HAUPPAUGE, N.Y., Sept. 1, 2017 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- LOOP-LOC, pool cover company that services New Jersey, discusses how its pool fences keep your backyard pristine.

When choosing a fence to enclose the pool area, there are many options to consider. Using a removable mesh pool fence has numerous advantages for homeowners. A removable mesh fence around the pool will keep dirt and debrisas well as pestsout of the area. There is no chance of children breaching the fence and running all over the flowers and plants. The pool and surrounding landscape will remain gorgeous.

A removable mesh fence is also aesthetically pleasing to look at. Since it can be easily set up and taken down, it will not interfere with the landscaping of your backyard. Plant, prune, and water your trees, plants, and blossomsthen sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor. The removable mesh fencing will not interfere with the splendor of your foliage.

The pool fence will also increase the visibility of your backyard. The fence's woven mesh allows the maximum amount of sunlight to filter through its holes. These holesvirtually unnoticeable from a small distancemake it seem as if one is looking through a translucent piece of plastic, allowing for a beautiful view of the backyard, patio, and sparkling water in the pool! Furthermore, since the mesh is resistant to sun exposure, it will look like new for a long time and further enhance your backyard.

A pristine backyard will not only make pool owners extremely proud of their swimming pool and backyard, they can also be secure in the fact that LOOP-LOC pool fences keep children and pets safe. It is one of the many layers of protection that pool owners should put in place to ensure the safety of everyoneand everythingwhile the pool is not being used.

About LOOP-LOC: There's only one company known for manufacturing safety pool covers strong and tough enough to support an elephant: the legendary LOOP-LOC. LOOP-LOC is a global leader in the pool industry with a 200,000-square-foot headquarters in Hauppauge, New York, and 300 employees. Through its network of dealers, the company has sold safety swimming pool covers on every continent on earth except Antarctica. LOOP-LOC now also manufactures a line of luxury in-ground pool linerswith more exclusive designer patterns than any other companyas well as the BABY-LOC removable fencing, a convenient, cost-effective additional layer of protection to help deter toddlers from gaining access to a swimming pool.

Media Contact:Katie Maroldi, fishbat, 855-347-4228, rel="nofollow">Katie@fishbat.com

News distributed by PR Newswire iReach: https://ireach.prnewswire.com

SOURCE LOOP-LOC

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LOOP-LOC Discusses How Its Pool Fences Keep Your Backyard Pristine - Markets Insider

English styling and white blooms create an eye-catching landscape in a Delaware County outdoor living space.

On a Friday evening this summer, Ken and Lois Heater kick off the weekend with cocktails poolside on their newly finished patio, complete with an arched stone fireplace and pergola.

Their home sits on a tranquil 4-acre wooded lot in Delaware, miles away from nearby suburbia and their busy weekdays, his as the scientist-owner of a research and development company and hers as an interior decorator. Dozens of towering shagbark hickory trees shade a lush English landscape filled with white flowering perennials and shrubs. The beauty of the setting is reflected across their rectangular pool's blue water. The Heater's 14-year-old son, John, welcomes the weekend in his own waya cannonball splash into the pool. He's waiting for a handful of friends to arrive for an impromptu pool party.

This is exactly why we did this, says Lois, who relishes the moment and recalls hunting for a year and a half before finding the property.

We wanted a pool and enough land to look out and not see neighbors, she says. Originally, she looked at another house in the neighborhood, the day before this house went on the market.

We walked in the backyard and that was it, says Lois. We bought the home for its backyard and, later we learned, so did the previous owners.

The Heaters are the third owners of the 50-year-old home. The 6,000-square-foot, two-story, brick Georgian was one of builder Bob Webb's first custom homes. Lois says the interior and exterior are beautifully crafted and only a few updates were necessary to match their family's style.

The Heaters started with indoor renovations, replacing flooring and painting walls before they turned to the outdoor pool area. First, the existing 28,000-gallon pool was converted from chlorine to salt water, and the surrounding deck area was resurfaced in natural aggregate stone, which tied in the existing brick border.

Next, they added the new fireplace to extend their time outdoors into the evenings and into the fall season.

I originally wanted a pool house, but we thought that would be too big of a project, she says. The fireplace ended up being a much bigger project than they anticipated, and the construction lasted about two years.

She explains, I saw a picture on Pinterest, and that's how it all began. The picture featured a curved limestone fireplace with attached seating and a narrow over-

head pergola.

Be careful what you love on Pinterest, because there's no going back, she says.

Lois contracted Mike Sileargy, of MLH Design & Build, to recreate the fireplace from the Pinterest photo. He tracked down the designer in Santa Barbara, California, to gain design insights. They chose to repeat the Pinterest design's Indiana limestone for the fireplace and Connecticut bluestone for the patio and cap on the adjoining seating area. The project required meticulous and time-consuming work, hand-cutting each stone. Next, the contractor added the narrow pergola with four round columns and curved rafters painted in a color called White Swan by Benjamin Moore.

To finish the stone chimney, Lois ordered a large, hand-crafted gas lantern from Bevolo, a family-owned business in New Orleans that's known for its copper, open-flame lanterns throughout the city's French Quarter.

With the hardscapes completed, Lois moved on to the landscape. She reached out to neighborhood friend and landscape designer Nikki Fetingas, of At Home Landscape, to create an updated look with plenty of English styling and white blooms.

I like all things English, says Lois. English curtains, English Labrador dogs and English gardens.

Fetingas welcomed the challenge. To begin, she surveyed the landscape's existing strengths, like its mature Japanese maples at one side of the pool and a trio of showy bottlebrush buckeyes on the opposite side. She also assessed overgrown plants and noted several lost shrubs from the bitter winter of 201314.

Next, she recommended planting an understory of trees, including hemlocks and dogwoods, to connect the property's 40-foot overhead canopy with the poolside landscape. They chose oakleaf hydrangeas, White Feather and Curly Fries hostas, ferns, white alliums, foxgloves, coral bells, Lenten roses, Jack Frost brunnera and Japanese forest grass.

To capture the English styling, they added low hedges of Green Velvet boxwood accented with pyramidal boxwoods at the ends. For the pergola, they planted a backdrop of Forest Pansy redbuds and ordered climbing white Iceberg roses from the famous English rose hybridizer David Austen. To the side, they planted Susan Williams-Ellis white shrub rosesanother Austen variety.

These roses do take a while to get started, but after a couple years acclimating they will be so stunning and fragrant, says Fetingas.

On the far stretch of the pool, she wanted to create a grand statement that could be viewed from indoors and across the water. They rounded up the barrenwort that was sporadically growing throughout the landscape and created a border using the shade perennial. Next, they planted four hydrangea topiary trees and rounded them with burgundy-colored coral bells. In between, they added White Feather hostas. The bluestone patio's colors were picked up in another layer of blue spruce.

The layered plantings help frame the pool and provide a pretty backdrop against the woodland, says Fetingas.

Now in its second growing season, the updated poolside landscape is perfect for outdoor living, whether it's intimate family dinners, a garden gathering or John's famous glow-in-the-dark pool parties.

Some days, we go from pajamas to swimsuits to pajamas, says Lois, as she places the pair of newly filled, inflatable swans in the pool.

See the article here:
Home: A dream backyard in Delaware County - Columbus Monthly

Set to be built in the Spanish region of Matarraa, TNA is the latest architectural firm to take up the challenge of building a residence without restrictions for developer Christian Bourdais' Solo Houses project. Lead architects Makoto Takei and Chie Nabeshima have dreamed up an inverted concrete pyramid sunk into the Spanish landscape.

Following in the footsteps of designs by Didier Faustino andJohnston Marklee, the resort dwelling is part of Bourdais' plan to bring cutting-edge architecture to a rural setting. TNA has used a classic formthe pyramidand cleverly inverted it to create a sense of weightlessness. Large cutouts in the upper dwelling provide panoramic views over the landscape and the sleek interior isdivided by mezzanines of different levels, which keep the open feeling of the pyramid, but clearly define living spaces.

While exterior images of a previous design show the pool housed in a second inverted pyramid sunk below the main residence, the final version sees all design aspects combined into a singular structure. In the final version by TNA, the larger upper level of the pyramid houses three bedroomsand a lounge, which allhave direct access to the rooftop pool in the center.

TNA's concept is one of 15 residences, plus a hotel, that will be built for the Solo House project.Two have already been completed, withThe Guardiandubbing them architectural collectibles. Only time will tell how Bourdais' project will hold up and if his concept of creating a history of what is architecture at this moment in time will fully come to fruition.

Photo: Solo Houses

Photo: Solo Houses

Photo: Makoto Takei and Chie Nabeshima / TNA

Photo: Makoto Takei and Chie Nabeshima / TNA

Photo: Makoto Takei and Chie Nabeshima / TNA

Photo: Sadao Hotta for Makoto Takei and Chie Nabeshima / TNA

Photo: Sadao Hotta for Makoto Takei and Chie Nabeshima / TNA

h/t: [design boom]

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Cutting-Edge Architects to Build Inverted Pyramid House in Spanish Countryside - My Modern Met

Meeting with a new client is always an exciting time because it means new creative opportunities and additional revenue.

However, sometimes your new customers may know they want a new landscape, but they dont exactly know what they want that space to look like. Or they have a hodge-podge of ideas they saved on a Pinterest board.

While Pinterest isnt a bad thing, and the photos there can serve as a springboard, sometimes its up to you to hone in on your customers style in order to create the design theyll truly love.

The best way to determine the homeowners style is to talk to them and ask detailed questions. Do they entertain a lot? What do they like or dislike about their current landscape? What is their color palette?

Make notes of their desires and wishes, instead of trusting your memory. As you meet with the client, explore the space and imagine yourself in their shoes. Good observation skills can also give you hints as to the customers preferences. A persons interior design, as well as the way they dress and speak can help you understand their sense of style.

There are many different landscape styles out there, but here are some of the common ones that your client might fall under.

For those that love to entertain and are a fan of the exotic, a tropical landscape often goes well with a pool. Golden Japanese forest grass, canna lilies and hibiscus are some of the plants found in this style landscape. This space would also have a large lounge area and possibly and outdoor kitchen or fire pit.

Customers that prefer things neat and orderly will enjoy a space that has manicured hedges, straight lines and patterns. Boxwoods are often used in these landscapes.

Often clients homes are a good indicator of their preferred style so those with a house that is sleek and contemporary probably lean toward the modern style of landscaping that has a strong emphasis on structural elements. Clean lines and unusual materials are often used, and the space is generally designed to be low-maintenance with its simplicity.

People who prefer things to be more relaxed and less formal have several different design options depending on how wild they want things to look. The cottage garden style has lots of perennials, roses and flowering plants while a woodland style landscape has a very natural appearance of how plants would grow in wooded areas.

Often you wont design a landscape thats strictly one style, as you will often be blending the needs and styles of several people living at the property. This is just one way to narrow down their many ideas they have about their dream landscape

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Determining your client's preferred landscape style - Total Landscape Care

What more beautiful setting for a swimming pool in rural Iowa than overlooking a river? Imagine sitting at the top of the slide and taking in the view before splashing down into the pool.

This 20- by 48-foot swimming pool is built on a peninsula. Pool Tech of Cedar Rapids installed the pool, with Rick Whiteaker overseeing the project.

"We first talked about how they wanted to use the pool, how it would fit into the landscape, how they wanted to enjoy the environment. It would be a good distance from the house, so building a pool house with a shaded area to entertain was important. We needed to plan for how it would be used during the day and night. There were also considerations to be made in installing a pool so close to the river," he says.

Architect Greg Sundberg of Sundberg Designs in Cedar Rapids assisted with the planning. They also consulted a geotechnical engineer when they reached the riverbed."

"That's where we stopped digging and started building the pool," Whiteaker says. "We wanted to integrate the pool beautifully with the surrounding landscape."

The slide is a focal point, in addition to a raised sitting area with a tranquil water feature.

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Pool side - Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier

Murray Legge Architecture has shaped the roof of this pool-side pavilion to navigate around the twisting trunks of oak trees on a site in East Texas.

La Grange Pavilion was created as part of a landscape intervention for a hillside house with vistas over the southern US state's forest and farmland. The structure shades an outdoor lounge area and separate, lower dining and kitchen space, spanning over both as a single horizontal plane.

Rather than chopping down the site's gnarled tree trunks, Murray Legge Architecture arranged the wall-less rooms to avoid their bases, and created holes in the wooden canopy so branches could pass through.

"The wing-like roof is dark in colour, in order to appear as if it is floating in the grove blending in with the dark trunks of the trees that surround," said the firm, which has offices in New York City and Austin.

Three chunky columns with one containing a fireplace hold up the roof, along with a series of thinner poles around the perimeter. The larger supports are clad in limestone, matching the retaining wall built to slightly sink the dining area and surrounding terrace into the ground.

The project also involved the construction of an infinity pool, which sits at the edge of the slope. Its sides are designed so the water laps right up to the stone pavers in front of the pavilion, and gently cascades over the end facing the view.

"The zero-edge pool reflects the trees and sky, connecting it to the landscape," the studio said.

Pool houses vary in size from simple shading devices like this one, to guest accommodation with multiple storeys and bedrooms. More examples in the US include a small structure with blackened timber siding on New York's Long Island.

Photography is by Leonid Furmansky.

Project credits:

Architecture firm: Murray Legge ArchitectureDesign ream:Murray Legge, Travis Avery, Benjamin KaplowitzBuilder:Shroyco,Ocean QuestConsultants:TK Consulting Engineers

Continued here:
Murray Legge's Texas pool house avoids and incorporates tree trunks - Dezeen

Home no longer is just about personal retreat and comfort more and more, we are seeing people place a high value on how well it can serve and entertain family and friends. According to real estate agents across the mid-Atlantic, outdoor living and entertainment spaces are gaining momentum as the next big trend and must-have amenity for homes.

If youre looking to add value to your property before selling during the fall home-buying season, or you simply want to create a space for you and friends and family to enjoy, consider these features:

Outdoor kitchen

Outdoor dining used to be pretty simple a dining set and a grill was all you needed. Now, agents say as cooking and food preparation have become as much a part of entertaining as the meal itself, more and more buyers are seeking additional amenities, such as an outdoor refrigerator, sink and counter space.

In the luxury market, were seeing full-on outdoor kitchens complete with bar areas, islands, ovens, stoves and extra storage space. These features allow a homeowner and host to be present with their guests outside even as they prepare the meal.

Pool & spa

Its no secret waterfront properties are high value. For those without access to a waterfront setting, a swimming pool remains one of the most popular outdoor living features, bringing a waterfront feel right to your own backyard. Agents are seeing a shift in the way pools and the spaces around them are designed.

To set their home apart, owners are getting creative with shapes and unique pool designs weve seen everything from jets, slides and waterfalls to a hot tub in the middle of the pool and even the occasional moat. In addition to the pool itself, buyers also are seeking beautiful terraces and lounges overlooking the pool area to help create the feel of a relaxing oasis at home.

Open access

An exciting newer trend agents are seeing is the creation of a nearly seamless transition between indoor and outdoor spaces. At the higher end of the market, homeowners are installing collapsible window walls that allow your outdoor living areas to become a true extension of your indoor space, while French and sliding glass doors accomplish this feel at more affordable price points.

Recreation & entertainment

Like pools, recreation amenities such as basketball and tennis courts remain perennial favorites for outdoor features. Weve also seen sand volleyball courts and putting greens. To health-conscious homeowners and families with active children, these types of features are especially appealing, allowing them to get in a game without having to go to the gym.

Of course, these features also are great for entertaining. For those looking for a more relaxed gathering, were also seeing increased interest in outdoor home theater amenities, including speaker systems and screening areas, complete for backyard movie nights.

Outdoor fireplaces

Fireplaces long have topped home buyers wish lists, but the up-and-coming trend is toward incorporating fireplaces into spaces other than the traditional living room, such as bedrooms, bathrooms, even in closets and of course, outside. Local agents are seeing everything from the simple fire pit to custom fire features built into the deck or landscape. To make the most of your outdoor fireplace, big or small, gas or wood-burning, youll want to make sure you have plenty of seating options for your friends and family to gather around or for buyers to imagine their own guests doing so. A combination of couches, chairs, benches even hammocks or swings can bring the cozy environment of a living room fire to the great outdoors right in your own backyard.

If youre looking to up your homes outdoor appeal, consider incorporating some of these features. Whether youre preparing to sell or want to enjoy your homes outdoor space with your friends and family, outdoor amenities could be worth the investment as we continue to see interest in them grow.

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Desire for outdoor amenities grows - Northwest Herald

While the classic kidney-shaped pool on a quarter-acre block may no longer be the norm, Australian homeowners are still finding creative ways to splash out on the great Australian dream even when space is limited.

Andrew Farmer, of Aquatic Leisure Technologies, says shrinking block sizes have forced the industry into manufacturing smaller and smaller pool moulds.

For example, where 8m used to be the average pool size Aqua Technics now offers 11 models under 7m in length.

Bryce Steele, State manager of the Swimming Pool and Spa Association of Western Australia, agrees that the industry has evolved significantly in response to todays shrinking block sizes.

The variety of models of fibreglass pools has changed greatly in recent years as the manufacturers look to have products suitable for smaller blocks, Mr Steele says.

In relation to concrete pools, these can be built in any shape or size, ensuring that even with the smallest, a compact plunge pool or courtyard pool can be constructed.

Denise Staffa, landscape designer and director at Outside In, says prefabricated round or rectangular concrete plunge pools are a particularly sought-after option when space is limited.

Plunge pools are most certainly super popular these days for small spaces and emanate a real villa style, Ms Staffa says. The round is super sexy and a very creative solution for small blocks.

Small wonders

Matthew Gee, landscape designer at PHASE3, says each site presents a unique set of conditions and in turn, design solutions.

Though not always a simple solution, placing a pool on a boundary is a good option when space is limited, Mr Gee says.

This enables the use of the boundary wall as a feature wall and barrier, reducing the barrier fencing overall, that can be unsightly and obstructive.

When it comes to small sites Nic Crowe, managing director of eScape Landscape Architecture, says it is important to engage your landscape designer or landscape architect early in the home design phase.

Often the optimal location for the pool, particularly on smaller blocks, is for the house and/or boundary wall to sit directly on the pool shell, in this way you can maximise the size of the pool within the block and create a connection to the house and alfresco area for views and outlook, Mr Crowe says.

However, even when access for machinery is a challenge, Brad Hilbert, owner of Barrier Reef Pools, says they always manage to find a way.

We can get into properties with as little as 750mm wide access, Mr Hilbert says. Its not uncommon for us to use the inside of the house as the access for machinery to get in and out. We have taken a micro excavator through a kitchen once and wheeled borrowed sand down a hallway to dispose of it.

We have never not been able to complete a pool for someone yet.

Three things to consider before investing in a swimming pool

1. Budget should be the first consideration, Matthew Gee says. A pool will cost a considerable amount of money and being aware of the associated cost of installing a pool is important.

2. My number one (tip) is to engage a landscape designer before signing up for a pool, Denise Staffa says. It's an absolute must to make sure all surrounding spaces flow seamlessly, be functional and balanced. A landscape designer can assist with choosing the right size, right shape and getting orientation right as this makes or breaks the outdoor space..

3. There are many other considerations such as space requirements, intended use, shape, and material such as concrete, fibreglass or liner, above ground or below ground, heating method and energy use and long-term maintenance and cost over the life cycle of the pool, Mr Gee says. A conversation with a specialist to answer these questions is paramount prior to embarking on any project.

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Buyers' guide to pools - The West Australian

The recently built Villa Della Costa feels like a private island set high above Santa Barbaras Gaviota Coast. With vaulted ceilings and oversized windows, the sprawling single-story house takes in the surrounding landscape from every perspective. The ranch-style modern Mediterranean shares its 106-acre perch with a helipad, a guest house and a pool cabana.

Address: 14200 Calle Real, Goleta 93117

Price: $35 million

Architect: Jock Sewall

Builder: Shane Mahan of Kitchell Custom Homes

Interiors: Mark Weaver of Mark Weaver & Associates Inc.

Landscaping: Stacey Faussett

Built: 2014

Lot size: 106 acres

House size: Five bedrooms, eight full bathrooms, three powder rooms

Features: Library/study, den, family room, home theater, antique wood-beam ceilings, walnut floors, custom lighting, four interior fireplaces, staff quarters, basement, radiant-floor heating, stone decks, fountain, outdoor fireplace, swimming pool, spa, circular gated driveway, drought-tolerant landscaping

About the area: The median sale price for single-family homes in the 93117 ZIP Code in May was $797,000 based on seven sales, according to CoreLogic. That was a 2.9% increase compared with the same month the previous year.

Agents: Joyce Rey of Coldwell Banker, (310) 285-7529, and Randy Solakian of Montecito Estates, (805) 565-2208

To submit a candidate for Home of the Day, send high-resolution color photos via Dropbox.com, permission from the photographer to publish the images and a description of the house to lauren.beale2@latimes.com.

Follow Lauren Beale on Twitter @laurenebeale.

See more Homes of the Day:

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E.P. Janes cottage stands the test of time in Altadena

Newly built contemporary rises along the waterfront of Las Flores Beach

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On top of the world villa overlooks the Gaviota Coast - Los Angeles Times

Ubisoft and ESL are partnering for one of the largest For Honor international tournaments ever created since the game's release in February.

The For Honor Hero Series will pit the best For Honor players around the world against one another to find out which player is the best on the battlefield.

For Honor is a hack and slash fighting game where players strategically take down their opponents by targeting specific areas of the body. The game uses a unique system that puts players in total control of their characters weapon movements in an attempt to try and vanquish all enemies who stand in their way.

At ESL we are committed to growing the esports landscape and F or Honors competitive ecosystem has been something we've all been looking forward to, said Sean Charles, VP of Publisher and Developer Relations, ESL. With the For Honor Hero Series and the addition of ranked mode, there is a lot in store for future For Honor players.

ESL plans to host weekly competitions one-on-one from July 8 across all platforms in Europe and the United States. ESL say it's committed to supporting the series well beyond the first year and will take community and participant feedback into account for any future events.

Players earn points based on their rankings in weekly tournaments. Those that have earned the most points by the end of the weekly tournaments will be invited to the live event in Burbank, California on Aug. 12 for a shot at winning a part of the $10,000 prize pool.

ESL plans to broadcast the finals on the For Honor official Twitch channel and Ubisoft's YouTube channel , as well as other livestream services such as Facebook Live. The company has no plans to livestream any of the weekly tournaments at this time, however.

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For Honor is getting an international tournament with a $10000 prize pool - Dot Esports