Contemporary and Clean Raleigh is a custom concrete pool and outdoor living project in Raleigh, NC, designed to reflect the architecture of the home rather than compete with it. The goal was a backyard that walked the line between modern and timeless, contemporary modern geometry yet with a grounded in the warmth and familiarity of modern farmhouse design.
The result is a highly personalized Raleigh backyard built around a custom concrete swimming pool, raised spillover spa, outdoor kitchen, gas fire features, natural turf, Turkish marble and a complete landscape and outdoor lighting plan.
Rather than beginning with a standard rectangular swimming pool and adapting the backyard around it, the geometry of this pool was developed specifically for the property.
The custom concrete pool shape follows the architectural alignments and sightlines of the home and allows the interior floor plan to continue outside, creating purposeful changes in elevation, direction, and proportion throughout the outdoor space. From inside the house and across the backyard, individual elements relate to one another so the pool feels like an extension of the architecture.
That architectural relationship is central to the design. Clean lines and contemporary details provide the modern foundation, while brick, natural stone, landscape, and softer forms keep the environment comfortable and connected to the home's modern farmhouse character.
A white sandblasted Turkish marble was used extensively throughout the pool deck, coping and outdoor living areas.
The marble provides the clean, understated palette needed for a contemporary pool while its natural variation keeps the space from feeling stark or overly modern. Its light tone creates a strong visual relationship with the home's exterior and serves as a neutral backdrop for the blue water, green landscape, warm brick and wood elements throughout the property.
Brick matching the architecture of the home was then introduced throughout the outdoor living spaces. This repetition creates continuity between house and landscape and adds a traditional material to an otherwise contemporary composition.
The combination is intentional. When doing something new intention is critical to turn chaos into synchronistic beauty.
The custom pool incorporates a raised spillover spa with a corner spillover, introducing moving water without disrupting the clean architectural lines of the installation.
Instead of treating the spa as a separate element, its geometry is incorporated directly into the overall pool composition. The corner spillway creates movement, reflection and sound while maintaining the restrained aesthetic of the project.
The pool also includes dedicated areas for in-water lounging, allowing the design to transition naturally between swimming, relaxing and entertaining.
Fire became the counterpoint to the water.
A rounded brick gas fire pit creates a softer gathering space within the primarily linear landscape. Its curved form intentionally breaks from the strong geometry of the pool while the brick ties directly back to the architecture of the home.
Additional fire features positioned around the pool extend that experience throughout the backyard, creating multiple focal points and allowing the outdoor environment to take on a completely different character after sunset.
Together, water, fire and landscape lighting allow the space to function as much at night as it does during the day.
The project extends well beyond the swimming pool.
An extensive custom outdoor kitchen uses matching painted brick, stone countertops and integrated stainless-steel appliances to create a permanent outdoor entertaining space that feels connected to the home.
Grilling, dining, lounging, swimming, the spa and fire areas were designed as individual destinations within one larger outdoor environment.
The space isn’t just a visual space to enjoy it’s a backyard where the homeowners could comfortably spend an entire day.
That distinction is important to how we approach custom pool and outdoor living design in Raleigh: the pool is the center of the experience, but it shouldn't be the entire experience. It is the fulcrum which the rest of your light spins.
One of the defining characteristics of this Raleigh pool design is the relationship between the hardscape and the landscape.
Rather than covering the backyard entirely with stone, natural turf is allowed to move directly into the pool environment, maintaining a visual connection with the lawn and surrounding property.
Large-format natural stone slabs are inset within the turf to form clean, architectural walkways. The same slab language continues through areas of decorative stone, creating repetition throughout the landscape while allowing the materials beneath them to change.
The effect is intentionally subtle. Turf, stone, marble and planting transition into one another instead of being separated into rigid zones.
A comprehensive landscape lighting design carries the architecture beyond the pool itself.
Plantings, pathways, outdoor living areas and destination spaces are illuminated to create depth across the property after dark. Rather than simply lighting the pool deck, the lighting extends the visual boundaries of the backyard into the surrounding landscape.
During the day, the project is clean, bright and architectural.
At night, water movement, fire and layered landscape lighting create an entirely different environment.
What makes Contemporary and Clean Raleigh successful is the balance between styles that might otherwise seem contradictory.
It is contemporary without being cold. Modern without feeling temporary. Classic without becoming traditional.
The personalized geometry of the concrete pool reflects the architecture of the home. White Turkish marble provides a clean contemporary foundation. Matching brick connects the project to the home's modern farmhouse character. Natural turf and stone soften the hardscape. A raised spillover spa introduces movement. Fire features bring warmth. And extensive landscaping and lighting integrate the entire project into its Raleigh setting.
Every material and alignment has a reason for being there.
The finished project isn't simply a modern swimming pool in Raleigh. It is a complete custom pool and outdoor living environment designed specifically around the home, property and way this family wanted to live outside.
Contemporary and Clean Raleigh features a fully custom concrete swimming pool designed specifically around the architecture and sightlines of the Raleigh home. The project also includes an integrated raised spa, custom water features and multiple outdoor living spaces.
Yes. This project combines clean contemporary pool geometry with traditional materials such as brick, natural stone and landscaping that relate directly to the modern farmhouse architecture of the home.
White sandblasted Turkish marble was used throughout the pool and outdoor living environment. Its light color and natural variation provide a clean contemporary appearance while maintaining the character of natural stone. There is also a composite deck integrated into the raised water feature for another space and more natural elements into the project.
Yes. The swimming pool includes a raised custom spa with a corner spillover that creates moving water while maintaining the clean geometry of the overall pool design.
The project includes a custom outdoor kitchen, gas fire pit and supporting fire features, multiple lounging areas, natural turf, stone slab walkways, extensive landscaping and landscape lighting in addition to the custom concrete pool and spa.
LYFE Pools designs and builds custom concrete pools and complete outdoor living environments in Raleigh and throughout the Triangle, integrating pools, spas, hardscapes, outdoor kitchens, fire features, landscaping and lighting around the architecture and character of each property.
