A Jonesboro family eliminates travel time by creating A dream getaway in their own backyard

When you think of a dream summer vacation, you most likely envision warm weather, family and friends, and water. For a young Jonesboro family, these elements were high on the list, but having a destination that was close to home trumped them all. “My husband doesn’t get much time off. Most people build a lake house—we built our lake house here in our backyard where we can enjoy it any time,” the homeowner says.

After living away for years, the couple moved back to the Jonesboro area into a house they loved, and looked forward to adding a pool in the backyard. There was just one problem: the yard’s sloped terrain. Enter Nicky Ellis of Tallulah Pools, Inc. “It was my dream to have a pool, but I was afraid the land wouldn’t allow for it. We had seen some of Nick’s work around town in magazines, and he never once acted like it couldn’t be done,” the homeowner recalls.

Ellis consulted with the couple on their vision for a “natural pool,” addressed the drainage routing and landscape changes that would be necessary to accommodate the pool and keep the flow of water from interrupting its presence, and presented the homeowners with a 3D plan to transform the hilly, blank slate into an oasis. “He came back with a computerized design, and it exactly matched our vision,” the homeowner says, of Ellis’s original design, which included the pool, waterfall, a cabana for relief from the sun, and ideal placement for future landscaping to complement the design.

Now that it is complete, several features—some easily visible and others not—make the saltwater pool user friendly for both kids and adults. For example, a beach-or sloped-entry allows the children to wade easily in and out of the water, while built-in benches along the pool’s perimeter offer a place for adults to relax in the sun. The pool also has pebble-finish flooring which coordinates with the stone used throughout the nature-inspired design, including the travertine that surrounds the pool. “Nick took me to several pools around town to have me stand on the surfaces, and I loved the travertine because it doesn’t get as hot as the concrete you see around most pools,” the homeowner says. Additional features, including a mosquito misting system to keep bugs at bay, a built-in heater—which allows the family to enjoy the pool from April through October—and an in-floor, automatic cleaning system, add to the ease of use and maintenance. What’s more, the heater, cleaning, and built-in water features can all be operated remotely, through a smart phone or iPad system.

Finally, the couple called on Hughey’s Nursery and Landscaping to add color and vitality through plantings, including bright pink Knock Out roses and textured grasses. “We have always seen how beautiful their work is around town, and they were able to keep in mind how all of the plants would mature and return year after year, which keeps us from having to make a continual investment in landscaping. It’s just been perfect. We are so used to it that we forget how amazing it really is sometimes. It surpassed our expectations,” the homeowner says of the end result.

Design Resources

Landscape design Hughey Nursery & Landscaping, Jonesboro, (870) 935-4401

Pool—design and installation Tallulah Pools, Inc., Jonesboro, (870) 935-2300, tallulahpoolsinc.com