Love Where You Swim ®

It is not difficult to find a really nice pool in Orange County. But let’s imagine that we are giving out an award to someone and we must choose a “best of the best.” I wouldn’t call myself a pool expert, but one particular company always stands out the most, and seems to me to consistently achieve beautiful results with their pool designs. Yes, of course, it is the Irvine Company. They must be -- don’t they own like almost half of OC? On their website they say about themselves that “Irvine Company Apartment Communities offers a portfolio of 115 exceptional apartment communities set in California’s most desirable locations. With world-class amenities, resort-like surroundings, and an unparalleled commitment to customer service, Irvine Company Apartment Communities has redefined the rental living experience… able to fit every lifestyle and budget, from value-oriented to ultra luxury.” Sounds good, doesn’t it? And being located in California you can be sure that each of these apartment communities has a pool. And not just a pool but a work of art pool that can only be compared to pools in luxury resorts. Being a fairly large company, the Irvine Company has an Urban Planning and Development Division as well as having a separate Design Division.

Classic architecture, lush landscaping, and thoughtful attention to detail create The Village in Irvine Spectrum -- one of their luxury apartment communities in the city of Irvine. The Village consists of four parts: Mirador, Cambria, Delrey, and Serena, and each of them has a large pool with a spa, cabanas and bbq/resting areas. Each of the pools is better than the next; they are all standouts in their own ways. But if I would have to pick -- the Cambria pool would be my favorite. Mostly because of the private bbq area that is hidden behind the concrete wall, tropical trees and fabulous tall plant pots. It has a perfect private party area that lets you feel like you are by the pool (because it is only 4 feet away from the pool) but still gives you enough privacy and comfort to make you feel like you are having a private party at your own mansion (but without suicidal thoughts about the amount of your mortgage bill).








The Cambria pool area is approximately 9500 sq ft. It was built in 2006. The Irvine Company did the design of the site and Western National Construction did the construction work for it, putting white concrete tile as flooring which is very durable, low-maintenance, and at the same time more pleasant visually than the most common grey concrete. The concrete is also a perfect flooring material for an outside area. The signage company that the designer used for the pool as well as for the community was TFN Architectural.











The inviting pool of Cambria has a Mediterranean ambiance, and the salt water and cabanas with canvas awnings provided by Canvas Awning Inc. sound like the perfect way to spend a sunny SoCal afternoon. The pool has three dining cabana type areas and five lounge cabanas. The tasteful teak furniture located in the dining cabanas and bbq area is provided by Greenside and gives the place a tropical look.

Daltile provided the tile for the fireplace and the walls, and Tropitone was the manufacturer for pool furniture like lounges, tables and umbrellas.




Another interesting thing is that the soft furniture has two different manufacturers: Bojer Inc. for the cushions in a boxed and welted style and Veneman Furniture for the base with woven finishes.



I am not saying that The Cambria pool is the best pool in OC. It is the best for me now, because it is so beautiful… and its home. I like beautiful things, which is why I like design: because it creates a beautiful living.

Materials, Products and their Sources:

Signage : TFN Architectural http://www.thirdfloornorth.com/

Fireplace tile and wall tile: Daltile http://www.daltile.com/dealer_search.cfm

BBQ Grill: Twin Eagles http://www.twineaglesinc.com/products/36-Gas-Grill-Base-2-Doors.shtml

Cushing or the patio soft chairs BW55 (Boxed and Welted Style): Bojer Inc. http://www.bojerinc.com/

Soft dinning chair base Woven Finish: Veneman Collection http://www.venemanfurniture.com/

Pool furniture: umbrellas, lounge chairs, tables: Tropitone http://www.tropitone.com/collection/fabric-collection/umbrella-fabrics/

Teak furniture: Gardenside http://www.gardenside.com/

Construction Company: Western National Construction http://www.hng.com

Awnings: Canvas Awnings Inc.:

Designer: Irvine Company http://irvinecompany.com

Developer/ Owner: Irvine Company http://irvinecompany.com

Sources:

http://www.irvinecompany.com/

Special Thanks to Dan Demitro, Community Manager, The Village at Irvine Spectrum Center for providing me with lots of valuable information.