Pool and Patio Update

As far as our house goes, this has been an eventful year. It was about twelve months ago that my husband and I found out that the pool was cracked beyond repair. We ended up tearing out the old pool and putting in a new one. Pool construction wrapped up in March and then we started on the bathroom remodel after that...and throughout it all, our backyard has been a total mess. Little by little, my husband and I have been trying to put the pieces back together so that we can once again enjoy our outdoor space.

We are finally close to the finish line and I can now give you a glimpse of some of the changes that have been made. For starters, here are a couple of shots of the new pool and patio...

To give you some perspective of the drastic change, here's a pic of the old pool with its tired aggregate deck and odd shape...

And one of the demo process to show the carnage that occurred last fall/winter...

And back to the present! The new pool has Lueders limestone coping, a concrete pool deck with a light acid wash, onyx quartz plaster, and the waterline tile is Noble Cobblestones 1" in the Ocean color.

When designing the new pool, I kept the shape a simple rectangle and only added a hot tub and one "water feature." The feature is a gas firepit that doubles as a waterfall. I'm excited that the weather is getting cooler so that we can sit by the fire out here...

And here's the inset hot tub...which is WAY bigger and better than our old one...

And along with the new pool, we have some snazzy new outdoor furniture, thanks to my uber generous parents. They gave my hubs and I this as a joint birthday gift and we couldn't be more appreciative. It seriously completes the look! Ignore the umbrella though - I haven't gotten that element taken care of yet :)

I chose to have a custom iron set made by a local shop. It was in the same price range as Brown-Jordan or Restoration Hardware, but the lead time was better and I could get the exact design that I wanted. I ordered a huge daybed, a sofa, chaise lounges, dining chairs, and a table base. The table base was part of the set I designed and then I just had a piece of Carrara cut for the top (and like I said before, the old umbrella needs to be replaced so disregard the ugly pole).

Since the table frame is hard to see in the photos, here is one of the drawings I gave to the fabricator...

I had the cushions made locally by Chair Care Patio (LOVE them) using Sunbrella fabrics. For the color scheme, I picked a minty aqua with ivory contrast cording. And to spice things up, I plan to use the below Trina Turk outdoor fabric for some pillows and maybe some placemats. I adore the print and the punch color is fab with the mint/aqua. I'll keep you posted on those finishing touches!

The pool and the furniture are definitely the highlights of our new and improved outdoor space, but the landscaping plays a big part in the new look too, so I'll chat more about that tomorrow. And yes, I'll be back to daily blogging now that my summer hiatus is officially over. I have lots to talk about after being quiet for all of these months so stay tuned!

 Jazzy says hi :)

Design Destination: Hotel 1898 in Barcelona

I've not yet been to Spain and I'm definitely getting an itch to visit there...despite the fact that I speak no Spanish, and that language barrier is a bit intimidating. Nevertheless, the country's art, culture, and exquisite hotels have lured me in. 

One of those hotels is Hotel 1898 in Barcelona, which is a Núñez i Navarro Hotel. The hotel is rich in history...built in 1891, the colonial-style structure was designed by architect Josep Oriol Mestres and later served as headquarters for the Philippines Tobacco Company. Not long ago, Núñez i Navarro restored the building and focused on updating it to modern standards while preserving the historical significance. The result is Hotel 1898 and it looks pretty spectacular from a design standpoint.

Besides the high marks in design, the hotel seems to be teaming with amenities. I honed in on two in particular: free high-speed internet and completely sound-proofed rooms. Not going to lie - I love free internet at hotels, especially in Europe! They also have a pillow menu, and that sounds pretty awesome.  Finally, the Hotel 1898 has a rooftop deck and an indoor pool that are absolutely incredible. Have a look...

 

Here is the phenomenal indoor pool. According to the site, this area is the building's basement was originally a coal bunker for generating heat, then the armor-plated safe for storing Philippines Tobacco Company money, gold, and documents, and now the space has been outfitted with a pool. Quite a lineage, isn't it?

And here are some interior shots. I adore all of the bold black and white striped textiles. Plus, the light fixtures and hardware used throughout the hotel is awesome...

Masculine-chic guest rooms...

Random, but I'm crazy about these doors...

And these are scenes from their Colonial Suite's private terrace and pool...

And to wrap up, these images showcase some of the building's incredible architectural details...

Looks like a pretty nice place to stay, right? Have any of you stayed here before? Any other Barcelona hotel recommendations?

If you happen to be planning a trip to Barcelona, be sure to take a look the hotel's top 10 list of things to see and experience. Although I've never been and am therefore by no means a Barcelona expert, it seems like a nice, succinct set of things to build an itinerary around.

Summer Nights

Thank goodness fall is around the corner...I'm ready for the temperature to drop to a reasonable level in the evening. I'm fine with hot weather during the day but am not a fan of muggy nights! As it cools down, I'll be able to sit out here without sweating bullets.

As you can see, I still haven't found a rug or something for the wall. I'm considering getting a Fab Habitat rug. Not surprisingly, I am particularly fond of the Athens style. I'm a little worried about the area getting too dark/black, but luckily this rug is reversible so I could possibly use the white side.

The Istanbul style could work too since the aqua color ties in with the pillows and the tan ties in with the wall color and the flagstone.

The Venice style is cute too, however, I'm afraid it would be too matchy-matchy with the pillows.

 Any thoughts on the matter? Let me know if you have other ideas!

Covered Patio Update

A few things around the house changed over the weekend, including the covered patio in our backyard. For starters, I took down the ugly fan and hung a new light. Although my heart was set on Circa's Hicks Pendant, my budget was more in line with the 20" Foto Pendant Lamp from IKEA. It was only $30 and I'm really happy with the way it looks.

Also, the new cushions for the sofa arrived. I got them from Ballard Designs and I'm happy to report that the quality is great...they are super comfy too. I love the white cording and think the black will look much better than paw-print-covered ivory :)

Finally, I got the cute little palm tree for the corner. I thought the area could use a little more green. Hopefully I can keep it alive!

As usual, the to-do list for the space is ongoing. Besides getting an old chalkboard for the wall behind the sofa, I still want to install a beadboard ceiling and paint it blue. I found this tutorial, so my husband and I might attempt the project on our own. I'm also considering an outdoor rug...what do you think?