Keynoter Article On Pools Page 16 17.
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www.KeysSunday.com 17 Keys Sunday 16 Sunday, March 12, 2006 F or many years the only people who had swimming pools that weren’t rectangular were movie stars. If you’re old enough you might remember Liberace’s pool in the shape of piano or how about Jayne Mansfield’s that was heart shaped and pink. Well, forget rectangular. These days shaped pools with waterfalls, rock forma- tions and the popular negative edge have become all the rage. Plus many features that you’ve never thought of. Pools aren’t built by construction com- panies but by firms that specialize in cre- ating — and designing — them. Chalk it all up to the baby boomers and their newfound wealth. “Eight years ago you couldn’t give a pool away,” said Dean Eakin, whose company Islamorada Pool Co. installs pools in the Upper Keys. “Now they’ve become quite the in thing. The baby boomers want to stay home more with their families and have their own resort.” Many of the people Eakin refers to have purchased expensive second homes in the Keys and hire his firm and others build them elaborate swimming pools. Recently Eakin, Alejandro Acosta of Eco Pools in Marathon and Rich Brown of Brown and Crebbin Design took Keys Sunday on a tour of some of the more unusual pools in the Keys. See some examples here and on the next page. — Michael Welber Not your grandfather’s swimming pool In a family home in Islamorada, Eakin’s company has created a rock formation with a waterfall from concrete and steel to give the pool a “natural look.” Of course, it’s more Hollywood than natural but Eakin says that what his company creates actually looks much better than the real thing. After they are sculpted the pool company paints the structure to resemble real rocks. And they do. Eakin calls this particular pool a “game pool.” The industry has discovered that people spend 90 percent of their time in four feet of water or less so pools are shallow. However, this one has a deep area in the middle so the owners can set up a volleyball net. Faux rocks, real beauty Photo by RICHARD BROWN A beautiful example on Duck Key with landscaping by Richard Brown. Photo by LARRY BENVENUTI A waterfall pours over the constructed rock formation at Islamorada home. No one can forget the surge that heavily dam- aged the Keys after Hurricane Wilma. The own- ers of a brand new pool built by Eco Pools in Marathon couldn’t either. Their Grassy Key structure was heavily damaged in the surge, par- ticularly all of the plumbing. The solution? Put the pool on stilts. The large, 40-foot by 15-foot pool was con- structed on sixteen pilings. Contractor Alejandro Acosta smiled when asked how much more it cost to raise the pool so high above flood plain. “A lot,” is all he would say. “A lot.” Pool on stilts Photo by LARRY BENVENUTI A pool on stilts solves the problem of surge. The pool is still under construction and the struc- ture will eventually be hidden from view. An Eco Pool’s customer in Marathon wanted to be able to swim laps for exercise. It’s one of the common requests that many pool companies get. However, Acosta indicated that most who want a lap pool — one that is narrow and long — usually end up getting one that is also wide. That was true of the one his company built in Marathon. The pool is owned by people who travel back and forth to the Keys so it had to be self-maintaining. One of the features that makes it so is an automatic cover that protects the entire length of the pool, preventing both pollu- tants and intruders from entering the water. The electric cover is stored inside the edge of the pool and is activated by a switch in the house. Automated pool cover The automated cover unrolls from inside the edge of this lap pool. Photo by LARRY BENVENUTI This one has a more north- ern style of waterfall in which the rocks are more angular in shape with striations. Photo by RICHARD BROWN I N THE L AP OF L UXURY
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Transcript of Keynoter Article On Pools Page 16 17.
www.KeysSunday.com 17Keys Sunday16 Sunday, March 12, 2006
For many years the only people whohad swimming pools that weren’trectangular were movie stars. If
you’re old enough you might rememberLiberace’s pool in the shape of piano orhow about Jayne Mansfield’s that washeart shaped and pink.
Well, forget rectangular. These daysshaped pools with waterfalls, rock forma-tions and the popular negative edge havebecome all the rage.
Plus many features that you’ve neverthought of.
Pools aren’t built by construction com-
panies but by firms that specialize in cre-
ating — and designing — them.
Chalk it all up to the baby boomers
and their newfound wealth.
“Eight years ago you couldn’t give a
pool away,” said Dean Eakin, whose
company Islamorada Pool Co. installs
pools in the Upper Keys. “Now they’ve
become quite the in thing. The baby
boomers want to stay home more with
their families and have their own resort.”
Many of the people Eakin refers to
have purchased expensive second homes
in the Keys and hire his firm and others
build them elaborate swimming pools.
Recently Eakin, Alejandro Acosta of
Eco Pools in Marathon and Rich Brown
of Brown and Crebbin Design took Keys
Sunday on a tour of some of the more
unusual pools in the Keys. See some
examples here and on the next page.
— Michael Welber
Not your grandfather’s swimming pool
In a family home in Islamorada, Eakin’s
company has created a rock formation with a
waterfall from concrete and steel to give the
pool a “natural look.” Of course, it’s more
Hollywood than natural but Eakin says that what
his company creates actually looks much better
than the real thing.
After they are sculpted the pool company
paints the structure to resemble real rocks. And
they do.
Eakin calls this particular pool a “game
pool.” The industry has discovered that people
spend 90 percent of their time in four feet of
water or less so pools are shallow. However, this
one has a deep area in the middle so the owners
can set up a volleyball net.
Faux rocks, real beauty
Photo by RICHARD BROWN
A beautiful example on Duck Key with landscaping by Richard Brown.
Photo by LARRY BENVENUTI
A waterfall pours over the constructed rock formation at Islamorada home.
No one can forget the surge that heavily dam-aged the Keys after Hurricane Wilma. The own-ers of a brand new pool built by Eco Pools inMarathon couldn’t either. Their Grassy Keystructure was heavily damaged in the surge, par-ticularly all of the plumbing. The solution? Put
the pool on stilts.The large, 40-foot by 15-foot pool was con-
structed on sixteen pilings. Contractor AlejandroAcosta smiled when asked how much more itcost to raise the pool so high above flood plain.
“A lot,” is all he would say. “A lot.”
Pool on stilts
Photo by LARRY BENVENUTI
A pool on stilts solves the problem of surge. The pool is still under construction and the struc-ture will eventually be hidden from view.
An Eco Pool’s customer in Marathon wantedto be able to swim laps for exercise. It’s one ofthe common requests that many pool companiesget. However, Acosta indicated that most whowant a lap pool — one that is narrow and long— usually end up getting one that is also wide.
That was true of the one his company built inMarathon. The pool is owned by people who
travel back and forth to the Keys so it had to be
self-maintaining. One of the features that makes
it so is an automatic cover that protects the
entire length of the pool, preventing both pollu-
tants and intruders from entering the water. The
electric cover is stored inside the edge of the
pool and is activated by a switch in the house.
Automated pool cover
The automatedcover unrollsfrom inside theedge of this lappool.
Photo by LARRY BENVENUTI
This one has a more north-
ern style ofwaterfall
in which the rocks are
more angular in shape with
striations.
Photo by RICHARD BROWN
IN THE LAP OF LUXURY
