Catherine and Ben Wood moved from D.C. to McLean’s Franklin Park in 2009, and for a good 10 years contemplated buying a vacation home, too. But as their three daughters got older and sports took over the family’s weekends, getaways proved nearly impossible. So they decided to turn their half-acre property into a resort-like setting. “We wanted our backyard to feel like we’re on vacation,” Catherine says.
As timing would have it, Covid shuttered pools and swim practices, rendering the entire family homebound. They dove in, hiring Richardson & Associates Landscape Architecture, Winn Design + Build, and landscape contractor Black Pearl to add a heated saltwater pool where their girls (now in high school) could swim laps, plus a pool house and a 2,400-square-foot terrace with an outdoor kitchen, spa and fire pit.
The pool house features charcoal-painted beams, generous storage and what the Woods say is their nicest bathroom. Its textured concrete gas fireplace is almost always clicked on, and the TV is often best viewed from in the pool.
The aesthetics are a departure from the traditional white structures Catherine’s photo research turned up (which she was determined to avoid). “We thought we could blend modern with something that gave them an open, airy feel,” says general contractor Michael Winn, “which is why we have that large, raised gabled roof with the cathedral ceiling—to make it feel really open to the elements.”
The textured concrete is reprised in a 60-foot-long retaining wall separating the garden from the pool deck, which serves as an extra perch during parties. LED lighting imparts a soft glow. “Architecturally, and from an aesthetic perspective, it’s really stunning at night,” says landscape architect Joseph Richardson, who masterminded the hardscaping and all-season plantings.
In spring, pink and white dogwoods bloom, and playful daffodils pop up along the perimeter. Summer brings black-eyed Susans, magenta echinacea and white crape myrtles. Come fall, a paperbark maple exfoliates and turns vibrant red, and the tall swaying Karl Foerster ornamental grass goes golden. Hardy hollies show their ruby berries in winter, and arborvitae are lush green privacy providers.
At the start of the project, Catherine told Richardson she was partial to an English garden or wild prairie look. He stationed color, texture and interest in pockets throughout, landing on “country club prairie,” she says. “We love it.”