An Oasis for Any Back Yard

That’s what a recent client of Landmark Pools, Inc. was looking to replicate in the backyard of his home. The Ciancio family in Brandon had purchased a house a few years ago, and after completely renovating the inside, they were ready to transform the outside, as well.

“Mr. [Anthony] Ciancio did a lot of traveling for his job, pre-COVID [pandemic], and stayed at a lot of five-star hotels,” says Landmark Pools designer Pat Mathews, “and he decided he wanted a resort-style pool in his backyard.”

The Ciancio’s backyard already included a lovely travertine tile covered living space, complete with an outdoor kitchen and lounging/eating areas. But the rest of the backyard was simply a whole lot of grass.

Working with Mr. Ciancio, Pat designed a backyard oasis with a free-form shaped pool and several stunning accents designed to give the pool area that resort-style feel. Among the features was a swim-up bar with five underwater stools in three-foot-deep water, so they can enjoy a drink, watch some TV, and get served a snack from the outdoor kitchen, while never leaving the pool.

In the big, shallow sun shelf area, the water is just six inches deep and features built-in lighted bubblers and umbrella holders, with plenty of space for four ledge lounger chaises.

“You can kick back and relax while the kids play in the shallow area,” Pat says. “The sun shelf is a great way for early swimmers to get acclimated to the water, and then they can venture to the deeper parts of the pool, and next thing you know, they’re swimming.”

A 360-degree negative edge spa is another eye-catching feature, as well as the deck jets that shoot streams of water off the decks and into the pool.

“It gives you a nice feel while you’re out there,” Pat says. “It’s very serene, very relaxed.”

And just as Mr. Ciancio envisioned, the new pool area creates the feel of a fabulous, high-end resort.

“He had a vision,” Pat says, “and we put it on paper and made it come to life.”

Landmark Pools has designed all sorts of pools: natural scape for those who prefer the natural environment; indoor pools; lap pools and spas. A visit to their website at

landmarkpools.com has stunning photographs of their installations. What’s your vision for the perfect pool area? If you can imagine it, Landmark Pools can build it for you! You can contact them via email at info@landmarkpools.com or call them at (813) 792-1331.