he crescent-shaped pool in this project curves away from the wood-burning fire pit to fully capture the stunning reflection of firelight. The fire crackles 10 feet away from the water’s edge and is surrounded by limestone boulders cut to a comfortable sitting height of 18 inches. The fire pit helps warm the cooler Canadian evenings. “The fire is burning almost every night,” says Randy Tumber. “Its warmth draws people around it like a magnet.”

With the pit strategically sheltered by a 3-foot retaining wall that buffers against Ontario’s northwest winds, the fire’s ashes remain where they belong. “By taking into consideration the direction of prevailing winds,” explains Tumber, “I located the wall to create a wind-free zone.” Simply a cone-shaped void in the terrace, the fire pit is filled with beach pebbles for authenticity and heat absorption. A drain extends 24 inches below grade to safely eliminate messy water overflow in case of rain. Wiarton stone from Ontario’s Bruce Peninsula makes up the flush mortar-joined terrace, as well as the stone retaining wall with built-in wood box on the far side of the pool. Four inches of reinforced concrete on top of a granular base support the wairton flagstone.