Modern Oasis

EDINA, MN

Completed 2023

These clients desired a more beautiful, functional and low maintenance space for the steep yard between their contemporary, urban home and the creek below that would work for entertaining beyond Minnesota’s short pool season. The couple envisioned a contemporary, less curvilinear, more private poolscape that would suit the house and include a water feature and more modern fire pit. Plantings were to be minimal, except for colorful annuals.

The existing layout was poor, with inadequate decking by the existing concrete pool and unused paved terrace area above. The freeform pool’s crude coping detracted from the natural surroundings and the materials bore little connection to house itself.

The team repaired the pool, expanded the lower terrace, incorporated an elegant water feature and fire pit, rearranged features to optimize sunlight for four loungers, and mixed a variety of surfaces that reflect the house and conceals the pool equipment. The designer even considered the needs of the smallest family member, their homeowners’ Yellow Lab.

Property Serviced by Mom’s Fine Gardening

Behind the Design

Design Notes

Before

A steep yard fell between the contemporary urban home and the creek below — an old freeform concrete pool with crude coping, inadequate decking, an unused paved terrace above, and materials that had nothing to say to the house.

The Idea

A contemporary, less curvilinear, more private poolscape that actually suits the architecture: repair the pool, expand the lower terrace, add an elegant water feature and a modern fire pit, and rearrange the whole composition to catch sun on four loungers.

After

Mixed surfaces echo the house and hide the pool equipment, plantings stay minimal but for colorful annuals, and the space works well past Minnesota’s short pool season. Even the family’s Yellow Lab got design consideration.

The Brief

—Beautiful, functional, low-maintenance — a steep yard tamed
—A contemporary, more private poolscape that suits the house
—A water feature and a more modern fire pit
—Usable beyond Minnesota’s short pool season

The terrace, reclaimed

The unused upper terrace and cramped pool deck became one expanded, composed lower terrace.

Sun engineering

Features were rearranged specifically to optimize sunlight across four loungers — comfort placed by the sun’s schedule, not the plan’s convenience.

Surfaces with a purpose

A mix of surfaces reflects the house’s materials — and quietly conceals the pool equipment.

Fire and water, modernized

An elegant water feature and a modern fire pit replace the curvilinear language the clients had outgrown.

The hard part

The site itself: a steep grade dropping from the contemporary home to the creek below, with an existing pool whose layout, coping, and materials all fought the house it belonged to.

🏆 NARI Gold Award · NARI Minnesota Remodeler of the Year Awards