Zoning laws made it necessary for the owners of this Canandaigua, N.Y., lake-front home to amend their plans for a proposed outdoor swimming pool and make it an indoor pool.
To fit the pool on the site, local remodeler Cutri Construction had to locate it in the rear yard, and then connect it to the house by means of this tropical walkway, which the owner calls her “palm tree court.”
The lakeside view of the home shows off the custom stone Cutri Construction used to replace the cedar siding.
Photo Credit: Don Cochran
The client, who originally had the home built as a retirement spot for her and her husband, who died before it was complete, designed the 88-foot-by-12-foot mosaic walkway.
The pool and walkway were part of an 18-month long whole-house remodel by Cutri Construction that includes new floor and wall finishes throughout the home, a new bathroom and kitchen, a new staircase and rails, a new lighting system, and on the outside, a change from vertical cedar siding to custom stonework.
In fact, “the pool was an afterthought,” says remodeling company owner Danny Naples. About two-thirds of the remodeling project was done before the homeowner decided she wanted a pool.
The homeowner also specified a pool with an infinity edge, which is usually reserved for outdoor areas with significant elevation changes. Cutri was able to make it work. Surrounding the pool with windows adds to the illusion that the indoor pool is part of the outdoors and connected to a nearby pond.
INTEGRATED DESIGN“The challenge,” Naples says, “was making the walkway feel like it's part of the house — that you're not walking through an annex to get to the pool.” The remodeling team accomplished this through the interior design, which features skylights, stone columns, palm trees, chandeliers, live birds in cages, and a fish tank.
While Canandaigua, located in the Finger Lakes region of western New York state, is not known for its tropical climate, the design fits with the home's aesthetic of columns, arches, and custom stonework.
The pool, with a hibiscus mosaic, has an infinity edge and an integral hot tub. The walls are adorned with custom tile work and inlaid with gemstones. The chandeliers, which change color, can only be found in one other place: Las Vegas.
Photo Credit: Don Cochran
The walkway's limestone floor is flanked by concrete recessed cavities filled with soil for the palm trees. Skylights and 11 chandeliers light the way.
Photo Credit: Don Cochran