Sherman Oaks Pool & Spa

In this Sherman Oaks backyard, a curving pool sits below terraced garden walls. The raised round spa and the long retaining wall behind it are clad in large handcrafted ceramic hexagon tiles with a pale, softly varied glaze, set with fine gray grout lines. Water spills from a slot in the spa wall and arcs from spouts into the pool, so the tile is seen through constant movement and reflection. A dark gray cap tops each wall, and a darker band meets the blue water at the waterline. The light hexagons keep the hardscape bright against the green lawn, succulents and planted terraces, and their hand-glazed surface shows gentle shifts in tone across the wall.