Restoration: Out with the Old Pool in with the New

Guest blogger, interior designer Carey Maloney, of M (Group), continues the saga of restoring, with his partner, architect Hermes Mallea, an 1870 Hudson River house.

Rural Intelligence Home and Garden
Our clients need a new pool. “Need? A pool?,” you ask. Yes. There are two tween children who love the water. A pool makes your house the magnet for your kids’ friends - - and therefore you can WATCH them. Parent types seem to appreciate this. So yes, need…

The House came with a circa 1960 pool (above). Sort of Beverly Hills “Louis Kablooey” style. I guess, they were inspired by the Second Empire roofline. Or the Clampett’s. It was placed directly in front of the house (the ‘front’ of a river house is usually the river façade)—a terrible design gaff. Rule # One: Never put man-made water in front of natural water—the twain do not meet. (Yeah yeah – I know you’ve seen photos of fantastic endless pools in Morocco and Acapulco—but, in general, it’s dicey and difficult to pull off).

Re: Rules; I have a few. Well, I probably have MANY, being my mother’s son. Some are based on years of experience; others, admittedly, are based on whim or prejudice. The good news, I know rules are meant to be broken. They’ll come up from time to time.

So, sucky location, retro design, and it is Bright Blue (white plaster = bright blue pool; grey plaster = nicer blue water). (Sorry it is covered in the photo, just imagine it bright blue—you can do it!). Color Guru Donald Kaufman has created a formula for us that basically looks like the grey of Wet Cement—FYI, that little tidbit is worth a couple of thousand bucks. My Gift #1 to you.

Happily, the old pool is about to self destruct anyway. Tiles falling off the sides, leaking. It has been dying a slow death for the past few years and now its time has come. Fun fact—and obvious once you hear it: To demo a pool, simply knock holes in bottom and fill ‘er up with landfill. Gone. Who knew?

So, a new pool it is. But for now, the old pool must remain until the new pool is ready for action. Since I HATE the existing blot on the landscape, I want the new one in and running ASAP.

First, we relocated it out of sight of the house, behind the existing Pool House, with great views of the River. Private and sunny and flat. A wonderful location. The pool house is sort of a hike from the old pool, so this time around, it will abut the pool for easy access. Although no thing of great beauty (those tiny Mansard roofs!) the 60’s pool house is a keeper. There’s a large central playroom flanked by 3 baths, 2 changing rooms, mechanical rooms, and a hot tub with large windows overlooking the river – LOTS of very useful space. Think Teens Rec Room – or think Adult Escape Hatch..

Originally red brick (catch a glimpse in top photo), last summer we painted it and it’s twin, a garage, a Donald Kaufman custom Army Green (below) —and as expected, the buildings receded into the earth. Extensive wrap-around pergolas covered in vines will one day complete the “cryptic coloration” (read: camouflage) job.

Back to the pool. Once sited, we sized it—a pretty standard 40 x 22 rectangle— and, finally, threw the ball to Kelly Varnell Virgona to get the thing in the works.

They staked it out and marked the trees slated for removal. We all hate to demo trees, but happily these aren’t particularly healthy or nice. There is only one that gives us pause—a huge tulip tree that KVV warns will leave its sap on stone, wood, concrete. Worse, it is a natural lightening rod. (Who knew? Full of water. Jeez.) But it is really tall and would be the one big tree in the pool area. So we’ll wait on that decision…

Meetings were set up with three contractors. Three in one day, bang bang bang. Each was given the same punch list of items to include (in the futile hope they will all give us prices that reflect the same scope…). Gift # 2 – a Pool Check List follows:

Swimming Pool Base Price
Spa Base Price
Rural Intelligence Home and Garden

Coping:
a. Material
b. Width
c. Edge Finish
Structure
Pool Depth Max.
Filter
Waterline Tile
Pump
Lights - Qty. / Type
Steps at Shallow End Qty.
Swim Out / Bench Qty.
Plumbing
Drain
Auto Cleaning System Type
Permits / Req. Drawings
Pool Finish
Pool Color
Safety Ropes
Auto Overflow
Skimmers
Returns
Chlorinator
Brush, Etc.
Heater Pool
Heater Spa
Temp. Const. Fence
Soil / Fill Removal
Excavation
Start Up Chemicals
Natural Gas Hookup
Propane Tank Hookup
Electric Hookup
Spa Jets Qty.
Winter Cover - Type

Extras / Options:
Jandy Auto Computer at Spa
Jandy Auto Computer at House
Raised Bond Beam
Raised Bond Beam Veneer
Blasting Rock - Machine Type & Qty., Daily Rate
Cold Water Feed from House for Auto Feed System
Auto Fil. System
Auto Cover - Aluminum
Auto Cover - Vanishing Edge

Each contractor/firm had a couple of pluses and a couple of minuses. One has superior experience, another a good aesthetic. Two are available in a month, another has killer calves…decisions, decisions. The final choice is between KVV and the clients (somehow I doubt the calves will come into play in their choice).

So now we await the bids and the contractor selection – and then the digging starts.

I suggest that anyone planning a pool buy the newest Sunset book on Pools and Spas. HM and I love the entire Sunset series, hundreds of DIY books over the years: Very practical, very approachable, useful information. Sure, the Kelly Klein type pool books are beautiful and inspiring (or depressing, since $ ain’t an object in Kelly’s world), but for nuts and bolts, or, dare I say it?, above ground (no kidding; we’re considering one for ourselves), think Sunset.

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