The eight chaise lounges shaded by three umbrellas, plus eight Adirondack chairs—four on the pool deck and another four circling the firepit—and a table that seats six, might cause you to assume that this backyard oasis exists for the sole purpose of hosting pool parties—large ones. But you would be wrong just about 99 times out of 100.
Yes, last summer the owners hosted a large graduation party here celebrating the youngest of their three daughters finishing up high school and another earning her college degree.
“We had over a hundred people here,” the husband says. “People came and they stayed. But most of the time,” he admits, “we’re pretty low key.”
Timing is everything
In early 2020, the couple considered leaving this 5,400-square-foot home, which was custom built for them in 2002. After seriously searching in neighborhoods a bit closer to his downtown Cincinnati work location, they weren’t finding anything that lured them in.
“We love where we live. Love the area. Love the house. The lot. Everything about it,” the wife says.
So, they opted to stay put. Once that decision was made, they turned their attention to their large, but seldom-used back yard. When the owner approached the team at TowneScapes, he told them he “wanted something that would blow his mind.”
A rectangular pool, hot tub, water features, and fire bowls were on the list of must haves. The task to incorporate those elements into a mind-blowing design was put in the hands of Adam Erbaugh and Shane Bordwine from TowneScapes. The initial challenge for the pair of designers was to address the elevation change of the site.
“The whole design was done around the topography,” Bordwine says. “We followed the lay of the land.” Curving travertine steps—leading from the house to the pool and then the pool to the firepit—take on the gradual slope of the yard with grace, turning a challenge into an advantage.
Getting the site ready
Excavation began in February of 2021. Scrap trees and brush were removed to create an open expanse. A multi -faceted drainage system was designed to handle rainwater and direct it away from the pool area. “Initially, there were not a lot of places for the water to go,” Bordwine says. “We created a dry creek bed, a huge drain, and a massive dry well to direct the flow away from the home and the pool.”
Once a level, well-drained site was ready, the 22 by 42-foot gunite pool was constructed. Then it was time for the TowneScapes team to have a bit of fun with the “eye-candy.” Fire bowls, pergolas, waterfalls, and a generously sized Travertine stone deck hug the perimeter. Coneflowers, Russian sage, hibiscus, and ornamental grasses add clusters of color and seasonal interest. Further out, along the property lines, a large assortment of deciduous and evergreen trees were planted. A blend of Plums, Arbor Vitae, Norway Spruce, Elms, and Silhouette Sweetgums create a lush cocoon of privacy.
While the homeowners were heavily involved in the planning process, once their wishes were clear, they turned the reigns over to the TowneScapes team.
“They were the perfect clients,” Bordwine says. “They were open minded about everything we brought to them and they let us do what we know how to do.”
And even though there was a detailed master plan in place, the wife admits that sometimes the result took her by surprise. “We saw the concept with the fire bowls and the travertine, but once it began getting installed, I called my husband at work and told him how amazing it was.”
“It exceeded our expectations,” he adds.
First splash
In the summer of 2021, the family jumped in their new pool for the first time. That first year they kept the pool, which was heated to 90 degrees, open until mid-December. The hot tub stayed open through New Year’s Eve the first year and the following year as well.
“When it’s snowing it’s the best time to be in the hot tub,” the husband says.
In fact, there are plenty of options for staying outdoors even in inclement weather. A covered upper deck off the main living area of the home has two ceiling-mounted heaters and a stone fireplace.
“We watch football out here when it’s 40 degrees,” the wife says.
And if the family wants to get a bit more outdoorsy, a large fire pit area with its circular stone seating wall beckons from the far side of the property.
Time for two
Since their daughters are away from home—working or in school—most of the year, the couple finds that it’s often just the two of them enjoying their new oasis. Bump-out seating sections in the corners of the pool are a particularly favorite spot for them to hang out. “Sometimes we move from one corner to another, or to the hot tub,” he says. “We turn everything on, the lights, the fire, the waterfalls and we sit there for hours and talk.”
But wherever they are sitting, the couple agrees that they got everything they wanted—and more.
“Before the pool, we never used the back yard,” the husband says. Now in the summer, we take staycations. There’s no reason to go anywhere else.”
RESOURCES
Landscape design and installation TowneScapes Outdoor living room/deck S.A.W. Construction Blue umbrellas, metal tables and Adirondack chairs Watson’s Tan umbrellas and lounge chairs Frontgate Fence Eads Fence Original home builder Zicka
Article by Karen Bradner | Photos by Ross Van Pelt
Article originally appeared in May 2024