Mahwah, NJ -- (ReleaseWire) -- 01/15/2014 -- Luxury Pools Magazine Names The 2014 Pinnacle Award Winners

Cipriano Custom Swimming Pools & Landscaping of NJ wins the Pinnacle Award from Luxury Pools Magazine for their violin pool built in Westchester, NY

Luxury Pools Magazine works to showcase some of the world's best custom swimming pools and the designers and builders behind them. Each year the magazine picks a select few projects for distinction that represent a highly skilled level of craftsmanship and design ingenuity. The Pinnacle Award is a true honor of distinction as it represents the best of the best in luxury pools from around the world. Cipriano Custom Swimming Pools & Landscaping located in Bergen County NJ has been awarded the 2014 Pinnacle Award for their violin pool.

The violin pool started after a client who is an amateur musician came to Cipriano with the idea of designing a music themed pool. Through a couple of exploratory meetings the idea of creating an exact replica to scale of the 1700s era Stradivarius violin was born. Rather than just creating the shape of the violin, the pool would include all of the violin's features like the chinrest, strings, tailpiece, bow, f-holes, purfling and bridge. The ingenuity was how each of these items was depicted as a functioning component of this luxurious pool.

The chinrest is one of the standout features and was crafted as a 12-person perimeter overflow spa. It was finished entirely in jet-black glass tiles producing an elegantly clean finish. The raised spa stands out above the rest of the pool as a true work of art, but yet still fits in seamlessly with the rest of the design.

The interior of the pool itself was finished with custom iridescent glass tiles to enhance the image. Cipriano's staffed tile installers individually installed nearly 500,000 pieces of glass tile across the floor and walls of the luxury swimming pool. Unique to this one pool The Cipriano Landscape Architecture office worked extensively with the tile manufacturer Oceanside Glass Tile to create a 4-way gradient pattern. Typically glass tile only transitions in one direction or possibly two if going outwards from a centerline. In order to create the violin's "sun burst" effect where the color slowly blends from a dark to light brown as you move inwards, the glass tile had to transition in all four directions. The one of a kind gradient blend allowed the tile color to seamlessly reach all of the pools many curved walls.

Fiber optic and LED lighting were incorporated into the design to create masterful nighttime effects. At night fiber optic rope lighting emits from under the coping to outline the shape of the violin. Perhaps more impressively, to create the strings image, fiber optic lighting was woven in between glass tile into the shell of the pool. This allows the glass tile to display the strings during the day and the fiber optics to show them at night. When the strings light up they also define lap lanes for swimmers, perfect for evening enjoyment. Hidden LED lights in the walls reflect vibrant colors off of the shimmering glass tile to create beautiful nighttime colors.

The bow of the violin, which intersects the neck of the pool, is actually two koi ponds that are attached to the structure of the swimming pool. To keep the swimming pool water and koi pond water separate, acrylic panels were installed into the shell of the pool. Through the panels underwater swimmers can have a direct view of the nearby fish. The koi ponds feature a plethora of aquatic plants and additional fiber optic lighting to bring them to life during the day and night.

The pool patio features a border of the limestone custom cut to create the G clef symbol that can be found when reading sheets of music. The adjoining main patio features dolomitic limestone set in a French pattern, and hosts a remarkable outdoor kitchen and bar with a built in T.V. and surround sound system. The landscape planting design enhances the musical theme of the property. Curving boxwood hedges were planted as stems throughout the landscape from which colorful perennials and annuals are planted off of. The movement of the hedges and play of color is designed to convey the idea of motion, similar to what is felt when listening to music. A 40 foot wide Japanese Lace Leaf Maple and other mature specimen trees, transplanted from Cipriano's farm, were installed to provide height as well as accents to the design.

The holistic approach to this one of a kind backyard, ingenious design solutions and excellent craftsmanship is what made this project one of Cipriano's finest. "The violin pool truly is one of a kind and we are truly grateful for the 2014 Pinnacle Award from Luxury Pools Magazine." Says Chris Cipriano, President of Cipriano Custom Swimming Pools & Landscaping.

About Cipriano Custom Swimming Pools & Landscaping
Celebrating 25 years in business, 14-time international award winner Cipriano Custom Swimming Pools & Landscaping distinguishes themselves from all other swimming pool & landscaping companies with their extensive design and construction experience. The Mahwah, NJ based company provides more than just pool installations. As a recognized national leader in custom residential & commercial landscaping, masonry, swimming pools and water features, the NJ firm has been offering complete estate transformations since 2001. With a design office headed by 17-year-veteran, certified Landscape Architect William Moore, the Cipriano team has won 75 awards of excellence since 2006 and in 2013 was named by Pool And Spa News to their "Top 50 Pool Builders" list.

NJ Custom Swimming Pools

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Mahwah, NJ -- (ReleaseWire) -- 01/13/2014 -- If you are thinking about installing a custom swimming pool in your back yard, it is important to first learn a little bit about the process and the options that are out there. One trend that is being used a lot in custom swimming pools is the use of glass tile, either as the entire finish of the pool or as a beautiful mosaic on the floor. Glass tile undoubtedly adds an incredibly elegant finish and can truly transform a nice pool into a breathtaking masterpiece. Installing a glass tile swimming pool is more difficult and intricate than you may think though, and so as a homeowner it is important to decide early on whether you want a glass tile or plaster finish. If your pool builder is experienced at installing glass tile he will prepare all of the beginning stages of construction to smoothly transition into the glass tiling phase. If done correctly, this will save you a lot of time and money, but unfortunately most pool builders are not experienced enough or willing to properly prepare; and not all homeowners choose glass tile from the start and end up switching half way through. Both situations can add a tremendous cost to the consumer.

Being in this business now for over 23 years I've had the privilege of traveling around the country and spending time going to professional conferences and seminars." States Chris Cipriano, President of Cipriano Landscape Design, "The biggest complaint I hear from tile installers across the industry is that when they show up to a job site, they arrive to a gunite pool that has not been properly prepared for the glass tile installation."

To give you an idea, glass tile while incredibly beautiful will also magnify any imperfection that may exist in the gunite shell. If the walls are not perfectly plum, floors not level, or the radius of curves not accurate, than the glass tile pattern will not match up across the pool. When the gunite shell is deemed not ready by the tile installers, the tile installer has to reconstruct walls or perform what is called a build out.

A build out is the process of adding thin layers of concrete to correct imperfections in the gunite pool shell. Build outs are used to make walls plum, floors level or fix the radii of curves in order to get the gunite shell to its true form. The single biggest hidden expense to a glass tile pool client is the reconstruction of the pool and the build out. Unfortunately through my experience of talking to tile installers they are still a regular occurrence due to poor planning. A tile budget usually includes up to a 1/2" for a build out, as there are always some small corrections that need to be made. Some pools are so poorly prepared that the build out can add up to an additional 50% onto the total cost of the tile installation to the homeowners.

Another issue that I have seen arise is homeowners switching from plaster to glass tile late in the construction of the pool. At one of our projects in Alpine we were called in to finish a pool because the previous contractor was fired for various reasons and the pool was in horrible condition. After seeing our portfolio the homeowner changed the finish of the pool to glass tile instead of plaster. When we took our measurements to see if the pool was true to form, we found that the 25' by 15' pool was 6" out of square and the floor was 9" off level. The build out and wall reconstruction that was needed to correct this was extremely expensive for the client.

If a pool is supposed to be plastered, most builders are not concerned whether or not the walls are perfectly plumbed or if the floor is level from side to side because it is very hard to tell looking at a plaster finish underwater. If a client switches from plaster to tile it is not until the tile installer shows up that they realize how out of whack the pool really is. Most of the best tile installers come from out of state so they aren't at the job site all along monitoring the process and only show up when the pool is supposedly ready for tile.

Because we build our inground pools and are the tile installer we have incredible advantages over competitors. We know exactly what needs to be done each step of the way and can make sure everything is perfect for when the glass tile is ready to be installed. We can guarantee that the tile is installed correctly and that the clients will not be burdened with the expense of having to pay for reconstructing walls or a significant build out. It cannot be said enough though how important it is to let your designer know early that you are interested in an all glass tile finish.

You may be wondering then, is glass tile worth it? Absolutely! It's hard to argue with the elegant finished look of shimmering glass tile when viewed through the water. The end result and seeing the homeowner's excitement with their new luxury pool makes all of the extra work and preparation worthwhile. As a homeowner, if a luxury custom pool is something you've dreamed about and an all glass tile pool is an option for you, than make sure you convey that information as early as possible in the pool design process and work with a pool builder experienced in installing glass tile. You want someone who you can trust to give you all of the information, and who has successfully installed numerous complex glass tile pools before. Working with the right pool designer and builder will save you time and money and allow you to enjoy your new luxury pool without expensive overruns and delays.

If you have any questions at all about designing or installing an all glass tile custom pool, please Email Christie@plantnj.com or call our landscape architecture office and ask for Bill Moore, at 201-785-0800 www.NJcustomswimmingpools.com

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Cipriano Landscape Design Wins 2013 NJLCA Top Landscaping Award for A Custom Glass Tile “Violin” Inground Swimming Pool & Landscaping Project

Mahwah, NJ -- (ReleaseWire) -- 01/06/2014 -- The New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association (NJLCA) is a collection of professional contractors dedicated to growth and advancement of the landscape industry. In late December, 2013 the NJLCA held their annual awards dinner where they celebrated the top projects completed this year.

For the 2nd year in a row Cipriano Landscape Design took home the Award of Excellence in the category Landscape Design/Build: Residential: Over $100,000. The Award of Excellence is the highest honor in a specific category followed by the Award of Distinction and Award of Merit. The over $100,000 category is the highest category for residential design and build, and usually features the most complex, and extravagant projects.

The Bedford, NY project featured in this years NJLCA award ceremony certainly exemplifies that ability. The eye-catching feature of the project known as the "Violin Pool" is an all glass tile inground pool built as a replica of a 1700s era Stradivarius violin with all of its features.

The interior of the pool is finished with nearly 500,000 shimmering glass tiles that transition across the pool in all directions, a unique feat accomplished by the Cipriano tile installers. The tiles form the color and image of the violin and blend seamlessly from the many curves of the perimeter inwards.

Strands of fiber optic lighting were woven into the glass tile at the bottom of the pool to illuminate the strings of the violin and function as lap lanes for swimmers. Aesthetically pleasing and functional the installation of fiber optic lighting was masterfully showcased in this project.

The chinrest of the violin is depicted by a 12 person raised perimeter overflow spa finished entirely in jet-black glass tile. One of the most elegant individual features of the project, the chinrest spa fits in beautifully with the rest of the violin pool.

Crafting the bow of the violin was a very intricate part of the project, because it was designed as a koi pond that intersects the neck of the violin pool. At the point of intersection, acrylic panels were installed into the walls of the pool shell to allow swimmers to see directly into the koi pond while swimming. Cipriano explained that this part of the project took a lot of careful coordination and expertise between many of the skilled masons and machine operators to make sure both the pond and the pool were built correctly together.

Surrounding the violin pool, a beautifully designed dolomitic limestone patio boasts a fully functional outdoor kitchen equipped with a 60" outdoor television attached to a hydraulic lift. The TV can be lowered into the structure of the outdoor kitchen protecting it from the elements and not detracting from the view of the property when not in use.

The property was finished off with sinuous boxwood hedges planted in a stem like structure and surrounded by colorful perennials and annuals. Several specimen trees from Cipriano's farm were transplanted and installed to provide height as well as accents to the design. The planting design is intended to convey the idea of motion, a feeling similar to what is found when listening to music.

As a repeating Award of Excellence winner, Cipriano Landscape Design has shown a continued commitment to designing and building some of the best projects in New Jersey each year.

About the NJLCA
NJLCA was founded in 1966 as the Bergen County Landscape Contractors Association, and is today comprised of six regions throughout the state of New Jersey.

For more information about the NJLCA visit: www.njlca.org

About Cipriano Landscape Design
Celebrating over 24 years in business, 14-time international award winner Cipriano Landscape Design distinguishes themselves from all other swimming pool & landscaping companies with their extensive design & construction experience. The Mahwah, NJ company provides more than just a pool installation. As a recognized national leader in custom residential & commercial landscaping, masonry, swimming pools and water features, the NJ firm has been offering complete estate transformations since 2001. With a design office headed by 15-year-veteran, Certified Landscape Architect William Moore, the Cipriano team has won 75 awards of excellence since 2006 and in 2013 was named By Pool And Spa News to the "Top 50 Pool Builders " in the US.

For more information about Cipriano Landscape Design visit: www.njcustomswimmingpools.com

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