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St. Tammany Parish:
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Backyard Oasis |
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by Suzy Kessnich
When visiting Wayne and Laurie McCants’ poolside at their home in Covington’s Maple Ridge, you are enveloped in their world of tranquility and peace. “It became a hobby,” says Wayne. “Laurie and I designed and created our sanctuary, even to hiring the workers. We had lots of great ideas from our travels to various golf and residential resorts, and brought them home to build exactly what we wanted.”
“Some obstacles occurred during the course of our planning this project, but Wayne managed to work through them in his determination to get it completed,” says Laurie. “He is more creative than I am, so I left a lot up to him to decide.”
Keeping the tropics in mind, Wayne did his homework to produce the lush landscaping that spreads throughout the yard. Five varieties of palm trees are represented, from Windmill and Canary to tall Royal and Washingtonian; fan palms flow with hydrangeas and hibiscus. Surrounding the patio gardens is a privacy wall of tall bamboo.
The entire pool and courtyard area is decked with old New Orleans brick. The freeform pool, made of custom-blended deep-blue gunite, has a hidden lap lane. At night, the pool lights are darker, reflecting a darker blue bottom tone. Adding to the serenity is an old brick backdrop, landscaped with smaller species of palms, annuals and hibiscus. It features a bronze dolphin sculpture as a fountain above a waterfall wall. A low–rise hot tub flows into the pool across from the sculpture.
“Laurie and I love to have family gatherings and friends over for dinner,” says Wayne. To that end, he built the ultimate cooking cabana for outdoor entertaining. The Vulcan appliances include a grill cook top, a six-burner stove and double ovens. The Frigidaire gas grill has six independent burners, providing ample cooking space for even the largest soirée. In the center of the back wall is a wood-burning outdoor fireplace. The elegant dining area next to the cooking cabana is shaded by an umbrella and surrounded by the gorgeously landscaped gardens. Under the columned pitch-roof cabana is a wood carved plaque reading “FARALLON,” a famous restaurant in San Francisco that is sentimental for the McCants.
The busy couple also wanted the area to be suitable for nighttime entertaining. When visiting a home show, Wayne and Laurie discovered a landscape lighting concept called FX lighting that could create a relaxing ambience. Wayne met with installer Mike France of Creative Outdoors in Slidell to plan the lighting. France explains that the lighting is a mixture of upper- and lower-wattage bulbs. “This new lighting concept is innovative in creating special effects.” The system operates with an underground low-voltage wiring installation that runs off its own transformer. France strategically placed several copper fixtures throughout the area’s pathways to provide downward illumination. In the taller palm trees, low-voltage spotlights shine upward, reflecting the soft light that gleams from the pool’s surface.
For their guests who are not interested in sunbathing and swimming, but prefer a cool, shady spot, the back porch of the McCants’ plantation-style home has several welcoming seating arrangements: a suspended cushioned swing, a chaise lounge, and an intimate group sitting area for cocktails that features a free-standing wicker bar. All are decorated with indoor-style furnishings from Outdoor Living Center in Covington, which bring the comfort of inside to the outside. A metal palm leaf screen hides a window. The back porch is the perfect place to relax in the shade and enjoy the breeze of the ceiling fans, while overlooking the peaceful scenery provided by the pool, dolphin fountain, waterfall and lush landscaping.
“We have more plans to turn the garage into a pool house, which will open the house up even more into the pool and courtyard,” says Laurie. She adds, “Don’t be afraid to create your own little oasis—just use your imagination and gather your ideas from magazines and the places you visit. It doesn’t have to be completed all at once: You can start small by incorporating elements one step at a time.”
Just as at the McCants’ home, every home improvement is a labor of love—and a work in progress.
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Copyright 2006, M&L Publishing, all rights reserved. |
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