Imagine standing on the timber deck on a quiet afternoon. The lake stretches out beyond the glass balustrade, still and blue, catching the light. Above you, a soft pattern of shade falls across the pool, filtered through the mesh into something gentler than direct sun.
The water below mirrors the sky in patches where the cover ends. A breeze moves off the lake and you feel the temperature shift, cool where the shade lands, warm where it doesn’t. You can hear water lapping against the retaining wall. The olive tree rustles. From where you’re sitting, the shade above you feels like it’s always belonged there, part of the architecture rather than added to it. Press a button, and it folds back. The sky opens up. The whole space changes character in under a minute.
That’s the everyday experience we set out to create for the owners of this West Lakes home.
When they first approached us, the brief was deceptively simple. They wanted to use their pool and outdoor area more often, without giving up the lake views that drew them to the property.
Their pool sits between the home and the water’s edge, framed by a black steel pergola and timber-clad cabana. A fixed roof would have solved the sun problem but reduced the openness that makes the space feel like it belongs to the lake. They needed shade on demand, designed for a lakefront setting.
We specified our Shaderunner® Trax ‘Pergo’ RT system, a motorised retractable shade running on support tracks only, without a full standalone modular frame. The RT (Running Tracks) configuration is what we recommend when clients want extra strength against wind exposure, a real consideration for homes next to the lake or the coast.
The running support tracks span the full 5.2 metre width of the pool, with a 6.4 metre extension. We chose our 95% Vistaweave Outlook Mode mesh in Monument, paired with a charcoal kedar and black satin framework that ties cleanly into the existing pergola steelwork.
When extended, the shade casts a soft, even cover across the pool and deck. When retracted, the fabric folds back to a 250mm stack, the smallest drop available, keeping sightlines to the lake clean and uninterrupted. The system is operated by a Somfy RTS motor and single channel remote, with high grade smooth running bearing wheels built for durability in a waterside environment.
What we love about this project is how naturally the climate control shade integrates into the architecture. With the system retracted, the owners can keep enjoying the open sky above the pool, letting the winter sun warm the water and the deck on cooler days. Extend it, and you’ve got full cover ready for an afternoon swim, a long lunch, or a quiet drink as the sun drops behind the water.
A standout in our residential portfolio, we’re proud to have been part of bringing this outdoor vision to life.
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