Best in Show More Than $200,000
Gold
Allen Associates, Santa Barbara, Calif.
A cramped patio perched on a very steep slope was transformed into a beautiful outdoor living space with sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean. The project includes a two-level patio with an infinity spa, outdoor kitchen, built-in fire pit and a fountain. Construction required a matrix of hillside structural concrete in some of the worst expansive soil in the area. The retaining walls and patios are clad with local sandstone interlaced with tile accents. The colorful spa, which provides a luxurious place to watch a sunset over the Pacific Ocean, and fire pit tiles provide contrast to the surrounding stone. A Moroccan-style fountain is a focal point of the area. Hard work and attention to detail by all the trades brought this patio together.
Gold
Wills Co., Nashville, Tenn.
The clients wanted to update their backyard and pool area while adding a screened porch, frog pond and an area to entertain guests. The brick wall between the pool and house was painted white to act as a backdrop for the garden. The pool interior was refinished, and tile at the water’s edge was replaced. An invisible, electronically operated screen was built into the structure so the clients could put the screens down to keep the bugs out on warm and muggy summer evenings or have the screens disappear into the structure during cooler times of year.
Silver
Pool Environments, Plano, Texas
The new homeowners had no desire to “play it safe” during their outdoor living project. The design team utilized the simple, straight lines of the existing pool to lay out a multi-level space for outdoor living, a sun lounge, and cooking and dining area. The brick coping on the pool was replaced with a 2-inch-thick limestone. Tile was replaced with custom-designed and -cut, elongated random rectangle tiles in varying hues of subtle gray. A stacked ledgestone in a deep charcoal gray finishes the raised area with a punch of texture that is offset by the surrounding smooth surfaces.
Honorable Mention
Mantis Design + Build LLC, Minneapolis