When a family in Frisco, Texas, began searching for the perfect lot to build their dream home, they weren’t just looking for curb appeal—they were envisioning an entire resort experience in their own backyard. With a 12,000-square-foot canvas and a vision for non-stop entertaining, their dream took shape with the help of Randy Angell Designs, Elite Outdoor Living, and MLD Custom Homes. The result? A breathtaking, amenity-rich oasis that blurs the line between luxury living and outdoor indulgence.
Designing for Experience and Flow
The homeowners’ wish list was bold: a modern pool and spa, expansive outdoor kitchen and dining area, an amenity-packed pool house with a gym and full kitchen, a tranquil garden, turf soccer field, pickleball court, speakeasy, and even a garage addition. With so many moving parts, the design team began with a bubble diagram to spatially choreograph the experience. Top priority went to the pool—not only as the visual centerpiece from the home’s rear windows, but as the design anchor for the rest of the outdoor spaces.
Fitting the puzzle together on a pie-shaped lot came with challenges, especially aligning the home’s angles with the natural geometry of the site. Rather than fight it, the designers leaned in—setting the pool parallel to the angled fence line and redefining the property’s primary visual axis. This subtle shift informed every spatial decision to follow, even down to the direction of porcelain pavers stepping out from the back door.
A Pool House That Does It All
The fully equipped pool house is both a stylish retreat and a functional extension of the main residence. Large floor-to-ceiling windows open the interior to the outdoors, while a pass-through countertop window connects the indoor kitchen with the adjacent al fresco dining space. Inside, the pool house features a full bath, island kitchen, workout room, and open-concept living area designed for hosting.
Clad in honed ledgestone from RealStone, the fireplace wall is offset to accommodate a plush sectional for group gatherings. The space cleverly conceals a synthetic turf soccer field just beyond—ensuring both form and function are flawlessly balanced.
Lighting, Materials, and Atmosphere
As day turns to night, lighting transforms the space into something magical. Uplighting highlights the textures of mature cypress and holly trees, while café lights strung between the main house and the pool house create a soft, festive ambiance. A cozy fire pit area features Acapulco-style seating and a modern concrete fire pit from ArchPot, topped with chunky glass and ceramic fire balls that look as good during the day as they do when lit at night.
One of the most captivating features? The dramatic entry to the outdoor living zone: guests pass between a glowing acrylic water sphere and the edge of the infinity spa, both set atop mitered porcelain pavers with concealed LED lighting. Overhead, massive steel beams support a flat-roofed, column-free structure equipped with radiant heat and ceiling fans for year-round entertaining.
The Result: A Seamless Resort at Home
From the moment you step outside, this Frisco property delivers the feeling of a curated resort experience—crafted to entertain, relax, and inspire. With its seamless indoor-outdoor transitions, considered lighting, and layered luxury, it’s more than a backyard. It’s a destination.
Project Team:
- Design: Randy Angell Designs
- Pool + Landscape Install: Elite Outdoor Living
- Pool House Construction: MLD Custom Homes
- Completion: September 2024
- Budget: $1M+
- Square Footage: 12,000
