WOW!!!! It's Beautiful!!!! I am so jealous :)

Ditto, looks so inviting. Who makes your patio furniture...it looks like mine. Ours is made by Three Coins, basketweave, in lead patina.

My furniture is a basketweave pattern. i don't know who makes it. I get all of my cast aluminum furniture from a fruniture store nearby who also sells lots of outdoor stuff. This is the best outdoor furniture I have ever had and its going to last for a long time. The umbrella's and cushions came from frontgate. They are all in a sunbrella fabric. We have plans on adding an outdoor kitchen and fireplace under the patio later.

Really good looking - nice job!

Everything looks lovely. What a great backyard escape!

Could you tell me more about your cast aluminum furniture? Everything rusts here by the beach in Florida and I've been searching for more aluminum items. Brand? Name of your local store? Thanks!

Enjoy your piece of paradise...

last mango,
My furniture was purchased at Brians Furniture in Port Allen, LA, right across the Mississippi River Brigde from Baton Rouge. I am including a link. Maybe you can buy it online. He has the largest inventory that I have ever seen of this cast aluminum. I love to go there. He even has the reproduction sugar kettles. I have one in my front yard with a bronze statue in it. In the south here, we treasure those old sugar kettles. The originals are just about impossible to find now though.
{{!gwi}}
{{!gwi}}

Here is a link that might be useful: Brian's Furniture

Last Mango, there are several cast aluminum manufacturers. One thing to look for is pieces that are all one piece, not the type where the back bolts to the seat. Several years ago, my inlaws convinced us to purchase "cast aluminum", they have had their set for 40 years. The price far exceeded what we wanted to spend, but I think it will be worth it. Occasionally they have repainted their set, and it still looks fabulous. Wrought iron eventually rusts, quicker in some areas than others. Our set was purchased at an outdoor yard shop in Charlotte, NC. The store has since closed and we moved to Florida. Last summer we added an outdoor kitchen and I wanted the matching bar stools. I was able to contact Three Coins, who made our set, and ordered the stools from them. We are in Pinellas County, 4 miles, the way the crow flies, from the gulf and I am just noticing pitting on my aluminum. I need to be more religious about hosing it down every month, the beach elements are brutal on the best furniture.

gk5040,
your outdoor area is very inviting also. I like the way you did your kitchen. I am still looking for ideas and playing around with designs for ours. Your furniture is exacxtly like mine. I think that my chaise lounges do bolt together though where the back moves. That was problably unavoidaable though being that it has to move up and down. I have had some of these pieces for over ten years now. I have repainted some of it once. What are the orange colored things under your umbrella base?

teppy, what beautiful photos and pool. If you don't mind me asking, what size is your pool? I love how you incorporated the brick into the design. If we ever get our little one built, we want to do the same.

I love your sugar kettle. Is yours iron or fiberglass? What size is yours? Did you do create the fountain yourself or did Brian's Furniture do it all for you?

Our builder is a big A. Hays Town fan. We have lots of brick and natural materials used in our home's design and a sugar kettle might be the answer for our water feature.

Sorry for all of the questions, but look forward to your reply. Thanks so much.

wodka,
are you in baton rouge? I love A.Hays Town designs. He is legendary around here. My sister is a builder in Prairieville and loves his work also. My pool is 14x34. I wish I had gone atleast 15 or 16x40. I just didn't think that I had the space available to get the look I wanted with my decking and existing hardscapes/landscapes. I do like my brick coping and expansion joints. It blends very well with my brick courtyard and fountain taht I already had back there. My sugar kettle is a cast iron reproduction. It is a 5' kettle in old style. Brians has the 5' in two styles, the new version and the old style, which to me looks more authentic with the irregular edges. Although the new version is actually 5' and a bit larger. I did get the bronze fountain from Brians also. Good luck on your designs. I know that your home will be beautiful if its got that A. Hays Town look to it.

teppy, no, we're in Pass Christian, MS. We blew away in Katrina, so found a new lot, away from the water, and our builder, (the A. Hays Town fan) finished our home in November. We were hoping to put in a very small pool/water feature to the left of our outdoor fireplace/grill area, which I'm posting a pic of here. We were able to build out further on the side, as shown here. Our backyard faces the golf course, and is long and narrow, so we don't have room for a regular-sized pool, and were thinking of something small, like a reflecting pool/dipping pool? I'm thinking more and more now of a fountain design with a sugar kettle, like yours. Thanks again for the great information. {{gwi:138304}}

Your home is just gorgeous from what I can see. the fireplace is magnificent. A sugar kettle would be great there. Katrina was a B wasn't she? We have a timeshare at Hotel de 'leau Vive in the french quarter. You would not believe the size of the pool there. As you probalby know, space is very limited there. They built the smallest pool I have ever seen. I don't even know how they got an excavator in there. The courtyard is completely surrounded by the 5 story building. They must have airlifted it in. The pool is beautiful though and it makes the environment feel so tranquil.

It was great to read all of your replies. Thanks for the cast aluminum specifics, teppy & GK. I've had cast iron, wrought iron, steel frame, powder coated steel that all rust completely away in a matter of months here. Crazy. I really like the look of both of your furniture sets - I'll check into the links and names - thanks again.

Teppy - your fountain is lovely! I'm in the process of creating a fountain out of a fish statue and a cement bowl (big and heavy) and a solar system.

GK - your outside space is so inviting, too - great job.

Wodka, I've long admired your place and followed your trials and tribulations on the Home Decorating forum - your place sure looks fantastic now! Good luck finding the right water feature for your space. I used to live in Gautier, MS, so I've followed that area with interest. I think a pool that you can actually get in would be the best anywhere in the south - I love and use mine SO much.

teppy, thank you, again! Yes, that pool would work perfectly in our little back yard. It is amazing how they got it in - without tearing down a wall or something?! Amazing.

I've already warned my husband to prepare for a road trip to Brian's!

last mango, thank you. I would love to see pictures your fountain when you are finished - I bet it will be gorgeous. Please be sure and post them.

I think we'll just keep looking and talking to the different pool builders until we get it right. It's nice to know we have a "back up" plan with the sugar kettle idea, thanks to teppy!

If we hadn't been so ready to get back into a house, we probably should have thought about a water feature before we finished building and landscaping....oh, well.

(My sister-in-law is from Gautier!)

Last Mango, aluminum is the only way to go, it wont rust. But still requires hosing it down, as I am finding out. I could probably sand and repaint...I am not ready yet. My finish is an iron patina, and I know I wont be able to duplicate it. Its almost a satin black but they hand rubbed a white finish in the crevises to give it an aged look. I bought a bottle of the aged finish but I doubt I can get the same factory look, so I will wait a while longer. My guess is 5 years from now my furniture will be just satin black:(

Teppy, the orange things under the umbrella base are clay pot feet. I need to spray them black. The previous homeowners left the base on the deck when they moved....because when you lifted it up it had left rust stains on the cool deck. When we remodeled I lifted it up with these feet and it no longer leaves rust marks. Heaven forbid I end up with orange rust stains on my new travertine:0 I wasnt sure my make shift idea would work, so now I really need to spray them black so its not noticable. The base is very pretty, looks like it goes with my furniture, and the price was right:)

I almost ordered the chaise and then decided against them. I am sure the chaise would have had a bolted piece because of the back being adjustable. Hopefully for the prices they charge, they use aluminum bolts and nuts! I am real limited on space and thought one chaise would look odd, ching ching, I would need two, and then a table in between. It really came down to...I didnt have the room for 2 and a small table. I find the sun is SO hot here, I couldnt imagine sun bathing, so I have no chaises. If I change my mind, the nice thing is one day I can always add them. The basket weave style will always be made by someone.

We love the outdoor kitchen. I would never have dreamed of making it this way, the kitchen design guy thought of it, we didnt have one, prior to our renovation. Here is the before.

{{!gwi}}

Again, I wish we had more room, its a little tight by the pool. Here is the behind the scenes. One thing we added that I love is the stove. My husband likes to cook crabs, shrimp and lobsters. Its so nice to boil them outside and have no indoor smells. Just wish we had more counter space by the grill to put a plate there.

Hi! Teppy and GK5040- I need to pick out a color for the pool deck coating. I am just getting a pool re-model and I am getting the pool deck re-coated (along with the Diamond Brite and also new coping and tile). I've already chosen everything else. I love the lighter colors you two have on your deck. Is it a specific type "cool deck" coating? If so, what color? I have to tell my pool builder asap. He said I can use any brand. I'm having a hard time finding something as light as I want it but what you two have is beautiful. Thanks!

Teppy,

I like the look of your brick coping and have a bunch of brick in my hardscape plans...

Have you used the pool enough to get a sense of how the hard edge of that brick works when swimming and holding on and while sitting @ the edge..

I am curious as my plan now calls for 2 1/4" thick tumbled travertine for a seamless look with my French pattern travertine deck...Cost for labor & material for coping alone
is pushing $7k...I already own enough brick but worry about those sharp edges cutting up my 9 year old or the brick being to hot for sitting on in wet suits.

And advice?

chulaman,
I have not even been in my pool yet. Other people have and I have not heard anyone complain about the brick coping. I know that in this area, there are alot of pools with old brick being used for pool coping. I love the look myself. I did notice when picking out my palate of bricks, there were some that were really rough-almost like a sand finish. My brick are smooth. I do sit on the edge of the pool alot when doing my water testing and I find the brick feel alot more comfortable to sit on than the cool deck. I hate that stuff and really regret getting in now. It is very rough. Wow, $7K for the travertine. Travertine does have a great look though. If you go with the brick coping, what will you use for the deck? I really wish I had just done a scored and stained cement with my brick coping and expansion joints. I've seen that together and it really looks good. Keep me posted on what you decide to go with. And definitely post photos. Even though my pool is done, I still love seeing other peoples pools.

Your House and Pool are just breathtaking! Congratulations on everything!

Would you mind sharing the "recipe" for the DB pool color? I am leaning towards Tahoe Blue but was informed last night by DH and DD's that they want a deeper blue but not midnight? Your's is gorgous and I think the color we can all agree on.... TIA!!!

susannap2,
My recipe was actually given to me by another forum member here. It is 12 french gray and 3 verde. I do like it alot.

Here is a link that might be useful: teppy's pool

Well what do you know, after I posted this I found the recipe and saved it only to decide last night with DH that we are going with the plaster only so that we can make some other changes in our stonescaping..... AUGH!!! Every day we change our minds about something! Plaster guy is coming today with samples so I need to make a decision before next week. Now to research plaster colors....

Sure do wish we could replicate your poolscape, it is sooo beautiful! Thanks Teppy!

susannap2,
I found your post with your pool. thats a very interesting shape. its a roman at one end with the other end curved. I am anxious to see more pictures of it. You have not posted in a while. Please post some more! I think that the plaster will give you the look you want. I would go with a darker one.

Thanks Teppy, we had to alter the shape as we have a 16' easement at our back fence and our original design encroached. That's where our buddy helping us came up with the grotto idea. The entire pool coping, waterline, and decking will be Oklahoma and I plan on using mostly Texas native landscaping for a natural look.

We cannot wait to see the final product!

I did take a few pics yesterday but they are boring, the guys have just begun setting the Oklahoma on our covered patio and some of the rock at the waterline. When I have "true" progress I will post for you all.

I did lean towards the Midnight Blue at one point but worry about the water color and temp as we are (like you) very hot in the summertime... Pool will be full sun all day. Your thoughts?

I really don't have enough experience with my own pool so far to have any thoughts to share with you on how hot it will get. But, I'm sure it will be very warm. I know that my mother in laws pool gets so warm that its almost miserable to be in it at the peak of summer. I've even heard of some people buying blocks of ice to throw in. I actually got in mine yesterday for the first time. It was 92 degrees here. I still can't believe that I have a pool in my backyard!

Your pool is STUNNING! I love the red and green tones! It's so unique. The landscaping is gorgeous as well! :)

teppy, I remembered that you are the one with the beautiful pool and landscaping! Your furniture is very old world and classy. That is our next project, landscaping.

yesapool, thanks for the compliment. I am still working on my landscaping. It is always a work in progress for me. It seems like every spring I find myself back out either replacing things that might have grown too large, or just adding more. This time of year though its all I can do just to maintain what I have. Its soooo hot here in Louisiana. Good luck with your landscaping, and please post some photos.

TEPPY, Can you tell me the color/maker of your water line tile? The blue is beautiful....Did you decide not to go with the green that I read in an earlier post?
Love the tiles regardless the color, they look great on your wall and go so nicely with the red.

Thanks,
Janet

janet-
i don't remember the name/color, but i will find out and report back. they are green though, not blue. although i guess they could be a blue/green. i will get back to you as soon as i can.

alright, they are from Master Tile. the series name is 'sole slate'. the color is green. in case your interested, the red decos are from the 'stardust' series and the color is 'rosso'.

Here is a link that might be useful: master tile

Thank you TEPPY! I was looking at Master Tile the other day here in Houston and loved the Sol Sla Blue.......guess I may have my mind made up now. Your tiles look blue on my computer.....still gorgeous witht the red. Love what you did on the wall. We will have a triple raised wall too.
Thanks so much--enjoy your pool! Ours is getting steel today and plumbing!

i know your getting more and more excited as each stage in the building progresses. i remember....please be sure to post photos or email me at my email when its done. i still love looking at other peoples pools. i am putting together plans for an outdoor living/cooking area out by my pool. we want so much, and it can go on and on. i'm sure you know. take care and have fun.

i know your getting more and more excited as each stage in the building progresses. i remember....please be sure to post photos or email me at my email when its done. i still love looking at other peoples pools. i am putting together plans for an outdoor living/cooking area out by my pool. we want so much, and it can go on and on. i'm sure you know. take care and have fun.

I am going to start a thread about our build. I just need to figure out how to add pictures.....having trouble.
I want them to display in the post......like yours...not be in a link. Any advice???
Where are you located?