A glamourous infinity pool, an enormous sunken fireplace and a complete outdoor kitchen aren’t typical features of a Calgary-area home. But, for a Springbank family of five, that was exactly the point. “They wanted it to look like The Four Seasons,” says Jenn MacDonald of DWK Interiors, which designed the project with landscape designer/builder VisionScapes.
Katie Rioux, DWK’s founder and lead designer, says the backyard reno began during the COVID-19 pandemic, and travel restrictions inspired the grandiose vision. “The thinking was, ‘If we can’t go away to a resort, why don’t we bring the resort to us?’” Rioux says.
The homeowner describes the original outdoor area as “a clean slate” — an overgrown field of nothing but grass and potential. The reno began as a fairly modest endeavour, but as the family, DWK and VisionScapes worked together, and the uncertainty brought by the pandemic continued, the project grew. A humble pool became a sizable showstopper with dramatic fire bowls. A small water feature became a dreamy stream surrounding a huge outdoor sunken living room. An outdoor cooking area became a total gourmet kitchen with built-in storage, leathered granite countertops and a pizza oven, direct from Italy.
The homeowners’ style leans modern, so the design team embraced high-contrast elements and colours. The materials are beautiful, but also functional. “Aesthetically, it looks really nice, and it’s very easy to maintain,” says the homeowner. The sunken fire pit, for example, is made of concrete, with cushions crafted from weather-ready, simple-to-clean fabric.
Though travel is now back on the table, the family (and their many guests) is more than happy to check-in at their private oasis instead. “On any given weekend, we have 20-ish people over,” the homeowner shares. The stunning backyard retreat is like going on vacation, right outside their back door.
The fire pit
Thirty or so people can fit comfortably around the sunken fire pit, which the homeowner says wasn’t originally planned to be so large, but the more, the merrier. “We just went from zero to 100,” she affirms.
The deck
Furnishings from Bernhardt make the upper-patio area totally lounge-worthy, and, thanks to screens and accordion doors, it’s a year-round hangout spot.
The dining area
A pretty pergola and wow-worthy industrial chandelier make the dining table its own special moment. “It’s my favourite spot in this whole design,” says MacDonald.
The extras
On top of the beautiful lounge spaces, the backyard also has a mini-putt course and a full sport court. “Our home is a hub for family and friends, and the space is grand enough to accommodate it all,” says the homeowner.