Home & Design

A modern pool cabana boasts TV, audio and additional seating.

Travertine-look porcelain pavers and coping surround the pool.

A raised spa creates a focal point.

A second-story terrace offers seating space, a fireplace, a dining area, outdoor audio and TV.

Party Central

A welcoming terrace, pool, spa and cabana elevate a Virginia landscape

Hired to mastermind a backyard upgrade in Great Falls, Virginia, landscape architect Chad Talton of Surrounds, Inc., first demolished an existing pool and deck to make way for an elegant outdoor living area with a new swimming pool and plenty of space for entertaining.

The property is located in a protected area in the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay watersheds, so Talton worked closely with county officials to make sure his design would meet strict environmental requirements. “We had to be very cautious to stay within the limits of the original pool and avoid additional paving,” he notes.

The client requested a contemporary look to match the residence. First, Talton razed the existing deck and wood railing on the upper floor of the house and removed hardscape around the pool and spa. Then he created an expansive, second-story terrace with seating space, a fireplace, a dining area, outdoor audio and TV and an outdoor bar and grill. A new stairway leads down to the backyard and pool terrace.

Travertine-look porcelain pavers and coping surround the pool and raised spa; the chocolate-gray building stone was also employed on walls and other elements. A modern new pool cabana boasts TV, audio and additional seating. Candle sconces on the wall in back of the spa provide diffuse lighting in the evening. Summer-blooming plants such as white drift roses, ornamental grasses and striking trees including dogwoods, paperbark maples and crape myrtles soften the geometric plan.

Award: Grand for Outdoor Living Area/Design Build. Landscape Architecture: Chad Talton, PLA, Surrounds, Inc., Sterling, Virginia. Contractor: Surrounds, Inc. Outdoor Automation: Aion Corporation, Leesburg, Virginia.

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HOME&DESIGN, published bi-monthly by Homestyles Media Inc., is the premier magazine of architecture and fine interiors for the Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia region.

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