Put a second home in your backyard
Today’s pool houses are more about unwinding than storing the chlorine
These days, when you use the term pool house, you need to put the emphasis on the second word.
Once- modest structures designed to house pumps, chemicals and the other paraphernalia of backyard pools, pool houses have blossomed with full- on kitchens with granite countertops, living areas that sport fireplaces and sound systems, even guest bedrooms.
Interior and landscape designer Chantale Charette says she “totally gets” the ambitious outdoor living desires of her clients. She’s produced some gorgeous pool houses, in many cases for clients who don’t want to bother with the commuting and maintenance of cottage ownership.
“They want the pool house to be a place where they can feel as comfortable as possible with all the amenities,” she says. “It’s a place to really punch out even when they’re at home, where they can cook, put the television on, spend the rest of the evening there.”
She points to one such amenity-laden project. At roughly 1,100 square feet, the post-and-beam structure includes an outdoor kitchen with touches like coconut-shell panels in the upper-cabinet doors, a living room with stone fireplace, television and sound system, and a full bathroom with a carvedstone vessel sink and a spa area.
A glass- roofed walkway between the living area and the storage and mechanical room leads to a tennis court, while mature trees, along with the wood and natural stone cladding of the structure, give the entire setting an outdoor feel.
Charette acknowledges that such a large structure wouldn’t fit in most smaller backyards unless it were attached to the main house. But attaching it would be counterproductive because it would negate the sense of separation from everyday life that pool houses are meant to foster.
Landscape architect Gino J. Aiello says he likes to get the architect of the residence, or someone sympathetic to its architecture, involved in the design of pool houses.
“Sometimes we tie in the design completely with the main house, and sometimes we make it part of the landscape,” he says.
In one case, for example, he created a wood-and-stone-clad pool house to contrast with the stone-and-brick house. Both buildings use the same stone to create continuity along with the contrast, and the wood of the cabana affords it the linked-but-separate feel that Charette mentions.
You don’t have to hire a professional to have a pool house with more allure. You can get a shed-style kit at your local bigbox store.
Toronto-based Summerwood Products sells 17 styles of prefab cabanas ranging from 35 to almost 1,100 square feet. Prices for the products, which are basically shells to which you add details and features like plumbing or wiring, start as low as $2,195. The buildings are installed on concrete slabs, you can customize the design and the company ships across North America.
“They’re like a big outdoor dining room where you can sit out next to the pool and entertain all night instead of everyone going back to the house,” Summerwood’s John Hickey says. He says the cabanas are also in demand as everything from artist studios to granny suites.
Architect Pawel Fiett says there are several things to keep in mind if you’re considering a pool house. Among them: “The position is very important. It’s an opportunity to create an oasis, but (the seating) may be looking back at the house.”
Fiett says to also check with your municipality about building permits, zoning and setbacks before considering a pool house. You should also advise your insurance company about the new structure.