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November 2018

Choice Meets All of Your Backyard Needs

5 years ago 3443 Views

Trying to choose the best pool filter or make complex decisions about building a custom outdoor kitchen probably aren't things you dream about doing on your weekends. But we've tried to make these things easier and a lot more fun here at Choice Pool and Spa.

What It's Like to Work With Us

For our Raleigh neighbors who've never visited, the shop helps homeowners who crave a better yard. We help people with all kinds of projects, from small patio designs to stunning in-ground pool installations to swim spas and outdoor kitchens. Whatever you're envisioning for your unique property, it all starts here in our full-service shop.

All the best backyard projects have a few things in common. One factor is whether there's a vision that's carried through to every detail. Is there someone at the helm, steering the ship toward that vision? Is the vision clearly defined? Does the contractor have the skills and the experience to bring that vision alive?

Around here, we believe that every project must begin with a vision. That's why it's important to be able to serve our customers with all their backyard needs.

  • We're not just a pool shop
  • We're not just a spa installer
  • We don't just offer design services
  • We don't just sell outdoor appliances for outdoor kitchens
  • We don't just do decks

We start with your vision. We'll take that vision you've created and turn it into a blueprint for your backyard paradise. No compromises will be made in order to help you achieve your dream. If something doesn't seem feasible at first, our team is good at thinking outside the box. And if there isn't a workaround to be found, we'll collaborate with you to find a better solution.

From Inspiration to Design to Installation and Beyond, It All Starts Here

This is about offering a one-stop shopping experience for homeowners looking for unique and creative ways to transform their back yards. We love complex projects! Here are a few of our favorites:

  • A deluxe outdoor entertainment area for dinner guests and parties
  • A fitness-inspired swim spa enclosed in a custom deck with built-in seating
  • A family spa installed under an attached pergola with custom planters
  • An eat-in outdoor kitchen with custom cabinets and a stone circular bar
  • An in-ground pool that spans the entire length of a large back yard, capped by a custom trellis and wooden lounge area for entertaining
  • A backyard party spot, complete with custom wood slab countertops and a home kegerator
  • A North Carolina-themed outdoor living space with entertainment options including a seafood party station with removable oyster bin (ask us!)
  • An outdoor hardwood kitchen featuring rich wood walls and a hardwood roof
  • A deluxe outdoor kitchen with a water treatment system, bar, water heater, and tons of storage
  • Live-edge custom wood slab countertops and sound system with subwoofers on a brand new custom wood deck plus LED lights

A One-Stop Shop for Backyard Dreams

In the spirit of holistic design and all-inclusive service, it's our firm belief that every aspect of your backyard project should fall under the umbrella of just one provider. We aim to be that company and encourage our neighbors in the Raleigh and Triangle areas to stop by. Live in Chapel Hill/Durham, Apex, or Wake Forest? You're our neighbor too. Stop by and let's start making your backyard dreams come true!


Choice Pool & Spa's Guide to Outdoor Kitchen Design

5 years ago 4632 Views

For busy families, passionate cooks, and frequent hosts, the outdoor kitchen is the center of life when the weather is great. And with North Carolina's temperate climate, local homeowners stand to get the most out of a custom outdoor kitchen.

We've created this handy mini-guide that includes all the basics on what you need to know about designing a custom outdoor kitchen. It was created with homeowners like you in mind, who want to make their backyard space the best it can be. Use it whether you're planning a new back yard, renovating your current outdoor kitchen, or just looking for some inspiration for a future project.

Step One: Consider How You Will Use It

For some homeowners, the outdoor kitchen is all about entertaining. Make sure you'll have everything at your fingertips when it comes time to fire up the grill. As outdoor kitchens become increasingly elaborate, it's important to know you won't be crisscrossing the space with guests and other cooks.

It's also good to consider that, as host, you'll probably be cooking and socializing simultaneously. Is your range or barbeque situated so you're looking at guests or will your back be turned while you tend to those grilled wings?

Also, you'll need to consider safety when you design the layout. If there are going to be children running around, think about where the main pathways of traffic will be. Make sure kitchen elements that pose safety hazards are placed well away from those routes. That would include the barbeque and/or firepit, of course!

Step Two: Fit the Design to Match Your Space

Having a huge yard means you're starting out with a big blank slate, which can be overwhelming. Try and define nooks and areas of your yard, all of which you may not want to be taken up by your outdoor kitchen.

On the flipside, those with just a small patio space to work with shouldn't give up on the notion of having an outdoor kitchen. Just as it is with interior spaces, there's always a way to make things work!

No matter what size yard you have, you'll need to pay careful attention to lighting. Lighting is key once the sun goes down because it sets the mood and keeps you from having to run around with flashlights. This is truly a case where design and functionality are equally important. You don't want any harsh, default overhead lighting to wreck the ambiance you've worked so hard to achieve with your design goals.

Step Three: Set Your Appliance Goals

This is really about setting a budget but it's also about styling your new custom outdoor kitchen. Planning the appliances from the get-go allows you to control your budget and it also allows you to visualize your project early on.

Step Four: Consider the Landscape

The most impressive custom jobs are those that were designed with the existing landscape in mind. Do you have steps? Is there a retaining wall? What's the focal point of your space? How well will the architectural elements of your new outdoor kitchen mesh with the look of your home? Will there be a water feature? Will the eating area look out over a pleasing view or will you be going for a more intimate setting that's enclosed with hardscaping or landscaping? Lots to consider here.

We realize an outdoor kitchen project comes with a lot of decisions to make. If Choice Pools & Spas can help guide in any way, we're here to help. We want you to love your new custom outdoor kitchen as much as we love designing them!


The Benefits of Winter Hot-Tubbing

5 years ago 4609 Views

If the term Après-Ski means anything to you, then you’re a prime candidate for a hot tub addition to your home. Taken straight out of the pages of the world’s top ski resorts, it’s the ultimate cold-weather luxury.

But you don’t have to live in the Andermatt ski village of Switzerland to experience the unique feeling of a good hot soak under the winter sky. You can have it all, without paying for airfare, with your own hot tub installation.

There are plenty of other reasons why winter hot-tubbing is a great idea. Here are some of the benefits of a hot soak under winter skies when the temperatures dip down for the long cold months ahead.

#1 – It’s a Year-Round Spa Experience

Your own hot tub that’s enjoyed in the brisk winter months is a spa-like treat you can enjoy year-round. The forested settings of Europe’s famous resorts, built in the classical style of a more opulent era of travel, offer inspiration for some of the most beautiful residential installations.

Like their European resort-based counterparts, today’s residential installments offer access to a relaxing soak any time of year. That’s important when you live in colder regions of the country!

#2 – Gets You Outdoors More Often

As you’re painfully aware, there are fewer opportunities for enjoy the great outdoors for a good portion of the year around here. A winter hot tub extends your chances of getting out and breathing some good fresh air or even getting some sunshine on your skin for at least a few moments.

Indoor air quality in wintertime can become quickly degraded when the windows don’t get opened for six months on end. Think of all those cleaning products, pet hair, cooking odors, and more, all sealed up inside the house with you! Stepping out into the fresh air is good for your lungs and good for your soul.

#3 – Gives You a New Way to Entertain

The guy with the biggest and best grill in the neighborhood wins in the summertime as the best back yard to hang out in. But now that it’s wintertime, the cards have changed. Your hot tub is a totally new and fun way to have a party any time of the year.

Not Sure About The Cold? Then Try This

After all this, if you’re still not sure you can picture yourself stepping out into sub-zero weather, braving the harsh elements to step into your hot tub, there’s an alternative. Consider a hot tub enclosure for the winter months. You can still enjoy the frost-covered treetops and picturesque winter coating of snow on the ground but in the comfort of a sheltered enclosure.

There are several ways to design your winter hot tub experience:

  1. A standalone hot tub enclosure that’s just steps from your home
  2. A roof on your existing deck that shelters your tub from wind and other elements of nature
  3. A hot tub enclosure that’s attached to an exterior wall of your home

Need more ideas for your outdoor hot tub experience? We can help you “spa it up” with a consultation followed by a custom design that suits not only your unique property but your spa goals as well!