Full Circle

David Bennett knew exactly what he wanted to do when he set out to create a backyard oasis for Charlotte Dixon’s Ansley Park home. “She’s an avid collector of contemporary art, so we wanted the back yard to reflect that with very strong, architectural lines and bold colors that still harmonized with the natural landscape,” says the founder of Bennett Design & Landscape.

Just as artful as Dixon’s favorite works, a crescent-shaped arbor now takes the spotlight with a front-and-center view from the back door. Its curving, architectural shape cradles that of the circular saltwater pool, made all the more intriguing by its interior structure.

“The owner wanted three separate elements in the pool, but we didn’t want to break the continuity of the circle,” says Bennett, “so we designed a way to combine them all in the same space.” The new jetted spa is encircled by a sun ledge made especially for extending a lounge chair in ankle-deep water. The pool’s outer crescent, featuring stair steps leading to a depth of six feet, completes the circle—providing just enough room for a morning workout.

Coupled with limestone coping, the pool’s black marble Pebble Tec finish also adds luxurious depth, especially at night when the lights reflect off of the water’s darkened surface. A self-contained fountain, composed of several arcs of water, becomes all the more dazzling under the evening lights.

Bennett’s insistence on quality and attention to detail is evident in all of the pool’s decorative elements, from the Brown Jordan furniture to a gas-log fireplace that is anything but ordinary. Instead of traditional stucco, Dixon requested one made from crushed oyster shells, like those she had seen in Florida. The new fireplace has a lustrous texture that adds a light touch to the overall look.

“It’s exactly what I wanted—a place of serenity and escape. I love the bed swings; the first time I sat in one, I fell in love,” Dixon says cheerily. The swings, custom built from mahogany and enclosed with brown and white panels in a sunflower motif, give her the relaxing retreat she’d been dreaming about. “I love to read, I love to nest and I love to take naps. That’s my downtime from the life I lead,” she says. “I bring a cup of coffee or ice water and a newspaper—then sit back and just drift away.”

Design Details:
ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN
David Bennett and Dave Price
Bennett Design & Landscape
(770) 457-3100
bennettdesign.com