Laguna Hills Before & After
Jun 17, 2026Where It Started
A Yard With Nothing But Potential
When I first sat down with my clients, what they had was a rotted wood deck, some grass, and a couple of raised planters. That was it. The upper balcony was so deteriorated you couldn't safely walk on it. But they had a vision — and a really clear one at that.
They came to me wanting a custom pool, a large solid roof patio cover with a fireplace built into it, a new barbecue area, and a rebuilt upper deck where they could set up a proper outdoor dining space. A full transformation, top to bottom.
I put together an eighth-scale design plan with all the details the contractor needed to bring it to life — pool shape and placement, the outdoor room footprint, the deck layout. Once the plans were approved, demolition began and the contractor started laying out the pool placement with string lines based on my drawings.
The Pool
Every Material Choice Made With Purpose
As the shotcrete went in and the pool shell started taking shape, so did the decisions about finishes and materials. This is where the character of a project really starts to show.
For the bond beam — the back wall of the pool that sits above the waterline — I used a natural limestone veneer from a company called AAA, quarried out of Texas. The style is called Rebel, and the color is Tundra Cream. It's warm, organic, and pairs beautifully with the surrounding landscape.
Never use fake stone made out of concrete on a pool bond beam. It will disintegrate from pool water over time. Always specify real natural stone — it's worth it.
Along with the limestone, we incorporated water spills from the bond beam into the pool for a resort-style effect. The waterline tile is a beautiful 2×6 sage green candy tile — subtle but stunning up close. And we installed an automated pool cover, discreetly tucked at the end of the pool where it rolls in and out.
For the coping around the pool edge, I specified poured-in-place coping rather than pre-cast. It gives more control over the finished result and creates clean joint lines instead of grout lines — a detail that really elevates the overall look.
Bond Beam Stone
Natural limestone veneer by AAA — Rebel style, Tundra Cream color, quarried in Texas.
Waterline Tile
2×6 sage green candy tile. A beautiful pop of color at the water's edge.
Water Feature
Spills from the bond beam into the pool for a resort-inspired look.
Pool Cover
Automated cover that rolls out from the end of the pool — functional and clean.
An 18×18 Solid Roof Patio — Built to Last
One of the most impactful elements of this project is the outdoor room: an 18 by 18 solid roof patio cover that becomes the true heart of the backyard. I designed it with a natural tongue-and-groove wood ceiling, stucco pilasters that match the home's existing architecture, and trim colors pulled directly from the residence's exterior. Everything connects.
The back wall of the outdoor room is an entertainment wall featuring a 65-inch flat screen TV, a fireplace with a natural stained wood mantle, and the same Tundra Cream limestone veneer we used on the pool — tying the whole space together visually.
"The fireplace, the TV, the stone — it all had to feel like one cohesive design. Not elements just sitting next to each other."
One important note for anyone building in Orange County: we are not permitted to burn real wood here, so the fireplace is what's called a fireplace insert — a stainless steel unit that runs on natural gas with a log kit inside that looks remarkably like the real thing. We also added a natural gas lantern nearby for extra ambiance and a real flame element.
The floor of the outdoor room uses R11-rated porcelain tiles — large format, designed to look like natural stone, and rated for outdoor slip resistance. They're beautiful and practical.
A Barbecue Island Built for Real Entertaining
The barbecue island is counter-height at 36 inches — the same as your indoor kitchen counters — so it feels natural and comfortable to cook and gather around. The countertop is a poured-in-place polished concrete that exposes a bit of the aggregate beneath, giving it a textured, upscale finish.
Appliances include a griddle, refrigerator, trash drawer, and gas barbecue — all stainless steel. The counter is open on the bottom, which was a design decision that required some careful planning to execute with that large concrete pour, but the result is a clean, airy look.
For barbecue surrounds, I always prefer a stucco finish over brick or stone. Brick and stone expose cut edges around appliance cutouts that are very hard to finish cleanly. Stucco gives you a seamless, professional result every time.
TimberTech Composite: Zero Maintenance, All Beauty
The old upper balcony was rotted beyond use — you genuinely couldn't walk on it safely. We rebuilt it entirely using TimberTech composite decking in a color called Weathered Teak, and added handrails and a large umbrella to create a proper elevated dining area.
The beauty of TimberTech is that it never needs painting or staining. It looks great year after year, which is a big deal in Southern California where the sun can be hard on wood surfaces. This is a maintenance-free upgrade that pays for itself in time saved.
The Details That Tie It All Together
We kept the existing king palms — they were a great structural element worth preserving — and brought in all-new smaller plantings throughout the yard. Behind the pool, I added a fruitless olive tree that gives the space beautiful texture and movement.
For the lawn areas, we used a high-end synthetic turf with a 15-year warranty. It looks lush, stays green, and eliminates the water and upkeep of a natural lawn — a smart choice for Southern California.
One of the most unique features of this project is a full outdoor bathroom tucked into the yard — a show shower on one side, plus a toilet and sink inside, with fun wood-look exterior details. It's a proper changing room and pool bathroom that makes the space fully self-contained for entertaining.
The homeowners also remodeled parts of the interior during this project and added all-new dark windows throughout the property — and you can really see how those updated windows complement the new outdoor aesthetic.
What Was Built
| Element | Details |
|---|---|
| Pool | Custom pool with natural limestone bond beam (Tundra Cream), sage green candy tile, water spills, automated cover, poured-in-place coping |
| Outdoor Room | 18×18 solid roof patio cover, tongue-and-groove ceiling, stucco pilasters, R11 porcelain tile floor |
| Fireplace | Entertainment wall with 65" TV, gas fireplace insert with log kit, natural stained wood mantle, natural gas lantern |
| Outdoor Kitchen | Counter-height BBQ island, poured-in-place polished concrete countertop, griddle, refrigerator, trash drawer, gas BBQ |
| Upper Deck | TimberTech composite decking in Weathered Teak, handrails, umbrella |
| Landscaping | Preserved king palms, new plantings, fruitless olive, high-end synthetic turf (15-year warranty) |
| Outdoor Bathroom | Show shower, toilet, sink, wood-look exterior details |
