Sean Topper | Topper Design Studio, LLC + Phil Bowles | Phil Bowles Pools Inc.

Backyard chameleon

Depending on the viewing angle, this poolscape takes on different shapes and colors. It looks like a black granite block from some vantage points, and a mirror from others. However, the pool actually is lined with blue glass tile on the floors and a charcoal plaster on the walls.

The tiles presented an unusual challenge — the color was provided only on the bottom layer, while most of the glass was clear. This would reveal any color variations between the thinset and grout sandwiched in the joints. “You can see diagonally through the tile to whatever grout material you put in there,” Topper says. “If you used, say, a white or gray base material and then put in the black grout, you’d see little specks of white or gray.”

To ensure absolute uniformity, Bowles chose a darker thinset to match the grout. A through-colored porcelain deck tile with wood-grain appearance was chosen for the coping and stepping stone leading from deck to spa.