Yard of the Week: Pavilion Serves Pool and Hockey Rink
Thanks to a new fireplace and outdoor kitchen, this active Vermont family spends lots of time outside year-round
Located in rural Vermont, this new pool and pavilion are surrounded by fields and woods, with Lake Champlain and the Adirondack Mountains beyond. The very active, hockey-loving family who lives here wanted to make the most of their yard while enjoying the pastoral scenes around them.
Their wish list included a pool and an accompanying structure with a fireplace, seating for lounging and dining, and an outdoor kitchen. The designers at Landshapes worked on the site plan and landscape design, including the pool, while the team at Peregrine Design Build worked in concert with them, designing the pool pavilion and completing its construction.
Their wish list included a pool and an accompanying structure with a fireplace, seating for lounging and dining, and an outdoor kitchen. The designers at Landshapes worked on the site plan and landscape design, including the pool, while the team at Peregrine Design Build worked in concert with them, designing the pool pavilion and completing its construction.
After: The lake seen in the top-right corner of this photo is Lake Champlain. The mountains beyond it are the Adirondacks, located in upstate New York.
Working within setback requirements, Landshapes and Peregrine Design Build determined where to place the new elements. The open style of the pavilion leaves views clear to the adjacent farm, barn, fields and woods.
“We also completed some renovations to the house to connect it to the landscape,” Browne says. “There had been a screened-in porch and a small deck before. We converted the screened-in porch to an open porch and wrapped the deck around the house. We also added two new sets of stairs in two different directions from the deck.”
The new deck lets the parents watch the kids when they are in the pool without having to be in the pool with them. This renovation also included creating an underdeck utility area for things such as pool pumps, electrical panels and storage for pool toys.
Working within setback requirements, Landshapes and Peregrine Design Build determined where to place the new elements. The open style of the pavilion leaves views clear to the adjacent farm, barn, fields and woods.
“We also completed some renovations to the house to connect it to the landscape,” Browne says. “There had been a screened-in porch and a small deck before. We converted the screened-in porch to an open porch and wrapped the deck around the house. We also added two new sets of stairs in two different directions from the deck.”
The new deck lets the parents watch the kids when they are in the pool without having to be in the pool with them. This renovation also included creating an underdeck utility area for things such as pool pumps, electrical panels and storage for pool toys.
The pool is convenient to the house. The pool area, patio and pavilion floor are made of bluestone. So are the pavers that connect the area to the house. “They didn’t want to have hardscape everywhere, so the pavers that lead to the house are staggered with grass in between them,” Browne says.
While there is a dining area underneath the pavilion’s roof, there’s also a dining area next to it, shown near the bottom-left corner of this drone shot. The homeowners “wanted a spot for dining under the stars, so we extended the patio out on that side of the pavilion,” Browne says.
Browse planters in the Houzz Shop
While there is a dining area underneath the pavilion’s roof, there’s also a dining area next to it, shown near the bottom-left corner of this drone shot. The homeowners “wanted a spot for dining under the stars, so we extended the patio out on that side of the pavilion,” Browne says.
Browse planters in the Houzz Shop
The new decking, posts and handrails are made of a Timbertech composite material. The railings are stainless steel cables.
The homeowners didn’t have their dining furniture at the time of the photo shoot, but it will go inside the pavilion to the left of the chimney. The under-the-stars dining area will be on the patio to the left of the pavilion.
The homeowners didn’t have their dining furniture at the time of the photo shoot, but it will go inside the pavilion to the left of the chimney. The under-the-stars dining area will be on the patio to the left of the pavilion.
A split-rail fence suits the agrarian surroundings. The homeowners installed this separately; it was not part of the project.
To keep a clean-lined look on the pavilion, Browne did not use any angle braces, because they would have blocked views. Instead, he designed a steel-frame substructure to support the roof. The support post bottoms are wrapped in granite that matches the fireplace, and the tops are composite. Each post also has a lantern attached for lighting.
A mini gable in the steel roof adds architectural interest. It also has an opening that provides a view of a chandelier inside the pavilion.
To keep a clean-lined look on the pavilion, Browne did not use any angle braces, because they would have blocked views. Instead, he designed a steel-frame substructure to support the roof. The support post bottoms are wrapped in granite that matches the fireplace, and the tops are composite. Each post also has a lantern attached for lighting.
A mini gable in the steel roof adds architectural interest. It also has an opening that provides a view of a chandelier inside the pavilion.
Large blocks of local granite, reclaimed from bridge abutments, form a beautiful retaining wall along the left side of the dining patio. Slab stone steps lead up to the gardens. Plantings seen here include ‘Blonde Ambition’ blue grama grass (Bouteloua gracilis ‘Blonde Ambition’, USDA zones 4 to 9; find your zone), Fire Light Tidbit panicled hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata ‘SMNHPK’, zones 3 to 8) and ‘Happy Returns’ daylily (Hemerocallis ‘Happy Returns’, zones 3 to 9).
Beyond the patio, the team planted ‘Autumn Brilliance’ apple serviceberry trees (Amalanchier x grandiflora ‘Autumn Brilliance’, zones 4 to 9), which provide year-round interest. They have lovely flowers in spring, berries in summer, colorful leaves in fall and beautiful bark and sculptural forms in winter.
Work with a landscape designer
Beyond the patio, the team planted ‘Autumn Brilliance’ apple serviceberry trees (Amalanchier x grandiflora ‘Autumn Brilliance’, zones 4 to 9), which provide year-round interest. They have lovely flowers in spring, berries in summer, colorful leaves in fall and beautiful bark and sculptural forms in winter.
Work with a landscape designer
“We have great local partners we work with, like Peter Wells, the mason who built this fireplace from the ground up,” Browne says. The granite fireplace serves as the pavilion’s focal point. It has a granite hearth that extends around three sides of the chimney, with lots of room for logs underneath. The hearth also serves as extra seating.
“This is a big hockey family. They set up a rink off the right side of the pavilion during the winter,” Browne says. In that season, they use the pavilion to warm up by the fire and catch hockey games on the TV.
The ceiling is milled tongue-and-groove poplar wood that the team hand-sanded and stained. The mantel is black walnut. Browne took his clients to a local lumber shop to check out the piece of wood he’d scouted for them. “This was a 4-inch-thick, 24-inch-wide piece of wide, rough-milled walnut, and they were able to pick out the exact section they wanted to serve as the mantel. We kept a nice burled edge on it,” he says. It was cut to fit and floats on steel supports.
“This is a big hockey family. They set up a rink off the right side of the pavilion during the winter,” Browne says. In that season, they use the pavilion to warm up by the fire and catch hockey games on the TV.
The ceiling is milled tongue-and-groove poplar wood that the team hand-sanded and stained. The mantel is black walnut. Browne took his clients to a local lumber shop to check out the piece of wood he’d scouted for them. “This was a 4-inch-thick, 24-inch-wide piece of wide, rough-milled walnut, and they were able to pick out the exact section they wanted to serve as the mantel. We kept a nice burled edge on it,” he says. It was cut to fit and floats on steel supports.
A lounge area is centered in front of the fireplace, with the outdoor kitchen wrapping around the corner on the right. The lighting includes task lighting over the outdoor kitchen, two ceiling fans with lights and a chandelier. The pavilion also has built-in speakers and Wi-Fi.
Shop for an indoor-outdoor ceiling fan
Shop for an indoor-outdoor ceiling fan
The kitchen cabinet bases are made of aluminum and can withstand the elements. So can the Dekton countertop, which is a sintered stone surface. “This is very durable for outdoor use,” Browne says.
Check out our beginner’s guide to get started on your home project
Check out our beginner’s guide to get started on your home project
The outdoor kitchen includes a Big Green Egg grill, a griddle and lots of storage. The homeowners “didn’t opt for a refrigerator out here, but they planned on including an electric bar cart. We put an outlet for it on the end of the cabinet run,” Browne says.
The active and hearty hockey-loving family uses the pavilion year-round, no matter the weather. “Our clients told us they had Christmas out here this year,” Browne says. “It’s a really fun family space.”
More on Houzz
Read more stories about pools
Browse thousands of pool photos
Hire a swimming pool contractor
Shop for your outdoor spaces
The active and hearty hockey-loving family uses the pavilion year-round, no matter the weather. “Our clients told us they had Christmas out here this year,” Browne says. “It’s a really fun family space.”
More on Houzz
Read more stories about pools
Browse thousands of pool photos
Hire a swimming pool contractor
Shop for your outdoor spaces
Yard at a Glance
Who lives here: A family of five
Location: Charlotte, Vermont
Size: 572 square feet (53 square meters)
Designers: A.J. Browne, Emily Mack and Katherine Marsella of Peregrine Design Build (pavilion design and build); Caroline Dudek of Landshapes (landscape design)
Before: This photo shows the beautiful bucolic setting of the 3.2-acre property. The backyard was flat, so the pool, pavilion and hardscape required minimal grading.
“Charlotte [pronounced shar-LAHT] is about 35 miles south of Burlington, Vermont. There are a lot of horse farms, cattle, orchards and rolling meadows in this area right in front of where the mountains begin,” designer and project manager A.J. Browne says. “Driving along the road to this house, you get a pretty special feeling.”
Find a local design-build firm on Houzz