The back yard, once a serene swath of green, has taken on the status of a luxury entertainment center, complete with swimming pools, spas, water features, patios and even elaborate outdoor kitchens.
These staycation areas have all the cachet and bells and whistles of five-star resorts and are so cleverly designed that they blend in with their surroundings, beautifully merging indoor and outdoor spaces. Whether these lush landscapes are elaborate or simple, they all put the pool center stage.
In the case of a newly constructed modern farmhouse in Andover, the plunge pool, although small, makes quite a splash.
The homeowner had a very specific vision for his dream landscape: In addition to a patio and grilling area, he wanted a small plunge pool with an automatic cover and a waterfall that complements the aesthetic and architecture of his house.
“It’s a large backyard, and he wanted to leave enough green space to kick around a soccer ball,” says Karen Larson, the co-founder of Soake Pools, which is based in New England. “People always think that small pools are for small yards, but that’s not the case at all.”
Soake Pools, which was founded a decade ago and has done projects all over the country, pioneered the precast concrete plunge pool.
“My husband and co-founder, Brian, and I first fell in love with plunge pools while traveling on vacation,” Larson says. “We knew immediately that we wanted to bring this bit of luxury to our home. But we soon discovered that there was no affordable, high-quality option in our area.”
So the Larsons developed their own manufacturing process to design pools that can withstand the rigors of New England’s harsh, changeable climate. Their first pool was for their own house. Today, the company ships hundreds of pools each year to clients around the country.
The family-owned and -operated company offers five standard sizes of pools, ranging from a 4-foot-square to the 7-foot by 13-foot model the Andover homeowner selected.
Soake Pools works with landscapers and design professionals to build pools to each project’s specifications. Although the pool design is standard, buyers are offered choices of types of steps and colors and sizes of porcelain tile.
Because the Andover homeowner wanted a light, airy look, he chose large-format ivory tiles to match the white color of his house.
“That choice really draws the eye to the tile and blends well with the exterior of the home,” Larson says, adding that the landscaper clad the exterior of the pool in natural stone and selected bluestone for the coping to complement the farmhouse and the traditional-style wooden shed that stores pool equipment and outdoor furnishings in the off season.
The homeowner added a softly splashing waterfall in the back wall of the pool, a Zen-like touch with a gentle sound.
Soake Pools, which are $35,000 to $50,000, plus shipping and installation, are distinguished by their luxury finishes. The porcelain tiles are laid by hand in a controlled environment in New Hampshire, lending an artistic touch.
They come with covers and all the equipment needed to run the pool.
“They are about half the cost of building a traditional concrete or Gunite pool on site,” Larson says. “And there’s a huge time savings – what we do in four to six weeks could take months to do on site.”
The pools, which weigh 6,000 to 22,000 pounds, are shipped to the sites and lifted into place by a crane then finished by project contractors to homeowner and architect specifications.
The Andover Soake pool made the homeowner’s vision complete.
“It, and the house, look like they have always been there,” Larson says.