A Luxury Pool & Outdoor Living Retreat in Westfield, NJ

For this Westfield, New Jersey property, the goal was not simply to add a pool. The backyard needed to function as a complete outdoor living environment — one that felt connected to the architecture of the home, supported everyday family life and could shift easily into entertaining mode. The finished space brings together a custom pool, covered cedar patio, outdoor kitchen and dining area, pool house bar, layered landscaping and multiple furnished gathering zones.

Michael Robert Construction led the construction and coordination of the outdoor structures, hardscape and custom details, while the Ellie Mroz Design team developed the furnishing, styling, color and material direction that gives the backyard its relaxed, tailored character. The result is cohesive rather than piecemeal: circulation, architecture, materials and furnishings work together from the house to the pool deck and pool house.

The pool anchors the backyard, but its success comes from how deliberately it connects to everything around it. Stone and marble hardscape establish generous circulation around the water, while lounge areas, umbrellas and planting create distinct places to settle without interrupting movement between the house, patio, lawn and pool house.

Pale stone pool coping and paving reinforce the light, refined material palette seen throughout the finished space. The pale hardscape also provides a quiet backdrop for cedar architecture, black metal details, greenery and the blue-and-white furnishing palette.

Directly connected to the home, the covered cedar patio functions as an outdoor living room. Cedar structure and privacy screening bring warmth and architectural definition, while integrated fans and heaters extend the usefulness of the space beyond the hottest days of summer. Deep lounge seating, woven pieces and layered textiles make the area comfortable enough for everyday use while still feeling polished for larger gatherings.

This is an important part of the project story: the backyard was planned around multiple ways of living outdoors, not a single focal point. The covered lounge provides shade and shelter, the pool deck supports swimming and sun, and adjacent dining and entertaining zones give the family places to gather throughout the day.

The outdoor kitchen and dining area creates a practical bridge between the house and the pool. Durable materials, generous prep and serving space, comfortable dining furniture and a scalloped-edge umbrella make the area feel integrated with the rest of the backyard rather than treated as a separate utility zone. Its placement allows food, drinks and conversation to move naturally between the covered patio, pool and lawn.

At the far side of the outdoor spaces, the cedar-clad pool house becomes both a functional hospitality zone and an architectural focal point. A wide pass-through opening connects the bar to the backyard's entertaining spaces, while light blue cabinetry, shelving and a tiled counter introduce a playful coastal note without disconnecting from the home's more timeless palette.

Woven counter stools and thoughtful styling allow the bar to serve snacks, drinks and casual summer meals while keeping the person inside connected to the activity outside. The combination of cedar, painted cabinetry and black roof detailing gives the small structure enough presence to hold its own within the larger backyard composition.

The project succeeds because the materials repeat and relate across the property. Natural cedar, light stone and marble, painted masonry, black-framed doors and metal roofing, landscape lighting and layered planting create continuity from one zone to the next. Instead of asking every feature to make its own statement, the palette lets the architecture and landscape read as one environment.

That coordination is especially important in a complex outdoor project, where pool construction, hardscape, structures, utilities, lighting, landscape and furnishings all need to work within the same plan. The landscape plan by Land Identity provided a detailed framework for the pool, paving and site improvements, and the finished result feels settled into the property rather than assembled from unrelated components.

The Ellie Mroz Design team approached the outdoor spaces with the same attention to comfort, proportion and layering used inside the home. Blue-and-white loungers, woven dining and lounge seating, sculptural side tables, pillows, lamps, towels and accessories soften the architecture and make each zone feel ready to use.

The styling is intentionally relaxed rather than precious. Pieces were selected to support swimming, dining, family time and entertaining while maintaining a cohesive coastal-inspired palette across the pool deck, covered patio, dining area and pool house.

Outdoor living projects involve far more than choosing a pool shape or a patio material. Structures, hardscape, utilities, lighting, landscape, furnishings and day-to-day function all affect one another. On this project, Michael Robert Construction and Ellie Mroz Design coordinated those decisions across construction and furnishing so the finished backyard reads as a complete extension of the home.

The studio also collaborates closely with outside landscape architects and other design professionals. Here, the landscape plan provided a detailed framework for the pool, paving and site improvements, while MRC coordinated construction and custom exterior elements and EMD completed the spaces through furnishings and styling.