We used to do home and garden shows, where we picked up new clients. This project was one of the best from that era: a rural site in Loomis with large natural rock outcroppings, oak woodland and slopes. The fireplace was featured in Outdoor Fire, a book of landscape ideas.
The concept
The site is natural, woodsy, on rolling hills. It’s studded with natural rock outcroppings. The poison oak was cleared and views through the trees are open.
We proposed to work with the slope, terracing the pool area and creating a stream to run from the spa to the pool. The pool deck nestled against a large boulder, leading to a large outdoor fireplace.
When complete, the new landscape would flow in sweeping curves and terraces from the house to a new area upslope.
Flagstone, river cobble and integral color concrete tie the new landscape to the boulders.
The dining patio went in next to the house, backed by a new retaining wall and a natural boulder. The pool area was for hanging out day and night.
Phase two was supposed to add a large covered structure – kind of a kiva shaped thing, partially inset into the ground. It would have an outdoor kitchen to avoid trips to the house.
A rocky start for the pool
Most contractors are happy to work together with designers. For many pool contractors, it’s rare. I wish it were different.
We originally drew the pool away from the rock outcropping. The pool contractor had another idea: cut the rock and build the pool into the rock. Impressive! Unique! Stunning!
And likely prone to failure, we said. I’d sculpted rock before, and you just never know where a rock will crack, split or chip until you hit it with a chisel.
The pool contractor originally said they’d saw cut the rock, then remove material below the cut line. Not much risk of cracking the rock, they said.
Instead of that softer approach, they did something apparently involving a giant jackhammer that shook the entire house. Worse, it chipped off a large segment of the rock.
The furious client fired them. A lot of yelling and a new pool contractor later, the pool went back to where we originally drew it.
Another phase
After the pool area, the owners added a counter with a gas grill, designed by a mason. It didn’t match the rest of the design, even though the same mason did all the project stonework. I don’t know if the structure was ever built.
Lessons
- Plans are just plans. No matter how much discussion, revisions or planning goes into them, a wily contractor can almost always talk someone into doing something else.
- Never mess with large native rocks unless you don’t mind breaking them. Moving boulders around is ok, if you have heavy equipment that’s up to the task.
- If you build in a forest, be prepared to get a leaf blower or hire someone to keep the decks cleared of leaves.
- Just because you start with an approved concept does not mean anyone will continue with that concept in later phases (in this case, curves, stone facing, flagstone…).
- Owners must watch the construction process, just to make sure things are going as planned. If they hadn’t been home during the rock adventure, they might not have stopped the work in time to save the rock.
- Consensus is a fragile thing, when there are multiple contractors, a husband and wife, kids and a designer. Expect decisions to be dynamic and fluid – that can be good, too. It can help find better solutions to problems and improve project quality.