Clients: Karen and Tom O’Brien
Project: Pool Remodel, Backyard Landscape, Outdoor Lighting
Why: To create a beautiful, inviting extension of their home
Extreme Exteriors Services Used: Design and Construction
In a private oasis in Midland, you’ll find Karen and Tom O’Brien enjoying their redesigned pool in a setting distinguished by beautiful pavers and lush landscaping. But it wasn’t always that way. Theoretically, Karen and Tom’s backyard should have been low-maintenance. But in reality, problem areas
begged for a solution. “The brown tiles showed all of the dirt and several of them were coming loose,” Karen said. “Not only that, the pool deck drainage system was ineffective. We did have the option to simply redo the existing tile work, but we decided we wanted to redesign for a simple, peaceful aesthetic.”
Karen and Tom had a vision of how a redesign of their pool area would appear, and Extreme Exteriors worked with them to realize the look they desired. They wanted to retain the functionality of the pool which features a deep end and elevated deck, but they wanted a distinctive, tasteful appearance. “I wanted something other than the grey plaster that was there, and I wanted to add just a tiny bit of color. The staff at Extreme Exteriors helped me a lot in making selections that would go well together.” Karen and Tom opted to go with an eye-catching tile called “Mariana Green” which was set both below the deck and around the pool’s perimeter. Their pool floor is finished in a contrasting pebble plaster, “Black Onyx.” They also elected to 
place crème brulee Versailles travertine pavers that look beautiful, hide dirt effectively, and allow any standing water to drain off smoothly. An additional design change called for removal of a large, non-functioning fountain at the south end of the pool. Extreme Exteriors team members broke up the fountain and at first glance, Karen said, “it looked like a stick of dynamite had gone off in the backyard!” Karen was prepared though because “Jake told me, it’s going to look a lot worse before it looks better.” Karen said she enjoyed watching the pool take on a new life. “I would watch the guys work and I’d sit there and be amazed as they added the pavers.” Extreme Exteriors not only added new pavers around the pool, but also extended a walkway to the side yard to achieve a consistent look. The deck area overlooking the pool was an existing feature that 
Karen and Tom wanted to keep, mainly because their grandkids like to jump from it into the deep end. The elevated deck was pulled apart during the pool resurfacing and tile work, but steps were taken by the Extreme Exteriors team to make sure it all came back together seamlessly. Karen added her own patio furniture and pottery to complete the look of her tranquil backyard. “We have so many views of the pool—from the den, from the front room, and from Tom’s office. We wanted a serene, zen-like feeling.” And that’s what Extreme Exteriors achieved, leaving Karen and Tom very happy with the finished pool and pool deck. They were originally introduced to Extreme Exteriors by friends, and now they’re sharing their good experience with others. “We’ve recommended Extreme Exteriors to several people. We’ve been really pleased.”
