Interior design company and Architects, Janine Stone, have been short listed again in the International Design & Architecture Awards 2013 with their Residential Swimming Pool project in Oxfordshire.

Janine Stone were asked to create a new enlarged swimming pool within the site of the original pool. Set within the garden of a delightfully pretty country house, the new pool was the focal point of a completely new leisure area; comprising orangery, garden office, gym, spa and bathroom/changing suite.

Concealed from view by outbuildings, is a substantial rear garden with commanding views across open rolling countryside. Between the house and the vista the garage block and former stables were converted to accommodate the new uses. The challenge was to create a sophisticated area for entertaining and leisure that afforded handsome views across the landscape but retained an air of charm with areas of quiet reflection. The project needed to successfully fuse the garden with the house and seamlessly link the adjacencies. The project included the complete development and renovation of the stables, which provided the space for the new garden study and gym, and was extended with an orangery which featured fully retractable glass doors. These were opened throughout to create the perfect summer room providing extraordinary views of the countryside.

Part of the garage block was also transformed into a garden kitchen complete with bespoke bread oven and separate changing area with bathroom and shower facilities. The swimming pool is at the heart of the project and features extensive sun terraces surrounded by new landscaping vignettes; including a dramatic hedge of yew and pleached photinia all of which gives form and incident to the setting. Gentle evening illumination adds an elegant mood to the gracious garden room atmosphere. The use of materials was key to harmonising the pool with the natural garden setting and new landscaping, and to visually link the areas together. Ancaster Weatherbed was selected for the pool lining, the subtle shading of grey and pink blend perfectly with both the prevalent local Great Tew ironstone and the elegant Yorkstone terracing, and the blue and lilac sky tones come alive in sunlight. At night under artificial lighting – whether the pool is fully illuminated for use or subtly lit as a backdrop – the pool takes on a sophisticated hue which blends effortlessly into the landscape. Underwater lighting is ©Lutron controlled fibre optic, capable of delicate colour-changes, but set to default to a carefully selected tone level which highlights the shades of the stone.