Ultimate Home Resort: Backyard with a Giant Pool, Hidden Cave, Firepits, Slide, Pool House & More

Ultimate Home Resort

Journey through one amazing outdoor retreat that has just about everything—from a giant pool with a hidden cave to blazing firepits, unique water features, and a spacious pool house.

By Debra Maurer

Some backyards have just about everything you’d ever want: exquisite landscaping, a beautiful pool and lounge area, kitchen, patio, fireplace, even a pool house. Chances are, if you’ve been to a house with a backyard like this, you don’t just leave feeling impressed—you leave and tell your friends, family, and neighbors about it!

We found one such project that has that ideal mix of “welcoming space” meets “wow factor,” meaning this backyard can suit any need—from swimming with the kids to relaxing in the shade to hosting a weekend bash. In fact, the pool house alone has almost every accommodation. (No, that’s not the main house pictured at left; that’s the pool house. Impressed yet?)

When you see some of the unique features in this project, such as a hidden cave with a “starry night” ceiling, you may wonder, “How’d they do that?” In this case, “they” happens to be the team at J. Brownlee Pool & Landscape in Memphis, Tenn., who designed and built the entire project. We interviewed company founder and president Jason Brownlee, a licensed Landscape Architect, to find out just how this project came to fruition. Whether you’re looking to make an ultimate resort out of your backyard, or are just intrigued by the possibilities, Brownlee explains how all of these elements were incorporated into this extensive design.

What did the homeowners have in mind when you began?

Jason Brownlee: This “total package” poolscape, owned by a great family with two small children, is a perfect example of taking a blank slate backyard and transforming it into something special. At the beginning, their yard consisted only of a sloping grass lawn. At our initial meeting, I listened to the homeowners’ ideas and the items they wanted, which included a big, natural-style pool, a pool house, and a waterfall with a grotto or cave below it. A waterslide, jump rock, and fireplace were also on their wish list, and they left it up to me to come up with any other features that they would enjoy. With these requests in mind, I was free to design this large-scale backyard retreat.

Were there any significant changes from the original design once the project began?

JB: We made numerous changes to the plans as the project got underway; however, revisions and challenges are to be expected for a project of this scale—and sometimes that’s a good thing. At each phase of the project, I met with the homeowners to go over what was planned, review layouts/renderings, and discuss available options. This worked well for them because they got a better understanding of how each feature related to the others as we continued through each phase. It can be overwhelming if a homeowner has to make every decision right at the beginning, when the entire backyard is just a concept or idea on paper; with this project, the homeowners could make some revisions as we went along.

We made the pool significantly bigger once the homeowners saw it mapped out on the ground, and we reconfigured the patio and outdoor living spaces to better fit their entertainment and lifestyle needs. We also added and repositioned a few features to allow more gathering space around them; for example, we made one of the firebowls accessible from the mid-level patio addition.

How did you incorporate the fire features, fog system, and lighting around the pool?

JB: The use of fire and fog makes the entire backyard an interactive showpiece after the sun goes down. We included three automated firepits around the back of the pool: The right firepit is accessible from the upper deck, the center one is surrounded by the stone boulder waterfall (combining fire and water elements), and the left firepit is encircled by the waterslide. Together they balance the design and make it a truly awesome sight at night.

We installed a high-pressure fog system that sprays from hidden misters located behind the stone veneer around the pool and waterfall feature edges. Easily activated in a matter of seconds, the system produces a rolling fog effect over the entire pool that cools the air on hot summer days, and adds a high level of visual intrigue and mystery to the design.

The landscape lighting system also transforms this poolscape into a visual work of art at night. These low-voltage lights are placed throughout the entire design.

How did you build the cave and multiple water features?

JB: The main waterfall and cave are designed to create an intrigue of “what’s underneath” or around the corner. I used part of the existing slope of the site, specifically a slight hill up from the house to the backyard, to create the primary back retaining wall of the pool. This wall also serves as the base for the cave entrance, which the stone-slab-and-boulder waterfall spills over.

We also created several water features that would be visible from the pool house level. Behind the waterfall is a bubbler basin with three jets that shoot up like fountains. I included a small kids’ play pool and three sheer-descent waterfalls that are adjacent to the covered patio of the pool house. This provides both visual and audible water effects for the homeowners and their guests to enjoy while in the pool house, and is a functional space where their two small children can play.

How were the “starry night” lights installed on the cave ceiling?

JB: The stone slab of the waterfall sits on a concrete structural support, which is the roof of the cave. The roof is veneered with natural stone-like tile that blends and matches the surrounding stone. We installed the fiber-optic “starry night” lighting underneath the tile veneer with the illuminated ends protruding through it at designated points to create the visual effect.

The cave also includes a skylight and has a dome roof at the back end.

The pool has a unique beach-style entryway. How was this incorporated into the design?

JB: This piece of property was ideal for a beach entry; it was spacious and had very little slope, both of which are necessary for the gradual transition from “beach” to water. I used this type of entry to span the distance from the pool to the existing house and covered patio level. We used flagstone to create the seamless progression from patio to pool and down into the water. The entry also makes a great place for the kids to play at various water depths.

I placed a boulder at the edge of the shallow beach entry to show where the water drops down to swim level. The boulder also helps direct your view to the waterfall just beyond it. We added other boulders around the edge of the pool to form a barrier and further emphasize the natural character of this design. This eliminated the typical “swimming pool” edge and gave it more of a lagoon feel.

The waterslide is a great feature as well. How was it constructed?

JB: Waterslides are a common request that I have included in many designs over the past few years. This one is a custom-designed fiberglass slide with a low profile and natural colors to blend with the look of the pool. The stone retaining wall was built up around it so it would fit in with the rest of the setting.

The homeowners have two small children and wanted the pool to be as much for play as it was for presentation. The slide is one of their favorite features and is a lot of fun for their children and the children’s friends. I was happy to be able to incorporate a fun feature without sacrificing the aesthetics of the design.

How is the pool house used and what amenities are included?

JB: The homeowners desired a pool house to serve both as an entertainment hub and a private place for guests to stay overnight. The pool house includes a large kitchen and bar, family room, full bath and shower, bedroom, upper loft featuring play and workout equipment, and a storage garage for pool and lawn equipment. The pool house has four full double access doors leading to the main entertainment spaces. It also incorporates a stone veneer front porch that spans the entire front facade. This large porch is a great gathering space where guests can enjoy the entire backyard.

Another primary function of the pool house is a substantial visual backdrop to the entire design. It screens the neighbor’s house directly behind the back property line, and draws all of the attention to the pool and backyard entertainment spaces.

What materials were used in this project and how were they selected?

JB: The materials used for the walls that surround the backyard are a natural Arkansas fieldstone material with a stacked stone style veneer. I used several boulders throughout the walls as transition points in and around the pool. The walls were capped with a natural flagstone material for a smooth finish.

For the decking, we had originally wanted to use the same flagstone patio material throughout, but realized it would be too much stone over such a big area. We decided on a textured seamless stamped concrete with a natural brown color stain for the primary patios, and highlighted those spaces with decorative flagstone patio bands. This extended the stone material though the design, and made for interesting shapes and character within the patio areas.

For the interior pool finish, we used a pebble-style aggregate. This high-end product creates the natural lagoon color of the pool and reflects the sunlight from the pebbles below, making the entire pool shimmer in the sunlight.

What was the timeframe on designing/building this project?

JB: This project took a little over a year to complete. We began the pool in February 2008, completed the pool and landscape portions that September, and wrapped up the pool house and additional landscape and project features in March 2009.

Anything else you’d like to share about this project?

JB: As a builder and designer, this project was a lot of fun! Anytime we have a client who is open to ideas, yet has a solid overall vision—and a budget that allows us to think big—the end result will be something really amazing. The homeowners were willing to push the envelope from what a “standard” pool would be, and we enjoyed the entire process.

Photos courtesy of J. Brownlee Pool & Landscape; Photography by Terry Sweeney

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