April showers bring May flowers … especially in this garden, designed by Rich Granoff and his team. Granoff Architects, established in 1989, now employs thirty professionals and covers four disciplines: residential and commercial architecture, landscaping and interior design. Granoff, a Syracuse University graduate, is passionate about sustainability and has been a trailblazer in green building practices. He also actively gives back to our community, offering pro bono design services to organizations like the American Red Cross, United Way and Neighbor to Neighbor, earning his place as one of our Light a Fire winners in 2012.
Here, Rich shares his inspiration and approach to designing this glorious garden and pool house, which are sure to be buzzing with excited pollinators and serene sunbathers this summer.
Classic English garden shapes and a garden bench welcome you into natural coastal vistas. Boxwoods and paving maintain the structure and keep an elevated feel. Shades of purples, whites and greens act as the palette, providing continuity throughout the property with peonies, astilbie, nepeta, salvia and geranium providing the show. – Photographs: Noah Granoff Photography
Where is this house located, and what were the owners looking to do? This property is on the Connecticut/New York border. The client wanted a garden room to help create a sense of entry into the pool area, which had pollinator value and continuous bloom. It serves as a nice gathering point for the yard and gives the homeowner or guest some wonder in choices on which direction they’d like to go to next. Maybe you want to go to the lawn and play, maybe the pool for a swim and sun, or you can always sit on one of the four benches and experience the garden.
Describe the pool house and what inspired the design. Classic English gardening inspired the design, along with clear, simple shapes. Being able to have a flourishing garden with hedging to define the edges helps soften the entry experience to the pool area. The garden gives a nice opportunity to prune a few garden flowers and make bouquets to bring color into the home and connect back to the garden. Warm brick for the pathways creates a nice contrast to the pool patio bluestone and gives a subtle hint you are entering into a new activity space.
Describe the landscaping and gardens you designed, surrounding the pool house. The gardens are full of life and color. They create a welcoming entry sequence into the pool area while inspiring some wonder. It also gives a nice soft backdrop from the pool view, and the hedging creates framed vistas inviting users to explore. The pollinators love the native plantings, and it’s always nice to shine a light on the importance of having these areas for our pollinator friends, as they are so important not only to our well-being but also to the birds and beyond.
What were the biggest challenges with this project? The natural complexity of a garden can be difficult to convey rest and simplicity. The clean lines of the walkways and hedging help that. Simple shapes in the pool area, walkways and containment of hedging allow opportunity for the garden to have a little bit of fun.
What is your favorite element? The Conversation Garden. It gives a quiet space to talk or sit and look at the garden while still being able to see the pool. It also gives an opportunity for the eye to rest. As you relax on the pool chaise in a more active pool area, you can put your mind in the gardens as you watch the bees, butterflies and bird visitors. My secret favorite space would be the bocce court—it’s hidden, but wow! What a fun, simple activity to find sunken behind the pool house, as you explore the yard and enjoy it with your family and friends.