Outdoor Living
Outdoor Living Design & Construction in Virginia
Your Backyard, Completely Transformed
A pool may be the heart of a great backyard, but the most exceptional outdoor spaces are designed as one complete environment.
At Douglas Aquatics, we look beyond the water. We consider how the pool, architecture of the home, property elevations, drainage, decking and hardscapes, outdoor kitchens, fire features, shade structures, landscaping, lighting, and entertainment areas all work together.
By planning these elements as part of one coordinated vision, we can create an outdoor environment that feels intentional from the beginning — not assembled piece by piece.
The result is more than a pool. It is a complete outdoor living space designed around your property, your lifestyle, and the way you want to live
What We Build
Outdoor Kitchens
An outdoor kitchen transforms your pool area from a place to swim into a place to live. Douglas Aquatics builds fully custom outdoor kitchens — from straightforward grilling stations to complete culinary setups with built-in appliances, bar seating, refrigeration, and custom countertops — designed to work with your pool and overall outdoor environment.
Outdoor Fireplaces & Fire Pits
Nothing makes a backyard feel more like a resort than a beautifully designed fire feature. Douglas Aquatics builds custom outdoor fireplaces and fire pits that extend your usable outdoor season, create a natural gathering point for family and guests, and add architectural beauty to your poolscape.
Pergolas & Shade Structures
A well-designed pergola defines the space around your pool, provides relief from Virginia’s summer sun, and adds architectural character to your outdoor environment. Douglas Aquatics builds custom pergolas and shade structures that are designed to match your home’s style and your outdoor living layout — not the standard kit you find at a home center.
Hardscapes & Patio Design
The hardscape surrounding your pool is as important as the pool itself. A well-designed pool deck, patio, and surrounding hardscape creates the visual framework for your entire outdoor space, provides safe and attractive surface area, and ties together your pool, outdoor kitchen, fire features, and landscaping.
Fountains & Decorative Water Features
Water has always been at the center of Douglas Aquatics’ craft — and not just in pools. We design and build decorative fountains and water features for residential properties, adding visual interest, soothing sound, and architectural elegance to gardens, courtyards, and pool environments.
Commercial Fountains & Public Water Features
Designing and installing a commercial fountain or public water feature requires a level of engineering capability that most pool companies simply don’t have. Douglas Aquatics does. Our team’s engineering background and decades of experience with complex aquatic systems makes us the right partner for commercial properties, municipalities, developers, and property managers who need a water feature done right.
Designed to Work Together
The most stunning outdoor spaces aren’t a collection of individual features — they’re unified environments where the pool, the kitchen, the fireplace, and the hardscape were all conceived and executed as a single vision. That’s what Douglas Aquatics delivers.
Construction Materials
Granite
Brick
Stone
Marble
Quartz
Kitchen Features & Add-Ons
Grills
Ovens
Pizza Ovens
Refrigerators
Ice Makers
Side Burners
Smoker
Rotisserie
Pull Out Trash
Wine Fridge
Sink
Dishwasher
Warming Drawers
Beer Tap
Dry Storage Pantry
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Douglas Aquatics build outdoor kitchens and fireplaces?
Yes. Douglas Aquatics designs and builds custom outdoor kitchens, fireplaces, fire pits, pergolas, hardscapes, and water features alongside new pool construction or as standalone projects. Building outdoor living and pool together with one contractor ensures better design integration and fewer coordination issues.
Can I get my pool and outdoor living space built at the same time?
Yes, and that’s the recommended approach. When Douglas Aquatics builds your pool and surrounding outdoor living space — kitchen, fireplace, pergola, hardscape — together, the design is fully integrated and the construction is more efficient. It avoids the disruption and cost of returning to excavate and build around a finished pool later.
What outdoor living features does Douglas Aquatics install?
Douglas Aquatics installs outdoor kitchens, fireplaces and fire pits, pergolas and shade structures, hardscapes and custom pool decks, decorative fountains and water features, and commercial fountains for public spaces. All outdoor living work is designed to integrate with the pool and home architecture.
Does Douglas Aquatics build pergolas and hardscapes?
Yes. Douglas Aquatics builds custom pergolas, patios, pool decks, walkways, and retaining walls as part of a complete outdoor environment. All hardscape work is integrated with the pool design and built to match the home’s architectural style, using concrete, natural stone, pavers, brick, and tile.
Do I need a separate contractor for my outdoor kitchen and pool?
Not with Douglas Aquatics. They design and build pools and complete outdoor living spaces — kitchens, fireplaces, pergolas, hardscapes, and water features — in-house. Using one contractor for the full scope produces a more cohesive design, simplifies project management, and typically reduces total cost.
Custom Outdoor Kitchens in Richmond & Central Virginia
Cook Outside. Entertain Better.
An outdoor kitchen transforms your pool area from a place to swim into a place to live. Douglas Aquatics builds fully custom outdoor kitchens — from straightforward grilling stations to complete culinary setups with built-in appliances, bar seating, refrigeration, and custom countertops — designed to work with your pool and overall outdoor environment.
Custom to Your Space
Every outdoor kitchen we build is designed around your space, your lifestyle, and how you entertain. We work with you to determine the right footprint, layout, and features, then build everything to perform in Virginia’s climate using durable, outdoor-rated materials, thoughtful construction details, and proper drainage
Popular Features
- Built-in grills and smokers
- Outdoor-rated refrigerators and ice makers
- Bar counters and seating areas
- Granite, porcelain, or concrete countertops
- Outdoor sinks and storage
- Pizza ovens and side burners
Outdoor Fireplaces & Fire Pits in Richmond & Central Virginia
Extend Your Outdoor Season
Nothing makes a backyard feel more like a resort than a beautifully designed fire feature. Douglas Aquatics builds custom outdoor fireplaces and fire pits that extend your usable outdoor season, create a natural gathering point for family and guests, and add architectural beauty to your poolscape.
Options We Build
We design and build wood-burning and gas fire features, freestanding fire pits, and full masonry fireplaces — all custom to your space and integrated with your overall outdoor design. From dramatic statement fireplaces to intimate fire pit seating areas, we design each feature to complement the surrounding poolscape and outdoor environment, with proper foundations, quality materials, and lasting craftsmanship.
Custom Pergolas & Shade Structures in Virginia
Shade, Style, and Structure
A well-designed pergola defines the space around your pool, provides relief from Virginia’s summer sun, and adds architectural character to your outdoor environment. Douglas Aquatics builds custom pergolas and shade structures designed to complement your home’s architecture and overall outdoor living environment — not simply look like an add-on.
Built to Last
Our pergolas and shade structures are built with quality, outdoor-rated materials and careful attention to structural requirements, weather exposure, drainage, and long-term durability. Whether you’re looking for a simple shade structure over a dining area or a more complete covered outdoor space, we design it to fit naturally within your overall outdoor environment.
Hardscaping & Patio Design in Richmond & Central Virginia
The Foundation of Your Outdoor Environment
Great hardscaping does more than surround the pool. It connects the pool to the home, manages transitions and elevations, creates functional gathering spaces, and helps the entire outdoor environment feel intentionally designed.
Douglas Aquatics approaches pool decks, patios, walkways, retaining walls, and surrounding hardscapes as part of the complete pool and outdoor-living plan — not as an afterthought.
Designed Around the Entire Property
Every property is different. We consider the architecture of the home, pool design, elevations, drainage, traffic flow, entertainment areas, landscaping, and surrounding outdoor features when developing the hardscape plan.
Materials & Features
Depending on the project and design, options may include:
- Natural stone
- Concrete and specialty concrete finishes
- Pavers
- Brick
- Porcelain and exterior-rated tile
- Pool decking
- Patios and gathering areas
- Walkways and transitions
- Steps and elevation changes
- Retaining walls
- Integrated drainage solutions
Materials are selected to complement the pool, home architecture, and overall outdoor environment while considering durability, maintenance, and the demands of a pool setting.
Designed to Work Together
The best outdoor environments don’t look like the pool, patio, kitchen, landscaping, and other features were designed separately.
Our goal is to create a cohesive plan where the materials, elevations, transitions, drainage, and surrounding features work together as one complete environment.
Fountains & Decorative Water Features in Virginia
Movement, Sound, and Beauty
Water has always been at the center of Douglas Aquatics’ craft — and not just in pools. We design and build decorative fountains and water features for residential properties, adding visual interest, soothing sound, and architectural elegance to gardens, courtyards, and pool environments.
Residential Water Features
From subtle water accents to custom fountains and integrated pool features, Douglas Aquatics can incorporate water into the landscape in ways that complement the architecture of the home and the overall outdoor environment.
Depending on the project, features may include:
- Custom decorative fountains
- Raised water features
- Sheer descents and waterfalls
- Scuppers and spillways
- Bubblers and deck jets
- Integrated spa spillovers
- Garden and courtyard water features
- Custom architectural water elements
Each feature should be designed with consideration for appearance, sound, water movement, hydraulics, surrounding materials, and long-term operation.
Commercial Fountains & Public Water Features in Virginia
Technical Expertise for Complex Aquatic Systems
Commercial fountains and public water features require more than visual design. Successful systems depend on proper hydraulics, circulation, filtration, equipment selection, controls, waterproofing, structural coordination, accessibility, maintainability, and long-term operation.
Douglas Aquatics brings decades of aquatic construction experience and technical expertise to commercial water-feature projects throughout Virginia.
Commercial & Public Applications
We work with general contractors, developers, property owners, municipalities, architects, landscape architects, property managers, and other project stakeholders on commercial and public aquatic features.
Applications may include:
- Interactive and display fountains
- Public plaza water features
- Commercial entrance and courtyard fountains
- Park and civic water features
- Architectural water features
- Reflecting and decorative water systems
- Specialty aquatic features
More Than Construction
A successful commercial water feature has to perform long after construction is complete.
Depending on the project and scope, Douglas Aquatics can support:
- Preconstruction and constructability coordination
- Aquatic mechanical systems
- Pumps, filtration, and circulation
- Hydraulic piping systems
- Equipment and controls
- Waterproofing and finish coordination
- Start-up and commissioning
- Equipment repair and modernization
- Preventive maintenance
- Ongoing fountain and water-feature service
Built With Long-Term Operation in Mind
Commercial aquatic systems should be designed not only for visual impact, but also for reliable operation, serviceability, water quality, safety, and long-term maintenance.
