Ballantyne Magazine

FALL 2012

Ballantyne Magazine covers news, events, real estate, restaurants, shopping, health, schools and business in the upscale Ballantyne Area of Charlotte, NC.

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BALLANTYNE | feature COOL GADGET: THE POOL REMOTE Today's backyard pools come with many sophisticat- ed high-tech options, from programmable light shows and fountain displays to imbedded self-cleaning sys- tems and temperature and pump controls. One way to stay on top of poolside management is through the pool remote control. Remotes range from temperature, lighting, spa and circuit controls to com- prehensive management that involves a phone and audio/video system inter- face, saltwater chlorination regulation, self-cleaning controls and more. Most remotes are waterproof, and some even float. Intellitouch Systems by Pentair offers touch-screen navigation, remote control monitoring of the pool and email alerts when things are amiss. These systems don't come cheap, how- ever, as the Intellitouch systems range from $499 to well over $2,000. The Belchers' son Mason and daughter Grace give the pool a good workout, while Mom and Dad chill out. Highgrove home in Ballantyne was all about adding an additional family room. He is a stay- at-home dad, and she's an executive with Bank of America. They wanted a magnet to keep their two children close to home enjoying outdoor activities, whether entertaining friends or just relaxing themselves. "We built our home in 2005/2006," says Mark. "We did have a large outdoor fireplace built at the time; though, the rest of the back was modestly landscaped with five large oak trees and a wood deck." The space the Belchers enjoy today was designed and built over four and a half months in 2008 in a project managed by Metro GreenScape. It offers a dramatic combination of hardscape and landscape elements alongside a custom pool with fountain features that provide pleasant falling water sounds suggestive of grand European gardens. Waterslide Twists and Turns The children, daughter Grace, 9, and 72 BALLANTYNE MAGAZINE son Mason, 15, take full advantage of a 24-foot glass mosaic, tile-lined waterslide that twists alongside the retaining wall, sloping gently as it delivers its precious cargo softly into the pool. Mark smiles broadly when discussing this particular feature. "We needed to do something from a design standpoint to maintain support for the retaining wall, the slide was just the right element and something the kids and their friends simply love," he recalls. The free-form pool is spacious and has two large fountain features where water cascades in a two-foot drop. A round Jacuzzi with a spillway fountain flows into the pool. The spa is surrounded by Tennessee fieldstone, the same accent stone found in the fireplace and fountain features. Natural brick pavers make up the decking, and handsome, slate-like blue stone rims it, adding a casual elegance to the design. Whimsy touches the landscape as Mark's flea-market find, a giant rooster, acts as an FALL 2012

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