KENSINGTON SWIM RETREAT

Our team has been caring for this 2.5-acre property in Kensington, CA for a decade. In this time, we’ve worked with two homeowners as the property changed hands in 2018.

Most recently our team transformed a long-neglected pool surround into a vibrant spacious recreation area for our client’s family of four and their friends. When our client expressed interest in renovating the pool surround, we referred to a design concept we already had on file from when we worked with the previous homeowners.

Using the design on file as a point of departure, we helped our client vet the existing ideas for the space as well as generate a new schematic design.

At the onset of the project the pool surround was a rectangle of cracked concrete and overgrown ivy and was isolated from the main house and studio apartment.
To connect the space, we constructed a deck that attaches to the existing studio apartment as well as connects the studio apartment and main house to the pool surround. Beneath the deck we created ample space to store pool related items.

We repurposed redwood boards from this and other projects and used the boards as skirting beneath the deck and cladding in other areas of the garden. A carefully restored clawfoot tub with hot and cold running water was placed on the lower deck. The tub drains greywater to irrigate the artemisia, yarrow, pink flowering goose currant, sticky monkey flower, pacific wax myrtle, and other California native plants in the adjacent garden.

We tore the existing pool house down to the studs and styled the new building after a barn. The new pool house features a vibrant green exterior, big screen TV, bar, bathroom, and a pinball machine.

At the existing pool entry gate, we endeavored to construct a stone moongate in the old world style of dry stacked masonry.

The poolside bocce court is also used for frisbee, cornhole, and archery target practice. A new more modern studio building was constructed at the shallow end of the pool. This climate-controlled building is great for exercise, yoga, or as a guest bedroom.