...And it's not over! An abode such a that of Rana and Richard Florida would not be sans an outdoor oasis, and so in Part II (see Part I) of our peruse we bring you the pool, the pool house and the herringbone terra cotta...(that's what I wanted for my yard, but didn't get, *sigh*.)
View toward back of house.
HGTV: I really see the traditional roots of the house in the exterior, and yet the update is not too ornamental, how would you describe the look?
Rana Florida: The cedar roof and copper treatments on the
exterior makes it very
reminiscent of a Cape Cod style house.
HGTV: Tell me about the backyard transformation -- was there already a pool?
RF: Putting in a pool was our contribution. Growing up our family had a swimming pool. My
five siblings and I had a blast spending our summer days in it...and so
did all of our friends and family. My mother was so fed up with the
constant stream of visitors that she forced my father to get rid of it.
Since that trauma I have always longed for a pool.
The
yard looked so tiny, I thought there is no way we can get a pool back
here. We hired landscape architect Mark Hartley
and his team to design a backyard which would optimize indoor/outdoor
living and take full advantage of the ravine-side setting -- I couldn't believe what they were able to do! They transformed the whole space and
gave us a sleek, long pool which cantilevers
off the edge of the ravine. I love waking up in the morning and
jumping right in. We spend most of our free time lounging poolside.
The pool; the view!
HGTV: Pros and cons of a pool?
RF: Mostly
pros. We love the backyard bbqs and enjoy reading or just hanging out
with a glass of Prosecco by the pool. There’s a hot tub as well. Cons: season is too short!
HGTV: The view...I can't...
RF: I know! Where
else in North America can you have a house with a yard and a pool on the
ravine IN THE CITY?! It really is an oasis back here. The family room has French doors that open out onto the terrace; we have a private deck off the
master suite which is great for pajama coffee parties; Richard’s guitar
room (which could be another bedroom) has a charming Juliet
balcony looking out onto a massive oak tree; the third floor bedrooms look
out over the ravine and have skyline views of the city.
The pool house; roll-up garage door.
HGTV: You have a pool house. What does one actually do in a pool house?
RF: It was a garage, and all we
did was put in closets and some outdoor furniture and tada, it’s now
the pool house. A client of ours in Australia sent us a surfboard and we left
the garage door on, so it looks very Venice Beachy. We also installed an outdoor TV complete with a Wii so when the nieces and nephews visit, they pretty much live here. Also, Richard
hired a great team to add an integrated audio/video system inside and
out. I still can’t figure out how to operate it but it’s so wonderful to
have music throughout.
Pool house interior; more great chairs!
HGTV: For what you thought was a small yard, you've managed to fit in everything.
RF: It's like
having a whole other wing to the house. Our amazing design team created
several different rooms for eating, entertaining, lounging and cooking.
We don’t drive a lot and share one car so we gave up our garage to turn
it into a pool house. What used to be our driveway is now the outdoor dining area, and the
patio [off the family room] is used for entertaining and lounging.
Al fresco dining table; herringbone terra cotta.
HGTV: LOVE the herringbone terra cotta – whose decision was that?
RF: That
was Sasha and Milosh’s (Studio Pyramid) beautiful design.
Al fresco dining area; pool house.
HGTV: Tell me, how does your home make you feel?
RF: Lucky! [Good answer.]
I can’t believe we are fortunate enough to live in it. I often don’t
want to go on vacation because we travel so much for work and our home
is such a fabulous retreat.
HGTV: Anything you would change?
RF: I
might opt for a more modern kitchen, bathrooms and staircase. I would
also knock down the kitchen wall for more of an open feel. I love
to cook and would love to have a view of the pool and ravine from the
kitchen. I
would also love a built in wine cellar... We are constantly changing and rearranging -- more art and more chairs!
See? One can have everything... More thoughts?
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