Cory Stanley, Lead Designer
Brian Spires, Owner
Marcus Tipton, Owner
Tipton Spires Design Build, Houston, Texas
Down the middle
Jimi Smith Photography
An existing metal arch provided a baseline for the design of the new pool, spa and gabled, solid cedar timber pavilion, all crafted with a look and feel that designer Cory Stanley calls “Hill Country resort style.”
“I like to have a mix [of styles],” he explains. “You keep the traditional feel, because you can’t have a super straight-lined modern Lautner-edge pool with a traditional brick house. If you can go a little more formal … then still have a bit of a modern twist, then you’ve created something that’s timeless yet up-to-date.”
Of particular importance was the arbor — a symmetric form added just outside the house as part of a decade-old remodel. To anchor the new additions, designer Stanley extended the centerline of the arbor so it served the same purpose for the waterscape and pavilion, which houses a kitchen and lounging areas. Floating steps made of the same travertine as the deck provide an attractive transition from the arbor to the water.
The team found brick from the same lot as the house, so they used it on the kitchen structure and pillars supporting the pool’s water works to connect with the abode.
What the Judges Thought
There’s no taking your eyes off this waterscape. Strong directional lines grab your attention; the symmetry solidly grounds it; and the materials create exactly the resort-like feeling the clients requested, at once bold and comfortable.
In the pavilion, the bar is set so players on the nearby bacci court can easily step over, grab a drink and resume play. Swimmers can sidle over to one of four in-pool barstools, where they can socialize, watch the television or stare at the substantial brick fireplace.
On either side of the pool sit artificial turf terraces for chaise lounges.
