» Owners: Captain Rufus and Melynda Wakeman, Jensen Beach, owners
of River Palm Cottages & Fish Camp

» Cost: More than $300,000. “The whole thing went over budget,” says Melynda Wakeman.

» Features: Chickee hut bar with stainless steel appliances at the poolside bar and serving area. The bar top is inlaid with Wakeman’s collection of fossilized shark teeth, conch shells and sea glass. A waterfall/grotto doubles as a dive platform. There’s a lazy river with current for in-place exercise swimming and an island with palm trees.

» Ambiance: Keeping the look natural, interesting and creative was key. Wakeman incorporated her love of plants. She’s most proud of preserving the live oak trees during construction and incorporating them into the pool layout. The family picked up design
tips from their travels, particularly to Costa Rica. “We took all of our favorite things from our favorite places and put them together in one pool,” says Wakeman.

» Design Team: Dennis Buford, Buford Construction Co.; Gary Kelly and Brian Blackburn, Kelly & Kelly Architects; Advantage Pool Builders, all in Stuart

Lagoon Pool

» Owner: Tom Fogarty, South Miami, owner, Doral Title, Doral

» Cost: $250,000

» Features: The elevated flagstone step entry is the focal point of the pool. Water spills over the edge of the Jacuzzi, cascading down over the cobblestone sides. Stools in the Jacuzzi belly up to the cabana/bar at one end. The pool has multiple curves, giving it a natural, amorphous look. Fogarty chose a dark Pebbletec finish for the bottom to give the pool a lagoon feel and used natural rock around the pool.

» Ambiance: Resort getaway

» Design Team: David Font, owner, Font Designs, Coral Springs; Carlos Figueroa, owner, Madison Construction Group, Miami

David Font

Going with the Flow

» Owner: The owner, who prefers to remain anonymous, lives in California. The home is in Bella Collina in Lake County’s Montverde.

» Cost: $600,000. The glass tile alone cost $50,000 to $60,000, plus an additional $40,000 to $50,000 for labor. “The expense of the pool was so high due to material and labor,” says John Kirkland, co-owner of Southern Pool Designs. “It was a very difficult pool to build.”

» Features: A perimeter-overflow design combined with a conventional vanishing edge makes the pool look like it disappears into Lake Apopka. The glass tile, about 3,000 square feet, is from a company called Sicis in Ravenna, Italy, one of the finest glass tile manufacturers. The blue tiles have a copper iridescence, which take on different hues depending on how the sun hits the pool.

» Awards: The pool, which took a year and a half to build, has won prestigious state and international design awards, including “Best of Show” from the Florida Swimming Pool Association’s annual design contest.

» Design Team: Southern Pool Designs in Sanford