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The new pool was raised six feet above the ground and was designed for entertaining—and to better match the home’s new modern style.

The multi-slide doors on the lower level connect the house to the pool with functional decks and terraces, achieving a modern look and reinforcing the indoor/outdoor lifestyle.

In Sweden, architect Bengt Mattias Carlsson created a pavilion adjacent to a residence dating from the late 1800s. The pergola is made from glue-laminated timber beams set atop steel posts; it protects the pool from falling pine needles. George Nelson benches offer places to sit.

"The homeowners hoped to transform their lot into a unified, beautiful, indoor-outdoor oasis linking their home, yard, and a new backyard shed in a designed experience where every detail would come together to compose the many smaller sub-spaces into an integrated whole," notes the design firm.

Concrete pavers line the new hardscape, which steps up to a deck built of ipe wood. Ipe wood has also been used for the built-in benches and fencing.

The dreamy rooftop looks out over Noe Valley. Built-in redwood benches surround a concrete fire pit; the bluestone pavers are part of a Bison deck system. An oversize, barrel-like teak hot tub from Roberts Hot Tubs allows for a soak in the garden-like setting, which features plants selected and installed by Danielle Coulter of Collecting Flowers.

The hot tub is a highlight of the home. “It was worth the investment,” says Kara. “Especially late at night when you can see the stars.”