A Backyard Steps Up

Design by Thomas Flint Landscape Design & Custom Pools
Photography by Adam Pass
Photography Text by Darius Amos

A narrow, sloping backyard isn’t necessarily the ideal setting for a family that seeks serenity in the outdoors. Just ask Brian and Heather Lasala—the couple spent almost a decade resigned to those conditions at their Ho-Ho-Kus home. They love to entertain, and they wanted to upgrade the underused space to fulfill their wish list and meet the needs of an active, grade-school-aged son.

So the Lasalas called upon Thomas Flint, president of Thomas Flint Landscape Design & Custom Pools in Waldwick, for help, presenting their own vision for the yard that up to that point had featured a small patio and a short but steep hill covered with grass and overgrown plants. What did they want? A larger patio with a gathering space, organized landscaping and a swimming pool, if possible.

Sun-shelf pool chairs by Ledge Lounger offer the perfect spot to catch rays as well as a glimpse of the limelight hydrangeas reflecting off the water’s surface.

“It was a sloped yard with an awkward, unfriendly area for a pool,” Flint recalls. “And another big challenge was screening the property from surrounding homes.” Because of the configuration of the Lasalas’ corner lot, the backyard’s property line was “basically at the neighbor’s front door.” As a result, the proposed upgrades required land-use variances from the borough codes.

Steps soften the look from the main patio area to the lounge space next to the pool, as well as from the patio to the sunken spa, says Thomas Flint, president of Thomas Flint Landscape Design & Custom Pools.

When site-plan approval was granted, Flint and his team went to work. They excavated and created a terraced yard, installing a multi-tier patio that extended from the house on the main level to a new entertaining area on the lower level. “We used porcelain for the patio instead of typical stone,” Flint explains. “It’s a durable material and comes in a format larger than stone. It also doesn’t get as hot or slippery.” The same material was used for four steps connecting the main level with the next landing, where the new pool, spa and firepit and other zones were installed.

A blue stone veneer firepit gives family and friends a cozy place to congregate after a long swim and into the evening hours. The main patio area with dining set by Kettler Life extends from the home’s kitchen and living areas and serves as the primary outdoor dining space.

The pool was designed to give the yard a modern edge, featuring steps that lead swimmers gradually into the water as well as another series of steps that descend into a centrally located spa. “This makes the whole area feel soft, offering inviting access in and out of the water,” Flint says. The pool was built along the side of the lower terrace, giving it the illusion of an infinity edge.

Colorful flowers and lush vegetation are a visual counterpoint to the hardscaping elements.

A new cabana adjacent to the pool provides a place to entertain out of the water. Complete with outdoor bar, eating space and television, it’s a spot suitable for the Lasalas’ entire clan. “Lead designer Jessica Orellano worked with them on their goals and how to use the space,” Flint says. “They were looking for a hub that would have shade and would not be directly next to the house. The cabana is a true functional, usable space.”

A new cabana is outfitted with a wet bar, complete with a sink, a drink cooler and a refrigerator. It fulfilled the homeowners’ desire for an outdoor entertaining hub—it’s a functional space. “When people entertain on weekends, they get the Sunday blues when they have to carry everything back to the house,” says Flint. “This cabana reduces time spent cleaning and going back and forth to the house.”

Orellano also helped the family select flowers and other plants to fill in around the hardscape features. Heather “wanted a garden and lots of color,” Orellano says, so the team used a variety of lavender, black-eyed Susans, cornflower and other bright-hued plants around the patio. “Limelight hydrangeas by the edge of the pool give an awesome reflection on the water. The garden was super-important, so there will be different blooms all throughout the year.”

For the owners, the result of the work was more than a dream come true.

“We loved the transformation of our backyard into a lush, peaceful space,” says Heather. “It has truly become our favorite escape, where we enjoy spending time with family and friends around a beautiful pool and firepit. Just as memorable was working with the crew—especially our project managers—whose presence we genuinely missed once the work was done.”