-voltage landscape lighting system.

Removing The Old, Adding The New

The contractor's first order of business was removing the old pool. They excavated the pool using a Bobcat tractor. They shot the new pool in gunite, but kept the pool depths shallow so that the pool would remain warm year-round.

Outdoor Living

To start things off, the contractor built a Versailles pattern on the travertine pavers that created a patio deck design to add interest without being ''busy.''

The outdoor kitchen area has travertine paver flooring, split-level cooking and bar service combined with round bar service tables built right in. The kitchen includes a grill, beverage center and fridge.

Cohen's in-house staff of 40 masons, landscapers and wood workers put the whole project together. The pool was built over a 6-month period. It took four workers four weeks to waterproof and tile the entire pool and spa.

The original pool was excavated using a Bobcat tractor. The excavation took three workers with a single tractor three days to complete. The tractor was also employed to cut the new levels and re-grade the site. Much of the excavated concrete was used to build up the side yards and create a level play area for the swing set.

The Swim-Up Bar

The contractor built the swim-up bar adjacent to the dining room, and contracted it from cast concrete and ''earth mix'' crushed recycled glass. They then installed color changing LED underwater lighting into the pool itself.

By building a perimeter overflow hydrotherapy illusion spa with a built-in cocktail table and fire effects, the contractor created a dynamic night-time scene. The spa also has a deep-well hydrotherapy tube.

For the living room area, Cohen integrated chandeliers, surround sound speakers, and two television sets.

Inside the pavilion features split level patios to accommodate the swim-up bar. Cohen's wood crew built the pavilion; for support, the structure employs six steel poles with 5-foot deep concrete footings. Workers wrapped the steel posts with decorative precast concrete columns, and then constructed the fireplace using a custom in-house design. The total project took eight months to construct.

Workers custom cast-in-place concrete counters hand-seeded with recycled glass ''earth tone mix'' and then honed and polished it to a smooth-as-glass finish. The outdoor kitchen appliances included a grill, sear zone, side burner, storage drawers and beverage center.

Fire Features

Cohen installed fire features to each of the four outdoor rooms. A substantial fireplace anchors the outdoor living room, and dual fire bowls combine with water to spill over into the pool. The conversation area with built-in seating surrounds a fire pit and faces the evening sunset views. To supplement the hardscape, the contractor enveloped the stepping pads of cast concrete with grass.

The sub-contractor hand carved the fountain in Mexico out of ''Canterra stone'' and delivered it in pieces to be assembled on-site. It uses a standard fountain pump and plugs into a weather-protected outlet hidden behind the fountain.

The Project

In the end, the contractor transformed a marginally functional back yard into a ''home vacation'' paradise.