Often, when couples are renovating their home and dealing with interior designers and architects, the outdoor living space gets pushed aside and essentially forgotten. This is not the case for Joe and Michelle Tabshe, who knew what they wanted, found the right design team and got the job done with a minimum of hassle. The Tabshe family, including 17-year–old Carla and 15-year-old twins Tony and Jack, definitely wanted a resort-like back yard with pool, gazebo, fountains and waterfalls for parties with friends and a gorgeous place to get the perfect tan. Fortunately, Joe has a great eye for design and could be very specific in detailing what he wanted. And what he wanted was not one, but two pools and an extended lanai.
To accomplish a complete makeover from a traditional “L” shaped pool, Joe wanted a combination of a shallow, four or five-foot deep rectangle exercise pool closer to the home near the lanai leading to a gracefully curving, twisting abstract shaped, 54-foot long, nine-foot deep pool with various water features for both fun and relaxation. The two pools not only provide an interesting contrast of straight lines, meandering edges and different depths, but they are also lit with an array of colors for a fantastic view in the evenings. The Tabshes say the gorgeous view is the main reason why they try to enjoy dinner on the lanai as much as possible.
Creating a new pool is no simple process, and it gets more complicated when it must be balanced design-wise and connected physically with an existing pool. To be sure the finished product was exactly what he wanted, Joe selected Pat O’Connell, well-known and experienced owner of Landmark Pools of Tampa. “I knew what I wanted the pools to look like, and I knew I wanted to work with someone who would understand my concept and produce a well-made product efficiently and on time,” says Joe.
And that’s what he found in O’Connell. Both men seemed to understand the concept and work well together. Joe came up with the basic design and O’Connell added occasional suggestions such as pavers, boulders and the actual free-form shape of the larger pool.
The Tabshe back yard incorporates many of today’s popular trends. Quality Brick Pavers installed 6×12-inch Scabos Travertine decking around the pools and a French pattern of 12×24-inch pavers on the upper deck. The pool mimics the ocean thanks to its Pebble Sheen surface.
Other dramatic touches include the Tennessee field stone boulders that are 3,000 pounds each lining the stairs leading to the larger pool. Flanking the bottom of the stairs reside a pair of shiny, eye-catching bronze lions. “Joe told us what he wanted, and then he left it up to me to create the various water features and boulders. The finished look turned out spectacular,” says O’Connell.
Michelle says the family couldn’t be happier with the renovation. “Everything is brand-new and we love spending time out here.”