It’s been a hot minute since I wrote about the a-frame here, but this week I’ve got the final 4 spaces to reveal! (It has been SO fun to see the a-frame start to pop up in a few features… like on Arch Digest’s ‘Clever’ a week or two ago!)
One of the agreements that was made when we bought the a-frame was that the house needed a pool. For one thing, the desert is over 100 degrees on most summer days, and for another thing, water is just such a calming presence for a getaway spot!
I had a ton of different ‘pool guys’ come out to the house to talk about options… possible locations in the yard… sizes… permits… all of it! Turns out, putting in a pool has quite a learning curve, and I jumped in, uh, the deep end.
In the end, we picked the spot in the yard that had once been ‘the fire pit’… It has the most direct view of the mountains, and, receives the sunlight for the longest amount of time each day.
In my ‘pool learning curve’, I learned that pools are typically about 5’5″ deep. However, Robert is over 6 feet tall, and made the special request that the pool be deep enough that he could have a Graduate experience with the pool, so, it is 7′ royal feet deep. NBD.
The edge of the pool uses amazing Fireclay Tile. Funny story here. The learning curve I mentioned had a lot to do with the hurry up and wait elements of the pool. By the time we chose a contractor + finished the design, then it was about the permits, and then it was about waiting for the contractor to have space in his calendar to do our pool.. basically, the first steps moved so slowly, and since it was our first rodeo, we didn’t realize that we would one day receive a call, “Permit was approved… digging the hole tomorrow… we’ll need the tile for the edge of the pool by next Friday or we won’t be able to finish your pool for 5 months.” Ummm, nbd. We’re just in the Democratic Republic of Congo right now and aren’t in California or anywhere we could possibly handle this. Enter: Fireclay’s fabulous Kali, and my BFF/business partner, Anne. I was literally in a group text with the dream team saying, “I trust you!” and then losing service for days, wondering what the pool would look like when we came back out of the bush. Turns out, it is STUNNING. We couldn’t be more in love with the design, or more grateful to Fireclay for being able to show up with such stunning results in such a short amount of time! Also, Anne. What a hero. Obsessed.
In February, just as we were finishing the pool, Palm Springs was hit with record rainfall, and so was our poor yard.
We arrived to the house to see that a mudslide had come from the mountain, crossed the road, and slid into our property. The pool water had risen past the top of the pool and the water was… pure mud. It was another chapter in the chronicles of homeownership and pool learning curves, let me tell you! We were so hoping to be done with the whole house for a March reveal… but, here we are, July 1st, and we are finally … dare I say … done!
The dreamy yellow of the living room carried out to the pool furniture thanks to the glory of Room & Board. Once I have a bit of disposable time/income (ha) I plan to add plants around the pool, but for now, these pieces are all we need for a poolside summer!
Concrete Collaborative’s luscious terrazzo tiles are the perfect coping around the pool. (Pool vocab alert! Coping! It isn’t just what I do while Trump is president … it’s the name of the edge of the pool! Who knew?!)
Another funny* story (*funny is relative here) about the pool process… I designed the deck + chose a contractor and also very specifically selected a shade of concrete to be poured around the pool. Then, the contractor texts me a photo of the deck once it has been completely poured and proudly announces, “It’s done!”
I reply, “Looks great — but definitely doesn’t look like the color concrete I chose.”
Seconds later, my phone rings, and the man is just saying, “F+CK!” over and over again.
Yeah. Definitely not the kind of bad day I’d ever wish on anyone. But, y’know? We’re making do with a concrete stain, for now.
The final Room & Board setup of the pool area is this divine little breakfast nook. I adore having conference calls as I sit here and sip my morning coffee. I can’t lie to you… I haven’t stopped pinching myself every time I wake up at this home! It really is a special spot. I hope you’ll get to experience it yourself someday 🙂
Pool Area Designed with Anne Sage. Photos by Jayden Lee.
Pool Tile: 6×6 tiles in Tusk from Fireclay + 2×6 in Skipping Stone from Fireclay
Pool Coping: 48×12 ivory terrazzo pavers from Concrete Collaborative
Pool Chaises: Montego Outdoor Chaise with Cushion from Room & Board
Yellow Pillow: Tribe Alive
Pool Side Tables: Sora Stools from Room & Board
Umbrella: Parasol Italian 6’ Drape Umbrella from Wayfair
Patio Table + Chairs: Pratt Outdoor Table and the Cruz Chairs with Cushions from Room & Board
