Yard of the Week: Compact Space With a Plunge Pool
A clever composition and a smart pool cover make the most of a tight backyard in Texas
Squeezing a pool, deck, and dining and play areas between this house and garage was no easy feat. “This was a super tight space — it’s actually even smaller than it appears in the photos,” Kelly Daacon of Texas Tiny Pools says. His firm sited and installed the pool and its very clever pool cover. Then the homeowners hired landscape architect Kevin Lenhart to design a multifunctional and cohesive landscape. Zach Brashear of Cutters Landscaping managed the installation of the concrete, deck, pavers and turf.
The pool measures 9 by 12 feet and is 4½ feet deep. The decorative tile above the waterline is Quarter Circle tile from Clay Imports. This pool also has a heater for the chilly seasons. “We provided tree protection during construction to make sure the existing tree survived,” Daacon says. Lenhart notes that the tree’s placement on the north side of the yard created a pleasing balance of sunny and shady spots.
The pool coping is charcoal Lueders stone. This is a regional limestone quarried in Lueders, Texas, that’s denser than other types of limestone. “It is harder and doesn’t chip like other limestones might,” Brashear says.
The pool coping is charcoal Lueders stone. This is a regional limestone quarried in Lueders, Texas, that’s denser than other types of limestone. “It is harder and doesn’t chip like other limestones might,” Brashear says.
One of the smartest features of this project is the pool cover. The deck in the foreground and part of the deck on the opposite side of the pool serve as the cover. “These types of covers are more popular in Europe,” Daacon says. “They make a lot of sense for clients who don’t have a lot of yard space to spare. They can cover the pool and gain that space back.”
The pool cover decks slide on wheels along a track system to meet over the middle of the pool. “This system is similar to what you’d use on a driveway gate that’s on a track,” Daacon says. The decks have a latch that holds them in place, and they can be padlocked for safety when the pool is covered.
All pool safety requirement codes were met, Daacon says, including fencing, gates and the appropriate locks and alarms on all windows and doors that access the pool.
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The pool cover decks slide on wheels along a track system to meet over the middle of the pool. “This system is similar to what you’d use on a driveway gate that’s on a track,” Daacon says. The decks have a latch that holds them in place, and they can be padlocked for safety when the pool is covered.
All pool safety requirement codes were met, Daacon says, including fencing, gates and the appropriate locks and alarms on all windows and doors that access the pool.
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Here’s what the deck looks like when both pieces have been moved to cover the pool. Brashear notes that one person can slide the pieces by themselves without any trouble. “This pool cover idea is ingenious. It makes the yard adaptable,” Lenhart says.
The decks are composed of a composite material called AZEK by TimberTech, and the color is Slate Gray. Lenhart designed an additional deck from the same material that meets one side of the pool cover when it’s open. He had it cut around the tree so as not to disturb the root system.
The decks are composed of a composite material called AZEK by TimberTech, and the color is Slate Gray. Lenhart designed an additional deck from the same material that meets one side of the pool cover when it’s open. He had it cut around the tree so as not to disturb the root system.
Here’s a look at the covered pool from a different angle. To have grass that would stay green underneath the pool cover decks, Lenhart specified artificial turf for those expanses and in between the pavers.
In a compact yard, every inch counts. One clever idea that saved space was mounting the umbrella to the sliding deck. “This is such a small detail with a big impact,” Lenhart says. “Had the umbrella been installed on the ground with a footing, it would have taken up more ground space and chopped up the yard.”
The stairs on the left lead to an ADU above the homeowners’ garage. Circulation area around the pool was tight. Lenhart composed the yard in a way that left ample space to enter both the house and the ADU stairs.
“Any change in elevation, even the one step up to the decking here, can chop up a yard,” he says. “So I wanted to approach the design of the rest of the landscape in a way that stitched it all together and made it cohesive.” He accomplished this by using a consistent and limited material palette.
The composition of the large pavers around two sides is a modern grid that suits the clients’ streamlined tastes and the home’s architecture. The pavers are also similar in color to the concrete that runs along the side of the house. Using turf in between the pavers and on the larger expanses tied different areas together and added softness. Lenhart also notes that subtle repetition, such as the way the colors in the Acapulco chairs and pool tiles match, is a great way to create cohesiveness.
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“Any change in elevation, even the one step up to the decking here, can chop up a yard,” he says. “So I wanted to approach the design of the rest of the landscape in a way that stitched it all together and made it cohesive.” He accomplished this by using a consistent and limited material palette.
The composition of the large pavers around two sides is a modern grid that suits the clients’ streamlined tastes and the home’s architecture. The pavers are also similar in color to the concrete that runs along the side of the house. Using turf in between the pavers and on the larger expanses tied different areas together and added softness. Lenhart also notes that subtle repetition, such as the way the colors in the Acapulco chairs and pool tiles match, is a great way to create cohesiveness.
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The rectangular Lueders stone pavers are 2 by 4 feet and weigh about 225 pounds each. “These are cut out of blocks of limestone at a quarry,” Brashear says.
He and his installation team used sand setting to place the pavers firmly in the yard. “We used a road base, which is compacted crushed gravel and granite. Then we layered sand on top of it and set the pavers in the sand,” Brashear says.
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He and his installation team used sand setting to place the pavers firmly in the yard. “We used a road base, which is compacted crushed gravel and granite. Then we layered sand on top of it and set the pavers in the sand,” Brashear says.
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The composition of the pavers creates a pleasing geometry in the yard. It also ties the house, the pool, the decks and the garage together.
“We wanted to use every bit of space we could without making it feel cluttered,” Lenhart says. He expanded the pavered patio space right up to the carport. “This area had the perfect dimensions for adding a dining table,” he says.
New to home remodeling? Learn the basics
New to home remodeling? Learn the basics
Daacon notes that about half the pools his firm has installed this year were plunge pools. He believes the popularity comes from the following benefits they offer over larger pools:
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- They fit nicely into compact urban yards.
- They don’t dominate a landscape.
- They require less water use due to size and have less loss via evaporation.
- They require much less energy to heat.
- They require less effort to clean.
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Yard at a Glance
Who lives here: A family of four
Location: Austin, Texas
Size: 1,200 square feet (111 square meters)
Landscape architect: Kevin Lenhart of Yardzen
Landscape installation: Zach Brashear of Cutters Landscaping
Pool installation: Kelly Daacon of Texas Tiny Pools
This overhead shot shows how tight the area between the house and garage is. It also shows the existing tree the team saved that provides nice shade during Austin’s hot summers. “These clients wanted a multifunctional, adaptable space where they could cool off, relax, sun, dine, lounge and entertain,” Lenhart says. “With the existing horizontal fencing, large tree on the north side of the yard and the plantings adding softness to the yard, this landscape had great bones.”
The project began when the clients hired Texas Tiny Pools. They determined where the pool should go — centered off the back of the home’s glass doors. They designed it and installed it, along with the clever pool cover. Lenhart gleaned a strong sense of the owners’ style from a style quiz, shared inspiration photos and the architecture of their home. “These clients liked a minimalist modern style,” he says.
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