All posts by Kerstin Bodily

Clients: Larry and Shea Hall

Project: Landscaping and pool, remodeling pool house, adding outdoor fireplace and patio area. Secondary addition of a pool slide and custom spa

Why: Their philosophy of giving is prevalent each day of their lives. Their home is a natural expression of their desire to share happy moments and to help people feel included and loved.

Extreme Exteriors Services Used: Design, construction, outdoor lighting, retail

When Larry and Shea Hall remodeled their home in 2007, they decided they would love to include a pool. Larry planted trees 25 years previously, so they had some beautiful, mature landscaping and plenty of room for the pool. Shea remembers how company president Randy Glenn presented a 3-D rendering of the pool design so they would be able to easily picture how the pool would look with the existing trees. She said, “He brought the design out and we loved it. When it was done, it literally looked just like the picture.” A few years later, Shea and Larry decided to replace their above ground hot tub with a new spa. The spa features jewel stone mosaic tile that matches the new slide. Shea and Larry both really love relaxing in the new spa. Shea especially likes how she has an app on her phone that allows her to adjust the spa’s temperature and lighting.

Shea mentioned that one of the reasons she loves her outdoor living area so much is because she can share it. “We love the way that it’s set up and the size of it. We can easily share it with one person or with 60! We have huge birthday parties for the grandkids. One of our most favorite things to do is host a swim party every year with the coaches and wives from Cooper High School.” She went on to say, “It’s very comfortable and easy to go from the pool to the pool house. The beach entries are great for kids and adults. It’s a little oasis in the middle of farmland!” Shea thoughtfully pointed out that you don’t have to go to Dallas to get a great pool. She has known company owners Randy and Mikea Glenn for a number of years and praises their “great vision and work ethic.” She was extremely happy that during both construction phases she and Larry were presented with a picture, a budget was set, and the end result was exactly what was promised. She and Randy are now talking about an addition to the porch and she’s really looking forward to seeing a design that’s never been done before. She appreciates the unique and original designs that the Extreme Exteriors team comes up with, which makes every home its own kind of beautiful.

• Clients: Don and Cathy Carruth
• Project: Landscaping, pavers, sod, garden beds
• Why: They wanted a low-maintenance look and also wanted their entire home and yard to be more cohesive.
• Extreme Exteriors services used: Design, construction, retail

Don and Cathy’s last name “Carruth” is synonymous with “adventurous”! It’s not often that you meet someone whose driveway is a runway but for Don and Cathy it’s part of everyday life. Don and Cathy can fly just about anywhere only steps away from their front door. Home has been Midland for 26 years, with the exception of two years they spent as newlyweds in the U.S. Virgin Islands, sailing the seas together. Talk about romantic! I would have loved to stay and listen to their many adventures, but I had a brief window of time to catch up with them before they hopped on the plane again.

The Extreme Exteriors team recently completed a full-scale renovation on both the front and backyards, extending to guest quarters behind the main residence. The area that looks most different is the front yard, which is pleasing to Cathy. What was once just dirt has been transformed to include a variety of plants and shrubs giving the front yard a more welcoming appearance. “It’s inviting to come home to,” she said. Cathy is also aware that curb appeal helps with resale value, so if she and Don ever need to sell their home, people will be more interested in it.

In both the front and back yards, easy maintenance was a key element of the design. Xeriscaped beds in both locations with drought-tolerant plants were critical to the Carruths, as they are frequently away and don’t want to worry about plants dying because no one is home to water them. A few unique projects that the Carruths requested were a gated dog run in the backyard, raised flower beds in the garden, and pavers beneath the windows. Cathy was especially happy with how she was able to work with the design team on the pavers. She had suggested pouring concrete so that she or Don would have a stable place to set up a ladder for washing the windows. The design team recommended using the same pavers that we used to extend their back patio. Cathy said the pavers are both helpful and attractive and that it was a good collaboration. Cathy and Don were also happy that the designers recommended a stucco finish over their existing fence. This was done to accentuate the color of the new Austin stone used in their portico. Cathy said the original portico arches failed and they couldn’t rebuild it using brick because their brick color was no longer in production. Thus, white Austin stone was used for the arches. The Extreme Exteriors design team also used Austin stone for border edging, giving their home and property a cohesive look.

When they are home, Cathy and Don enjoy the extension of their patio, where they like to relax in the new Adirondack chairs. “It’s our favorite place to sit and read the paper, have coffee, or enjoy breakfast together.” Cathy also enjoys the sound of the water bubbling nearby in the fountain that the Extreme Exteriors team installed. In describing their experience working with the team, Cathy was very complimentary, commenting on the team’s politeness. “There was an ease about speaking to people, and it was evident that they wanted to do their very best.”

Clients: Ryan and Deidre Stockard

Project: Pool, Sod and Irrigation, Pavers

Why: This is the Stockard’s forever home, and they want it to be a place of comfort and relaxation. Their two sons, Cash and Tucker, love the outdoors, and Ryan and Deidre wanted them to be able to spend plenty of time swimming and playing in the pool.

Extreme Exteriors Services Used: Design, Construction, Follow up Maintenance

Who are the best kinds of friends? The ones you can implicitly trust with your home! Ryan and Deidre are great friends with company president Randy Glenn and his wife Mikea, and there’s a big reason for that. “We have a connection of both being entrepreneurs with an outstanding work ethic. We both understand how to create something that no one else can create, and this builds confidence between us.”  That confidence turned into a very positive experience from start to finish.

Deidre was very pleased that she received in-depth explanations as the pool project took shape. “We were given lots of options and they helped explain what was feasible and what would look good,” she said.  “They were never pushy.” During construction, Deidre said she always received very good information on what was happening next and who would be working at their home. And when the pool was completed, she was very thankful that the Extreme Exteriors team made sure she understood how to use the chemicals, how often they should be used, and when it was safe for her boys to use the pool. She appreciated the feeling she got that the door was always open if she had questions, and that we took the time to make sure they loved the final results. “I always recommend Extreme Exteriors because of the process,” Deidre said.

Although the Stockard’s pool has only recently been completed, they have already enjoyed some memorable events, such as hosting their supper club, celebrating Ryan’s birthday, and getting friends together for Memorial Day Weekend. The pool was especially welcome for Memorial Day, as the area’s lakes were closed due to dangerously high water levels. Everyone who comes over notices that the pool fits right in with their home and that it looks like it’s always been there. That’s one of the major goals that Deidre wanted to achieve. Deidre and Ryan are both very happy that the colors of the pavers, the stone, and the shape of the pool all look natural and match the mood of their home. Deidre’s other “must-haves” were the waterfall and the jumping rocks. The waterfall cascades into the deepest part of the pool, and as the boys grow older, they will never have to worry about hitting the bottom of the pool! Deidre and Ryan look forward to their home being a place where the boys’ friends will want to come over and hang out, especially during their middle school and high school years. In the meantime, Deidre and Ryan are having fun watching the boys experience some swimming “firsts” together, like putting on googles and going underwater.

The Stockards know that this is their forever home, and they thoughtfully considered the place they wanted it to be. They had confidence that Randy and the Extreme Exteriors team had the vision and the skill to make it happen. We’re thankful that Deidre and Ryan recommend Extreme Exteriors to their circle of friends and acquaintances, and that we were given the opportunity to work with such a wonderful family!

Clients: Darla and Chip Bennett

Project: Pool/Spa (Spool), Pavers, Sod, Landscaping

Why: They owned a ranch, where their grandkids visited to go hunting and fishing. Once they relocated to Abilene, they wanted to have a way to entertain their grandkids. They also wanted a way that they could cool down on hot days too!

Extreme Exteriors Services Used: Design, Construction, Follow-up Maintenance

“We could not be happier, everything was very professional.” “The pool was exactly what I envisioned, in fact, it exceeded our expectations. It’s the best money we’ve spent in a long time!” As you can tell, Darla and Chip are thrilled with their new pool! It can be referred to as a spool, because eight spa jets are built in so it functions as a pool or a spa depending on what they want. A remote control adjusts the temperature so it’s very easy to enjoy optimal conditions. For Chip and Darla’s grandchildren who live close by, that means lots of summer fun cooling off in the pool. For their three grandkids who live in Arkansas, they get to enjoy it as a spa when they visit at Thanksgiving or Christmas. Chip and Darla are very happy with the year-round capability that they enjoy with the addition of the spool.

The Bennetts relocated to Abilene from Denver City almost five years ago and thought that their lot was too small for a pool. But one day when Chip was walking around the neighborhood, he saw a spool in one of his neighbor’s backyards and found out that it had been completed by the Extreme Exteriors team. With this information in mind, he contacted us about finding the right design that would work for his home. Chip and Darla were very impressed with the professional design plan they received. Chip appreciated that the plans were to scale and included a key to where the plants would go. They received a competitor’s bid, but he only drew them a pencil sketch on a piece of paper, so Chip and Darla felt that there was no comparison when it came time to choose a builder.

Darla initially thought that the pool would have to be built in their side yard where there was an open space. But in working with the Extreme Exteriors design team, she could see that placing the pool straight outside of the patio doors would allow them to enjoy the backsplash and the fountains even when they were inside.  Once the design plans were finalized, work got underway. “I was really surprised at how fast it got done. They didn’t miss a day of work because of the rain. Once they started, they really knocked it out,” Darla said. Darla was pleased that they could trust the Extreme Exteriors crews to clean up the work site every day, never leaving water bottles or other trash in the yard. She was also happy that the team powerwashed their driveway at the end of the job to remove any lingering dirt that ended up there during construction.

The Bennetts are pleased that they can cool down and relax without having to go anywhere, and that they have something fun for the grandkids to enjoy when they come to visit. They’ve been very pleased with everything from start to finish; from the design, to construction, to the instruction they received on the pool’s control panel and remote control operation. We’re so pleased that the spool was a great fit for their lifestyle and that they are so pleased with the outcome!