With a cheery buttercup-yellow traditional house at its heart, this Mount Airy estate gives its owners everything they need for splendid outdoor living and entertaining in this lavish design by Virginia’s Surrounds Landscape Design. Amble along the cobblestoned walk toward shallow steps formed by flat, long boulders, and you find the heart of the back yard: an oversized shelter that houses a delicate wrought-iron al fresco dining set and a full outdoor kitchen to make meals a breeze. Immediately fronting this “gazebo” is the other star of this garden: a gorgeous freeform pool, anchored at one end with a native stone boulder wall and cascading waterfall. Catch some rays in a lounge chair, enjoy the color of wildflower beds around you, and enjoy the vista of sky and greenery that reflect off the shining water.
If the mood strikes, or in cooler weather, you can take advantage of several indoor/outdoor spaces. A screened porch is only steps away from the pool deck and eating area on the lower level; up white-railed stairs, a neat back terrace gives you a bird’s-eye view of the yard and gardens. From it — or from French doors out of the main house — you can enjoy a third seating area, an open-air upstairs porch with a splendid coffered ceiling and overhead fan. Here, brown wicker chairs and glass-topped table give the space a casual air, cozied up by a vintage print rug underfoot. In warm weather or cool, and in sunshine or starlight, this ambience guarantees relaxation on many levels…literally, under the skilled touch of Surrounds Landscape Design.
