“Pacific Stunner”
Matt Deal, owner and CEO
La Jolla Pools, La Jolla, Calif.
Greg Hoxsie Photography
As part of a significant remodel to this hillside property, set against one of the most beautiful beaches in the San Diego area, the clients wanted a pool and spa.
The 45-by-16-foot rectangular perimeter-overflow/vanishing-edge combination would be aligned with the great room so it could be appreciated from indoors through glass walls that could completely open up, turning that part of the home into an indoor/outdoor space. A sunshelf would sit toward the center of the pool, against the wall closest to the home, to afford the best view from the chaise longues.
The spa, placed in a corner within the pool’s footprint, would sit about 1 inch higher than the pool to minimize disrupting the mirror effect.
Of course, creating this simple, elegant effect is more complicated than it looks. Fortunately, La Jolla Pools invited the challenge.
“The steep hillside presented construction problems,” says Matt Deal, owner and CEO of the La Jolla, Calif.-based pool/spa construction firm. “It’s in unstable soil.”
To support the vessel, crews drilled and installed approximately a dozen caissons, which delved 30 feet into the ground, with the network connected by grade beams. This left certain portions of the backyard propped about 20 feet in the air.
The homeowners envisioned a perimeter-overflow pool sitting flush with the deck and didn’t want to see flooded coping, so Deal designed it with a Lautner edge detail.
The project required precise work. Large-format black tiles were used around the edge, including on the face of the elevated portion. The team mitered each of the long tiles so that they joined completely, ensuring a true knife edge. The same was done on the spa.
“The stock was 2 feet by 4 feet,” Deal explains. “So on the rim of the spa, which is 6 inches wide, we had to cut these tiles out of these larger tiles, then we had to miter each edge. So it was very time-consuming, very precise work.”
No doubt it was worth it. “The end result is wonderful,” Deal says. “The pool surface is flush with the deck and shimmering in the light like a mirror. It’s gorgeous.”
SUPPLIERS:
Pump: Jandy Stealth SHPM; Jandy Pro Series Variable Speed Pool Pump
Filter: Jandy Pro Series Single Element Cartridge
Heater: Jandy JXI Gas, Model 400
Controller: Jandy AquaLink OneTouch
Chemical Feeder/Sanitation System: IPS
Tile: Domoos by Dekton
Coping: Lautner edge fabricated from porcelain tile
Waterproofing: Miracote
Lights: Jandy GloBright color changing
Jets/Swim Currents/Spa Components: Waterways
Autofill: Jandy Levolor
