Project at a glance
| Location | Folsom, CA |
|---|---|
| Project | New pool and spa |
| Setting | Wide, level yard backing onto open oak hillside |
| Pool shape | Straight rectangle, squared to the back of the house |
| Spa | Square spa set into the pool corner nearest the house |
| Water feature | Flush spillway from the spa wall into the pool |
| Interior | Light finish that holds a clean blue in any weather |
| Coping | Wide pale caps in long straight runs around the full perimeter |
| Deck | Large square pavers in a grid with turf joints between them |
| Boundary | Black fence along the back, keeping the hillside view open |
| Services | Pool construction · Spa construction · Pool design · Outdoor design · Synthetic turf |
A level Folsom lot at the edge of the neighborhood, with a squared-off pool and a paver grid that runs the width of the yard.
Project overview
This Russell Dr home sits at the edge of the neighborhood with open oak hillside behind it. The house is two stories of white stucco with dark window frames, and every line on the back elevation is square. The yard behind it is wide and level, with nothing to design around.
An open lot has a different problem than a tight one. Nothing breaks up the space, so a pool placed casually looks stranded. The geometry has to do the organizing.
What the pool needed to do:
- Hold its own in a wide, flat yard without filling it
- Line up with the square geometry of the house behind it
- Keep sightlines to the hillside open from the patio and the deck
- Leave usable deck on all four sides for seating and circulation
- Give the spa a position that works year round, not just in summer
How the design answered it
Squared to the house
The pool runs parallel to the back elevation and lines up with it, so the two shapes read as one plan.
A grid, not a patio
Square pavers with turf joints carry the pool geometry out across the yard instead of stopping at the water.
The spa tucked in
A square spa sits inside the pool corner nearest the house rather than beside it, which keeps the footprint tight.
Everything kept low
No raised walls, no stone stacks. Nothing stands between the covered patio and the hills behind the fence.
Details built around the deck grid
Paving, coping and finish chosen so a wide open yard reads as one surface.
Paver grid
Large square pavers run in a true grid with strips of turf between them. The same module carries from the patio, around the pool, and out to the lawn.
Turf joints
Green runs in both directions between the pavers, so the deck reads as a pattern rather than a slab. It softens the hard surface without adding planting beds.
Flat coping
Wide pale caps run the full perimeter in long, straight sections. The joints line up with the paver grid behind them, which keeps the edge reading as one line.
Corner spa
A square spa set into the pool at the house end, sharing a wall with the pool. The spillway sits flush, with no raised stone above it.
Light interior
A pale finish that turns bright blue in full sun and still holds a clean color under cloud. The same finish runs through the spa.
Open boundary
A low black fence along the back of the lot keeps the oak hillside in view from deck level instead of closing the yard off.
Project gallery
Each photo below was taken at this Russell Dr pool and spa build in Folsom.
The pool and paver deck with the house behind · 1 / 8
Questions about this build
What is a geometric pool?
A pool built from straight lines and square corners rather than curves. This Folsom build is a plain rectangle set parallel to the back of the house.
How do you decide where a pool goes in a wide, open yard?
Start with the lines of the house. On a level lot there is nothing else to work against, so squaring the pool to the back elevation is what keeps it from looking placed at random.
Why build the spa into the corner of the pool?
It keeps the whole water footprint in one shape. A spa set apart takes more deck and breaks the line of the design.
What is a flush spillway?
The spa wall sits level with the water and spills straight into the pool, with no raised stone above it. The spa reads as part of the same shape.
Is a spa worth it outside of summer?
A spa runs at a higher temperature than the pool and heats a much smaller volume, so it stays usable through the cooler months when the pool is not.
How much deck should you leave around a pool?
Enough to walk and sit on all four sides. Here the paver grid runs right around the water, so no edge turns into a dead strip you cannot use.
What does pool coping do?
It caps the pool edge and carries the join between water and deck. Wide, flat caps in long sections keep that line clean instead of breaking it into short pieces.
Should a backyard fence block the view?
Not when there is something worth seeing. Here a low black fence holds the boundary while keeping the oak hillside visible from deck level.
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Financing for qualified homeowners
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