Greg, Amanda, and Pierce Keys
Clients: Greg and Amanda Keys
Project: Backyard Landscape, Fencing, Patio, Pool and Spa
Why: To celebrate a second chance at life
Extreme Exteriors Services Used: Design and Construction
“Where do you see yourself five years from now?” Have you ever been asked that during a job interview? Sometimes five years go by and things turn out exactly the way we plan, and sometimes life has many unforeseen twists and turns. For Greg Keys, he never would have imagined that when he told Amanda, “Maybe in five years we’ll build a pool,” that they would be fighting for Amanda’s life. Amanda started having headaches that gradually increased in frequency and intensity until an MRI revealed a large tumor that needed aggressive cancer treatment. They traveled to M.D. Anderson to seek the best possible care for Amanda. While staying in Houston, absorbing the stress and anxiety of cancer treatment, they would retreat poolside at their hotel to relax and unwind. Greg experienced for himself how soothing a beautiful pool can be and so the idea of putting in his own custom pool became more appealing. As Amanda got better and they returned home the pool now took on a whole new aspect – as a way to celebrate Amanda’s clean bill of health and what Greg described as a second chance at life.
With the decision made to add the pool, Greg and Amanda began to pull together pictures and ideas for the 
Extreme Exteriors design team. “The design process was great,” Greg said. “They were good about keeping us informed on where we were in the process and they made good suggestions along the way.” Greg mentioned how the designers noticed palm trees in many of the design inspiration pictures that Greg and Amanda shared, which is something that they hadn’t consciously considered as they gathered ideas. They liked how the Extreme Exteriors team noticed details like the palms and included them in the design. They were also very happy with the suggestion to include an in-floor cleaning system. Amanda likes how it cleans the pool so effectively and that this avoids having a large, unwieldy hose lying on the surface of the pool.
Since the pool’s completion, Greg and Amanda have entertained friends more often because it’s a fun place to be together. The photo is a great example of this – they hired a musician, a caterer, and invited a ton of people over to celebrate the pool’s completion. When they’re not entertaining, Greg said he likes to take a patio chair and a book and sit in the beach entry to relax. He and Amanda also built the pool in mind for exercise as well, and he likes to take advantage of the length of the pool for swimming laps.
Greg and Amanda also love how they can adjust the lights at night, creating different moods and enjoying the look of the lights as they play off the water. They also like the lily pads in front of the spa, which was another design feature that they agreed would like great. Overall, the Keys said they’re very pleased with the result and they are happy with the service they received from the Extreme Exteriors team. At Extreme Exteriors, we like to say that we help create the background to the story of your life. Greg and Amanda’s story has had its share of struggle and triumph, and we hope that as time goes 
on, there will be many more joyful occasions to celebrate.
