DESIGNER
Michele Sherman
Essig Pools
North Miami, Fla.
Kelly Crawford
Can You Dig It Gardening
Miami
Clean Tropical
The house was designed in a traditional Mediterranean style, but the homeowner preferred a backyard with contemporary lines and tropical touches. Sherman’s rectilinear pool/spa combination fit the bill.
The pool entry steps and the spa are placed at opposite ends to nearly mirror one another. The deck, coping and pavers are made from keystone, a coral material mined in the Florida Keys, which provides a tie-in to local materials.
For a softer look, some keystone pavers are set in lawn in an almost random pattern. “It’s supposed to allow you to go from the house to the spa or pool without having to follow a beaten path,” Kelly Crawford says. Solid decking is used near the spa and main entry steps to provide a stable base for furniture.
Traditional Cue
When viewing the backyard from the house, one can see a ballustrade placed on the other side near the pool. “Since we’re doing all this newness outside, I really wanted to add something that would be old-looking, that would fit in the yard but give a nice old look,” Crawford says. The four arc fountains add another traditional shape but, for a unique touch, are generated from pot-belly fish figurines.
