Photo credit: Southern Living Magazine & Pat Black Photography
The Southern Living Idea House is a testament to architectural excellence, tradition and innovation. For more than 35 years, the best in landscaping and home design have united to create one-of-a-kind homes that evoke these tenants. Aqua Blue Pools is proud to join our fellow builders and designers in bringing the 2024 Southern Living Idea House to life.
Photo credit: Southern Living Magazine & Laurey Glenn Photography
Making an Idea House a Home
Located on the banks of the Kiawah River, this Charleston, South Carolina home is the epitome of Southern living, just 20 minutes from downtown Charleston. This beautiful property was constructed with “thoughtful consideration for the natural landscape” and is an inspired, modern take on the classic farmhouse style.
Our Oasis for all Occasions
When creating a pool for any home or commercial property, our team takes great consideration to blend the new piece with the surrounding architecture. This was certainly the focus of our pool design team.
The 2024 Southern Living Idea House was designed to provide residents and guests with comfort. From its floorplan, which allows visitors to freely flow from indoors to outdoors, to the “Friends’ Entrance” that welcomes all, we built upon this vision.
The Aqua Blue pool was designed to be an inviting space to congregate and survey the scenic water views. Strategic design choices helped our team incorporate the client’s wishes into a tight working space with extensive “tree protection” zones while establishing this oasis as an extension of the home’s building materials and functionality.
The space was expanded with a planter wall built on top of the pool shell. This addition is raised, and three 6” radius scupper water features are installed in it.
To ensure this property’s views were not obstructed, we incorporated an automatic pool cover into the design in lieu of a pool enclosure. All municipalities require some form of a pool enclosure as part of the building code when installing a pool. In cases such as this, some municipalities will allow for an automatic pool cover in lieu of a pool enclosure.
Photo credit: Southern Living Magazine & Pat Black Photography
A Community Effort
Collaboration was key in this grand project. Measuring 8’2” x 20’1”, this rectangle inground plunge pool is a culmination of our and other local artisans who made up this Idea House’s expert team.
We started with the original design, and during collaboration with the architect, the raised wall and water feature elements were added to better integrate the pool into the surrounding structures. Once designs were finalized, we worked closely with the landscape architects to ensure the pool’s materials were harmonious with the materials used on this home’s exterior.
Close proximity to the marsh and the property’s large oak trees influenced design choices, while the interior finish complements the Lowcountry river views.
We are thrilled to have had the opportunity to work alongside this year’s expert team:
- Kiawah River (developer)
- Dillard-Jones (builder)
- MHK Architecture (architect)
- Allison Elebash (interior designer)
- DesignWorks (landscape architect)
Visit the 2024 Southern Living Idea House
Want to view our work in person? The Kiawah River Idea House is now open to the public. Tickets are now available for tours Thursday through Sunday from Aug. 23 to Dec. 22. Click here to buy your ticket.
Bring Home the Best of Southern Living
As the Lowcountry’s premier custom pool builder, Aqua Blue Pools is ready to bring your dream pool to life. Since 1991, our team has designed and built pools in a range of styles for residential and commercial clients from South Carolina’s Lowcountry to Savannah. We are proud to work closely with our clients to create and execute impressive custom projects built to last. Contact us today to begin planning your oasis!