Poolside Outdoor Shower with River Stone

Design notes

Mountain and cabin design lets the landscape lead. Look for heavy timber and log, stacked stone and boulders, steel and dark stains that recede against the trees, and decks and terraces that reach toward the view. Fire is central — a stone fireplace, a fire pit ringed with Adirondack chairs — and hot tubs earn their place. Planting is pines, aspens, grasses and wildflowers; paving is flagstone and gravel that can take the snow.

What to look for

• Where the water goes — drain, soakaway or the pool deck
• Privacy height and sightlines from next door's windows
• How many barefoot steps from the pool or the back door