Larger backyards can seem like an embarrassment of riches: Where most pool professionals have to work within tight constraints, a bigger space means the only limit is the designer’s imagination.
But every coin has two sides, and oftentimes large areas pose their own challenges. What should be done with all that space after the pool, firepit, garden and dining area have already been placed?
To address this, many designers start with a story line, and carry it through the entire yard.
“I think about it as a series of almost vignettes,” says Gregory Lombardi, president of Gregory Lombardi Design Inc. in Cambridge, Mass. “We really want to have the participant feel this idea of a journey.”
But this story will have more chapters than most. And, like with any large book, it’s more of a challenge to maintain integrity and engage users throughout. Here, four designers share a large-scale project and discuss how they addressed these issues:
Clovis, Calif.
Designer: Amy Bartell, design director
Cambridge, Mass.
Designer: Gregory Lombardi, president
Las Vegas
Designer: Joey Pecoraro, owner
Berkeley, Calif.
Designer: Stefan Thuilot, principal
