Construction started with an 18-by-36-foot saltwater pool, designed by Viola Associates, and installed where the existing home had been. “We had to excavate and pour the foundation of the pool before we could build the house, because once the house foundation was in, there was no way to get back there,” explains van Steensel. Then came work on the surrounding hardscape. “It was absolutely incredible the amount of stonework we did,” says Al Sorbello of Sorbello Landscaping Inc., who worked in collaboration with Yarmouth landscape architect Phil Cheney and David Lyttle of Ryder & Wilcox on the project. The landscape team designed two concrete-poured retaining walls around the pool, and to beautify these walls, Sorbello selected a veneer of Boston Blend Ashlar stone. “This was one of those situations where you have an opportunity to make lemonade out of lemons, and even throw some vodka in too,” he says with a laugh. To Sorbello, the two stone-faced retaining walls create “the sensation that you’re swimming on a cliff overlooking the ocean.” For the pool patio, Sorbello chose thermal bluestone paving, and each end of the pool is flanked by sections of lawn and shrubs, creating a cozy, enclosed feel.