Since 1980 Dan Druffel Inc. has been maintaining and improving this beautiful Mediterranean home. The grounds have changed several times over the years, but have always been improving. We have restored the pool, built a new spa, and have done countless new plantings.
1980
The pool was in bad shape when our client purchased the house. There was limited decking surrounding the pool making it not great for entertaining.
The landscape of this beautiful Hyde Park home has changed over the years, but one thing that has stayed the same is the inviting colors that greet guests. Over 2000 tulips are planted annually to liven the entrance of the home during the welcoming of spring.
After several years of using the pool, the family felt that they needed an area to provide some shade on the south facing slope. Trees were not an option because they didn’t want to compromise the river views. It was decided an arbor along the side of the home would be the best option.
In addition to shade, the arbor also provides more space and storage. The custom design pulls from features of the home, and it’s covered in a beautiful massing of Wisteria. The pool was also restored, and new paving was installed in order to bring the pool up to the standards of the home.
Several years after finishing the second pool project, the client decided they would like to have a spa. The steep lot limited the number of spaces that would work. A hillside in close proximity to the home’s back door was chosen to provide easy access in the winter months.
The project required terracing in order to create a flat area for the spa. New walls and an arbor were built to visually tie the pool and spa together.
The spa was built into the hillside and the hillside is retained by a series of walls. The far wall was constructed to hold the slope where the Blue Spruce trees exist to maintain privacy from the nearby home. The pavement matches the pool, and the spa has a rectangular shape so it can have the automatic cover.