"River Town USA"
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Allan Curtis, Designer/Co-Owner
Sandi Maki, Co-Owner
Legendary Escapes Pool Scapes
Howell, Mich.
Jodi Cook, Landscaping
Ask the Garden Gal
Brighton, Mich.
"River Town USA"
Allan Curtis, Designer/Co-Owner
Sandi Maki, Co-Owner
Legendary Escapes Pool Scapes
Howell, Mich.
Jodi Cook, Landscaping
Ask the Garden Gal
Brighton, Mich.
“What would you do if you could do anything in this yard?”
This question confronted designer Al Curtis when he first met with the clients about transforming a former cornfield into the backyard of their dreams.
He wanted a lazy river. She wanted a long waterslide. So long as those conditions were met, Curtis could do whatever he pleased.
The result is a poolscape brimming with rustic charm and the components to weave a good tale.
Backyard Main St.
This pool plunges you into a bygone fishing village where’s there’s a surprise around every turn.
It starts with a steel-walled vinyl-liner pool. A concrete lazy river wraps around the pool and flows through a grotto, while a 25-foot waterslide plunges into a lower pool. A concrete bridge, made to resemble a rickety wooden version, doubles as a jumping spot into the deep end of the vinyl pool. Sculpted otters and animal footprints on the bridge are a nod to Otter Lake, Mich., where the project is located. The waterscape also features a spa and sunshelf.
But that’s only part of the story. Surrounding the water elements are the makings of a small town Main Street. There’s Vera’s General Store, a structure built over the lazy river with a play space on the upper level. Another building, called Wilson’s Fish Market, as well as wooden boats, fishing nets, lobster traps and other accoutrements along the riverbank set the scene.
Some buildings perform functions beyond storytelling. One, set next to the lazy river entrance, houses the main equipment pad, as well as the spa’s propane heater and a geothermal heat exchanger that transfers thermal energy from a nearby pond. Bud’s Bait Shop houses the equipment pad for the lower pool and functions as part of the retaining wall on the lower patio.
Reclaimed barn wood and vintage signs contribute to the nostalgic atmosphere.
Where did Curtis find all the makings for this scene?
“Every minute I’m not working on pools, I’m scouring the world,” says the owner of Legendary Escapes in Brighton, Mich.
Flea markets, antique shops and Facebook Marketplace supply him with all kinds of fun set pieces.
“When you have quirky ideas, you can’t just buy stuff off the shelf,” he says. “If I find something cool, I’m going to figure out a way to get it into my truck” — and into his customers’ pools.
To convert the large former cornfield into a fishing village, Curtis framed the space with reclaimed aluminum boats as walls. This helped scale and define the entertainment area, distinct from the large field surrounding it.
The project was built in phases, starting with the shotcrete lazy river. Once the concrete was applied, the team dug the main pool, installed the steel walls, then added the shotcrete catch basin. The buildings comprising the village were added after.
Curtis doesn’t approach his projects with a design set in stone. His is a more freewheeling approach, building in stages and adding fun elements as he finds them.
“That’s the only way I build,” he says.
SUPPLIERS:
Pump/filter: Pentair
Heater: Raypak
Controller: EasyTouch
Tile: NPT
Deck finishes: Brickform
Lights: Jandy
Spa components: Endless Pools
Drain covers/fittings: Paramount
Skimmers: Pentair
Fencing: Fortress Fence
Vinyl liner: Latham
Other: ecoFinis
