Villa Vista: A Mediterranean Escape

The owners wanted the property to feel like somewhere they had travelled to. Clean lines, crisp finishes and a pool that could hold the centre of the outdoor life.

Six acres gave them room and took away the easy answers. The pool had to sit at the right scale, close enough to the deck to feel connected to the house.

They began with a concrete pool and a custom swim-out. After several conversations they chose fibreglass, simpler to build and quicker to deliver, for the same result.

Sightlines across the basketball court, the fire pit and the day lounges mattered as much as the pool, so the whole yard could be watched from one spot.

Pearl was chosen for the interior. It reads pale and soft rather than deep blue, closer to a Mediterranean pool than an Australian backyard one.

The honed terrazzo surrounds carry a similar tone, so the edge between stone and water is quiet. The pool sits inside the landscape rather than being outlined against it.

Four fountain jets arc into the water from the coping. They add movement and sound to a large open site that would otherwise be very still.

A plain rectangle was the right call here. Nothing about the shape will date, which matters on a property meant to feel timeless rather than of its moment.