free union, VIRGINIA

Perched in the foothills of the Piedmont in Free Union, VA, this home was already equipped with gorgeous views. The owners engaged Grounded to highlight the vista with an endless edge lap pool and supporting amenities for the client, a triathlete. The pool will serve as a focal point from the home's interior and also allow the client to train in the tranquility of her own garden spaces. Two retaining walls support the pool structure from below and create a dramatic water feature on the approach to the house.

As the outdoor extension to a recent addition by Daggett Grigg Architects, Grounded included a spa garden, bocce court, tea garden and two fire pits.  A palette of bluestone and weathered cedar ties the traditional home to a modern site.

The client is interested in Ichibana, the Japanese art of flower arranging, and grows her own tea. Grounded carefully selected the planting to enhance her interests. To the rear, a new parterre garden combines traditional boxwoods and flowers with more modern grasses for structure, color and texture. Tea shrubs surround the spa garden, and the grey branching of hornbeam trees mirrors a cedar pergola to the other side of the parterre garden for balance and harmony.

Architecture: Daggett Grigg Architects
General Contractor: Abrahamse Construction
Pool Contractor: Charlottesville Aquatics