A backyard that stopped fighting the shade
A heavily wooded lot is beautiful, until you try to grow grass on it.
When the trees are both the problem and the solution
For this family in Saint-Hyacinthe, the backyard already had what many properties take years to achieve: mature trees, genuine shade, and natural privacy. But every summer, the same problem returned. The grass never truly took hold under the tree cover, and with a dog using the space, the family eventually stopped forcing the yard into something it wasn't. Designed jointly by AKB Design and Paysages Rodier, the project was built around the yard's greatest strength: its shade.
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Designing around what was already there
Before
After
Rather than treating the trees as obstacles, the design placed them at the heart of the experience. The yard was reimagined as an intimate pool space, structured around the existing tree cover. One mature tree sits less than five feet from the pool's edge, and it's exactly this kind of decision that gives the space its atmosphere.
Where grass had failed for years, synthetic turf now creates a clean, functional surface. In the shadier areas, hydrangeas and boxwoods thrive in the site's real conditions. The landscaping doesn't pretend the yard is sunnier than it is. It embraces what it has always been: shaded, mature, and full of atmosphere.
Pavers that let the landscape lead
Around the pool, Blu Grande slabs in Greyed Nickel echo the Brandon stone on the house, while Raffinato in Greyed Nickel adds a subtle border at the water's edge that defines the pool without competing with the trees. Blu 6×13 pavers in Shale Grey, laid in a herringbone pattern, run from the driveway all the way around the house to the raised patio and back terrace, making arrival at the pool terrace feel polished before it even comes into view.
A pool that feels like it's always been there
The finished yard doesn't feel like nature was replaced by paving. The pool sits among the trees, the pavers create stable surfaces, and the synthetic turf solves the lawn problem without losing the feeling of greenery. The alignment between the French doors and the pool gate is one of those details that changes how the whole space feels. Nothing feels overdesigned. Everything simply feels like it belongs.
Materials that bring it all together
Blu 6×13 in Shale Grey, Blu Grande in Greyed Nickel, and Raffinato in Greyed Nickel work together to support the setting rather than compete with it. This Saint-Hyacinthe yard became much more than a pool project. Sometimes the best choice is to stop fighting the shade and find a better way to live with it.
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