Joan Behnke Videos Of Speaking To The Design World

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Indoor and outdoor pools in evocative Art Deco and rustic settings

These diverse pool settings by Richard Landry call to mind other times and places

Architecture has the ability to transport the mind to different locales or even imply a history where none exists. A column here, a stone-clad wall there and the subconscious does the rest.

Two lavish pool environments one in a basement games area and the other outdoors form part of a stately residence designed by architect Richard Landry, with interiors by designer Joan Behnke. The owners had wanted an Art Deco-style house, but neighbourhood design guidelines required an Italianate look. Landry's response was to include influences of both with Italianate detailing on the exterior, and a mix of Italian and Art Deco on the interior.

"The family entertain on a grand scale so the pool and games room is comprehensive, and both accents are carried through on this lower floor," he says. "Art Deco-like elements include the stepped ceiling and mosaic wall panels. An adjacent steam, spa, and massage space features a seaside mural, also in mosaics, that evokes the same period. The Italian influence is seen in the travertine stone surfaces and fluted columns."

While the house has a formal style, albeit with modern accents, the pool cabana and guest house offer a different appeal.

"The guest house is a complete departure from the style of the main house," says Landry. "The idea was to create a visual story, implying that when the house was built an existing barn structure on the land was repurposed. However, this large, rustic building with a hand-applied stone finish is in reality brand new. It includes a guest suite with balcony, a covered loggia, a tower and a fire pit."

From the rear of the house, the guest house and cabana can be seen directly across the pool. With its two-storey suite on one side and curved stair and tower on the other, it has the presence of a massive sculpture. And as with any artwork, it required balance one side's rectilinear form speaking to the other side's curved shape.