The scenic Severn River set the stage for the overhaul of a lot in Crownsville, Maryland. Spearheaded by McHale Landscape Design, this whole-property renovation transformed the pool area, which included a dated pool and cabana.

“This was a major renovation that changed the feeling of the entire property,” says McHale’s Sandra Moffatt, who managed the project with colleague Mike Miller. Their team replaced the run-of-the-mill pool with a modern, vanishing-edge version and pulled down most of the cabana to make way for a pool house complete with a room for lounging (pictured), a kitchen and guest bedroom. A NanaWall folds back to allow flow from the main room to the pool, and quartzite stone paves interior and exterior floors, blurring the lines between indoors and out. A mahogany beam accents the NanaWall; above it, clerestory windows admit even more light.

“Open, aluminum fencing ensures that river views remain unimpaired,” Moffatt says. “But we added mahogany caps for softness.”

Landscape Design & Contracting: Mike Miller, Sandra Moffatt, McHale Landscape Design, Upper Marlboro, Maryland. Photography: Matthew Dandy.