By Meda Kessler
Photos by Kari Breen
A special feature makes this stunning pool even more inviting to some pampered canines.
The modernist estate of Paul Dorman, businessman and philanthropist, sits on a terraced hillside in Fort Worth’s Westover Hills. Designed originally for oilman Eddie Chiles and wife Fran by architect A. Quincy Jones in 1966, the expansive property has seen a lot of changes inside and out since Dorman purchased the home in 2010.
Dorman added a custom garage for his extensive automobile collection and turned the interior remodel over to Fort Worth designer G. Bradley Alford.
But the stunning terrace remains, overlooking heavily landscaped acreage.
Adrienne relaxes poolside on a Missoni towel. The oversize stone stairway leads to the terrace. She’s unperturbed by Brad Oldham’s stainless Flock of Birds.
The expanse of the terrace steps is broken up by a black granite fountain and a river-rock-filled runnel.
The small, outdated pool got a massive makeover and the addition of an adjacent cabana and surrounding deck.
Dorman opted for a design that was child- and dog-friendly, thanks to the shallow wading pool adjoining the deeper water feature. The main pool is perfect for swimming, but Dorman’s dog, a Cavalier King Charles spaniel named Oliver, and his dog buddies that visit on the weekends also have the perfect place to cool off. The “walkway” across the two bodies of water — it’s constructed of the same black granite as everything else — creates a negative edge effect from one side of the pool to the other. And it just happens to make a handy ledge for pups that might not want to commit to getting their bodies fully wet.
One of a trio of stainless steel birds from Texas artist Brad Oldham stands guard in the shallow water (the other two sit in the landscaped slope leading up to the patio terrace). The dogs pay these metal creatures no mind. They’re interested in finding the perfect chaise lounge or nosing through the landscaping.
They also are on the lookout for a family of foxes that have made the 4-acre property their home for many years. After Eddie Chiles passed away and his widow moved out, the animals could be seen by the home’s caretakers sipping water out of the pool, which is apparently a magnet for all four-legged creatures.
THE DETAILS
Landscape architect Hocker Design Group, hockerdesign.com
Landscape maintenance Bonick Landscaping, bonicklandscaping.com