We’ve channeled our inner weekender and compiled a list of the top 10 most gorgeous and luxurious pools. These outdoor spaces are all unique and a must-see!
This Alys Beach pool is featured in 30A Living by Lynn Nesmith. The exquisite design by architectural designer Jeffrey Dungan and Tracery Interiors, stole our hearts and took the number one spot in our top 10.
Lynn Nesmith has written several coffee table–worthy compilations, including Seaside Style and 30A Style, the latter of which she produced with photographer Jean Allsopp. The book received such accolades that the duo decided it was worth another installment, so they set to work capturing the charms of the area once again in a new volume dubbed 30A Living. Published by Design 360 and released in May 2017, this version takes readers on a tour of interesting dwellings from each of 30A’s beach towns while also including some unique views and inspiring vistas from varying vantage points along the coast.
Another show-stopping pool featured in 30A Living. This Florida beauty is definitely a space we could sit back and relax in.
Text | Andrea Fanning
Architect Jorge L. Hernandez applies classical style, historical influence, and modern sensibility to design a home for the ages in this french-inspired village of coral gables.The backyard is a private oasis, complete with lounge chairs by Sutherland and outdoor lighting by Bevolo.
This French village is one of the historic districts of Coral Gables, and though most of the homes bear the marks of Merrick and Schmidt, one was built in the new millennium, an original by world-renown architect Jorge L. Hernandez. This professor and practitioner of architecture has built his career on creating designs that reflect the best of the past and present and that help shape communities for the future. So when ownership of the only remaining unbuilt lot in Merrick’s French village landed in the hands of a businessman who was ready to break ground, Hernandez was at the top of the list to design the structure.
Text | Robert C. Martin
Mountain Brook, Alabama, is acclaimed as much for its beautiful homes and pristine yards as for the congenial neighbors and village-clustered shops that comprise it. Within this amicable setting, architect Chris Reebals found a vacant house that sat on the crest of a hill and saw an opportunity for his firm, Christopher Architecture and Interiors, to take on the roles of both client and makeover artists. Known as the Christopher Showhouse, it was assembled to acquaint and inspire the community with the latest looks and most up-to-date amenities while also promoting a more urgent endeavor.
During the preliminary stages of planning the showhouse, Reebals was introduced to Kayla Perry, who was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 18. Because her condition typically afflicts children and not young adults, she was completely caught off guard. But rather than give up hope, in 2014 Kayla founded an organization called Open Hands Overflowing Hearts (OHOH) to raise money for pediatric cancer research. “Since I have a family member who’s also battling leukemia, Kayla’s story struck close to home for me,” Reebals explains. “It just made sense to use the showhouse as a means of partnering with OHOH.” He decided that proceeds from ticket sales would help fund the quest for a cure, which in turn provided a new kind of motivation for him and his firm to make this their best project yet.
Leaded-glass windows obscure views both in and out for privacy. Complete with plunge pool, limestone-faced outdoor fireplace, and tall landscape walls, the showhome’s courtyard is a coveted retreat unto itself.
Text & Styling | Charlotte Safavi
A summer house on Galveston Bay offers a nod to the city’s renaissance as a holiday resort. Loungers provide a spot to sunbathe poolside with a view of Galveston Bay. Outdoor furniture from Teak Warehouse offers sitting and dining areas on the covered porch just off the great room.
Text | Frances Macdougall
If you ask a design expert for advice on the most worthy investment related to furnishing your house, the answer is often something like this: “Buy the best you can afford.” The response from Dallas designer Cathy Kincaid is similar, but her reason has nothing to do with investment value or resale projections. For her, it’s all about quality and timelessness. Her affinity for reusing and repurposing is evident throughout her portfolio, as well as in her home in the Preston Hollow area.
Kincaid is a master at stylish outdoor spaces, defying the arid Dallas heat by using cool colors and furnishings that nod to turquoise water and sky.
To accomplish this, she reused the best of what was available—and reupholstering or painting if necessary—Kincaid brought new life to dated pieces. She also encouraged the homeowner to invest in pieces that serve current needs. “We call it a fruit basket turnover,” she says—it’s about preserving the best of the past while investing in the future.
