The clients had already engaged with the pool company and brought us in to make sure placement, alignment, and overall size would be well-considered, along with developing the rest of the backyard and the back half of the front.  The house would be AirBnB'd while they travelled for work, so the intent was for a highly-manicured (but easy-to maintain) look that would feel luxurious and inviting to visitors.  'Graceful' clumping bamboo was trimmed high so the smooth culms were visible, leaving the leafy tops to block the neighbor behind.  Pavers connect the loungers area nestled on an artificial turf terrace to a gravel fire pit patio behind the house, which are illuminated by string lights. 

 

The front gravel patio felt under-considered, so we ran a line of shorter hedge 'golden goddess' clumping bamboo.  We added plants and mexican beach pebble to the existing steel planters: one is for succulents, and the other for house plants, with the intent to protect both in freezes.