Old World Style for a Tudor Revival House(9)
Old World Style for a Tudor Revival House
Outdoor improvements behind the house are every bit as impressive and personal as those made inside. When Norm spotted an old stone lion's head salvaged from a building in New York, he re-imagined it taking center stage as a fountain for his new swimming pool. He had it inset in the middle of a new high stone wall made of antique French pavers at one end of the pool. "I wanted a European stone wall fountain effect that disappeared into the water."
New steps on either side of the wall lead down to the pool from the verdant tree-shaded lawn above. This results in a formal symmetry that completely transforms the outdoor environment.
"I created the double staircase for a little more drama," says Norm modestly. But there was nothing easy about it. "In the end, it took three 25-foot steel caissons to support the wall and pool structure. Antique Belgian pool tiles were the frosting." Comfy cushioned chairs pull up to a two-tiered table at the opposite end of the pool. The final look is classic, timeless.
Sources:
Two-tiered table: Ironies, 510/644-2100, ironies.com.
Chairs: owner's collection.
Fabric: Perennials Outdoor Fabrics, perennialsfabrics.com.
Stone work (Bluestone Pavers): Bourget Brothers, 310/450-6556.
Stone steps: French Architectural Antiques, Lebert Antiques, 310/986-1110, lebertusa.com.
