Luxury Outdoor Living Podcast

Ep 137 Year-round Luxury : Bringing the Oasis Indoors & Outdoors With Oasis Pools

Mike and Trey Farley host the Luxury Outdoor Living Podcast with guests Chip Unnerstall and Nicole Newkirk of Oasis Pools, a St. Louis design-build firm focused on high-end residential pools and outdoor living. Chip shares starting his company at 17 after a client loaned him $50,000, leading to rapid early growth, while Nicole describes her design background, their collaboration, and her “Not Your Average Life” mindset brand. They discuss evolving from liners to custom concrete work through continuing education (Genesis and WaterShape University), bringing shotcrete and plaster operations in-house for quality and scheduling control, and lessons from COVID contract escalation. Topics include Midwest weather strategies using tents and heat for year-round building, winterization vs keeping some pools open, indoor pool costs and dehumidification, sanitation options like UV/ozone, material and design “true crimes,” and standout award-winning projects featuring rain curtains, hidden auto covers, entryway water, and perimeter-overflow/tiled pools.
 
Discover and connect:
https://www.farleypooldesigns.com/https://www.instagram.com/farleydesigns/https://www.instagram.com/luxuryoutdoorlivingpodcast/
 
00:00 Podcast Welcome
01:17 Meet Chip And Nicole
02:42 How They Got Started
05:40 Growing Into High End
07:24 Training And Genesis
09:44 Going Fully In House
13:17 Weatherproof Building Tents
16:58 Full Backyard Packages
20:38 Service Area And Winterizing
23:25 Spas Hot Tubs And Shell Types
27:02 Indoor Pools And Humidity
30:37 Sanitation UV And Ozone
34:31 Indoor Design And Covers
43:03 Award Winning Projects
44:49 Limestone House Details
45:33 Who Builds Pool Houses
46:48 Modern Rain Curtain Pool
49:28 Cantilever Swings Feature
50:43 Mosaic Tile Reflection Pool
52:58 Lazy River Memories
55:30 Women In Pool Design
57:46 Social Media And Vetting Builders
01:00:28 Design Limits And Timelines
01:02:18 3D Modeling Versus Hand Sketching
01:07:41 Poolside True Crime Lessons
01:13:49 Rapid Fire Favorites
01:16:16 Travel Inspiration And Craftsmanship
01:20:01 Contact Info And Wrap Up
01:22:40 Show Mission Closing
 

Ep 136 Ryan and Sozan Hughes on how to Create your Vibe with Solana Outdoor Living

The Luxury Outdoor Living Podcast hosts Mike and Trey Farley interview Sozan and Ryan Hughes of Ryan Hughes Design and Solana Outdoor Living about expanding from a second-generation Florida landscape and pool firm into a holistic luxury outdoor living platform that includes furnishings, lighting, kitchens, and specialty products. Ryan explains how the business evolved after 2009 and how furniture became a critical element despite early rejection from manufacturers and consumer credibility hurdles, eventually won through marketing, media exposure, and social proof. Sozan describes joining the company around 2008–2012, negotiating dealer pricing, and launching their first major furniture success. They detail Solana’s 12,000-square-foot showroom in Tampa with vignette displays, customization options, trade support, warehousing/QC/logistics, and plans to scale locations and serve residential, hospitality, and nationwide clients.
 
Discover more:
https://www.solanaoutdoor.com/
https://ryanhughesdesign.com
https://www.farleypooldesigns.com/https://www.instagram.com/farleydesigns/https://www.instagram.com/luxuryoutdoorlivingpodcast/
 
00:00 Meet Sozan Hughes
00:57 Podcast Intro and Mission
02:09 Guests Welcome and Origins
02:54 Ryan Hughes Design Evolution
05:36 Sozan Joins the Business
08:52 Breaking Into Furniture
12:39 Selling the Vibe
15:09 Inside the Solana Showroom
18:45 Curating Luxury Brands
22:34 Trade Program and Logistics
26:49 Bespoke Customization and AI
29:53 Signature Products and Video Wall
36:04 Lighting Innovations Spotlight
38:53 How to Explore Solana
40:27 Showroom Visits Explained
41:29 Designing for Trends
44:11 Expanding the Showroom
45:04 New Brands from Italy
46:14 When to Start Planning
48:33 Guiding Clients in Store
50:42 AI and 3D Visuals
52:32 Scaling Solana Nationwide
54:33 Outdoor Kitchen Standouts
57:53 More Niche Product Lines
01:02:36 Advice and Rapid Fire
01:05:54 Travel Inspiration and Wrap
01:08:14 Podcast Mission Closing
 

Ep 135 From Pool Floors to Ceiling Stars with Fiber Creations and Farley Pool Designs

Mike and Trey Farley host the Luxury Outdoor Living Podcast and interview Rhonda Sheeran of Fiber Creations about Pool Stars, a patented fiber-optic “stars in the pool floor” product with a 3D twinkling effect that appears on the pool bottom and reflects off the water surface. Rhonda describes her background in pool tile, renovation, plastering, and early fiber-optic lighting, and explains how Pool Stars use high-quality Mitsubishi fibers bundled from an LED RGBW/DMX-capable illuminator (no electricity in the water) through minimal piping, then distributed as single/double/triple fibers for varied brightness. She details installation steps, plaster/tile considerations, remodel approaches, distance limits (~90 feet), dimming and app/DMX control, use cases (sun shelves, decks, walls, star ceilings, countertops), quality cautions, and typical costs varying by star count and labor.
 
Discover more:
https://www.fibercreations.com/
https://www.farleypooldesigns.com/https://www.instagram.com/farleydesigns/https://www.instagram.com/luxuryoutdoorlivingpodcast/
 
00:00 Podcast Welcome
01:12 Meet Rhonda Sheeran
02:18 Pool Stars Origin Story
05:55 How Pool Stars Work
10:35 Installation Step by Step
15:17 Remodels and Tile Pools
17:02 Safety and Equipment Setup
21:25 Customization and DMX Control
25:10 Creative Applications Beyond Pools
27:53 Finish Tips and Longevity
29:25 Podcast Legacy Story
30:29 Remodeling a Star Pool
32:19 Drones and Dimming Control
33:43 Why Quality Fiber Matters
35:25 Acrylic Windows and Placement
36:23 Star Ceilings Installation
39:11 Backlit Stone and Showers
41:16 Controllers Apps and Music Sync
44:21 Product Evolution and Install Tips
47:35 Durability Big Clients and Future
50:16 Cost Ranges and Design Options
52:19 Rapid Fire Guest Questions
54:20 Seeing It In Person and Wrap Up

Ep 134 Garden and Landscape Hacks for Great Outdoor Spaces with Jay White and Morgan McBride

Mike and Trey Farley host Jay White, publisher of Texas Gardener Magazine, and Morgan, a longtime DFW landscaper now with Verde Growers, to answer homeowner questions about gardening and landscaping around pools. They stress planning for sunlight, drainage, and soil (often alkaline in North Texas), using soil tests, reading plant labels, and favoring local nurseries over big-box stores. Topics include soil prep differences for annual beds vs trees, backfilling trees with native soil, staking, container vs balled-and-burlapped trees, best planting season (fall), raised-bed vegetable gardening and crop rotation, chill hours for fruit trees, water efficiency and avoiding overwatering (drip on timers), fertilizing with balanced ratios and slow-release nitrogen, protecting trees during construction, common regional pests/diseases, privacy screens (hollies and junipers), invasive bamboo, and recommended perennials like roses and salvias.
 
Discover more:
https://texasgardener.com/
https://www.farleypooldesigns.com/https://www.instagram.com/farleydesigns/https://www.instagram.com/luxuryoutdoorlivingpodcast/
 
00:00 Podcast Welcome
01:12 Meet the Guests
03:20 Soil Prep Basics
05:02 Soil Tests Explained
08:37 Tilling and Living Soil
11:06 Skip Big Box Stores
15:12 Find Your Planting Zone
17:37 Gardens Near Pools
21:11 Crop Rotation 101
25:38 Best Time to Plant Trees
27:51 Container vs B&B Trees
33:02 Water Smart Gardening
40:19 Right Plant Right Place
43:01 Fruit Trees and Chill Hours
43:53 Chill Hours Basics
44:46 Early Bloom Plum Experiment
45:46 Avoid Big Box Fruit Trees
46:50 Plants and Memory Bonds
48:50 Best Shade Tree Picks
50:49 Privacy Screening Plants
53:32 Bamboo Planting and Removal
55:52 Favorite Perennials for Texas
59:33 Killing Poison Ivy
01:00:29 Garden Pets and Critters
01:02:08 Fertilizer Ratios Explained
01:08:38 Protect Trees During Construction
01:10:03 Texas Pests and Regulations
01:14:23 Synthetic Turf Pros and Cons
01:15:16 Texas Tomato Timing
01:16:27 Easy Starter Vegetables
01:18:28 Rapid Fire Favorites
01:22:49 Show Wrap and Mission
 

Ep 133 Delicious Water: Steve Kenny's AOP Recipe with Farley Pool Designs

Mike and Trey Farley of Farley Pool Designs interview Steve Kenny of SRK Pools in East Hampton, Long Island, who describes his path from a family pool service business started in 1985 to building high-performance “chlorine-free” pools. Kenny explains how decades of service experience led him to advanced water treatment using high-output ozone with UV to create advanced oxidation (hydroxyl radicals), paired with activated glass media filtration, CO2 pH control, and a Blue Sentinel controller to maintain very low chlorine (about 0.1–0.2 ppm) with minimal manual intervention and monthly service. He details side-stream ozone injection, contact tanks, ozone destruction and safety monitoring, and floor-return/skimmer hydraulics to reduce dead spots. The conversation covers pathogen control (e.g., crypto/giardia), equipment “bunkers,” freeze-thaw considerations, keeping pools open year-round, wellness trends like cold plunges, and Kenny’s water-inspired mosaic art.
 
Discover more:
https://www.farleypooldesigns.com/https://www.instagram.com/farleydesigns/https://www.instagram.com/luxuryoutdoorlivingpodcast/
 
00:00 Podcast Welcome
01:17 Meet Steve Kenny
02:26 From Culinary to Pools
04:46 Going Chlorine Free
07:42 AOP Hydroxyl Explained
09:08 Ozone System Sizing
11:53 Automation and Controls
14:32 Bunkers and Venting
17:39 Why Add UV
20:54 Glass Media Filtration
22:58 Hydraulics Skimmers Returns
25:13 Real World Results and Cost
30:26 Training Maintenance Teams
33:25 Delicious Water Philosophy
35:27 Proactive Water Care
36:10 Mindset Over Energy Costs
37:14 AOP Basics Ozone UV
38:09 Glass Media And No Minerals
40:21 Chlorine Sensitivity Explained
41:23 Building For Freeze Thaw
45:37 Plumbing Flow And Heating
46:55 Perimeter Overflow Artistry
47:44 Underwater Art And Tile
50:35 Designing For Lifestyle
51:51 System Capacity Dogs And Bugs
58:23 Wellness Cold Plunge Trends
01:01:37 Rapid Fire And Wrap Up
01:04:06 Show Mission Closing
 

Ep 132 Floatee: The Smart Tech Transforming Luxury Water Safety with Farley Pool Designs

On this episode of Luxury Outdoor Living Podcast, Mike Farley interviews Scarlett Hanson, owner of Floatee US, during Water Safety Month about Floatee, a France-made anti-drowning T-shirt for children that looks like an anti-UV swim shirt but automatically inflates into a life jacket when submerged, inflating in under three seconds, keeping the wearer on their back with airways out of the water via an asymmetrical design. It won a prestigious design award, has been used by over 50,000 people in Europe, and has generated parent testimonials after real pool incidents. The system uses a dissolving sensor and replaceable gas canister; the inflatable insert can be moved between shirt sizes and bright colors aid visibility. Sizes currently cover 10–25 kg, with 25–40 kg in development, plus adult manual/automatic versions. Scarlett shares pricing, certifications (ISO 12402), washing instructions, travel guidance for canisters, and plans for awareness, retail expansion, and trade-show demos, with info@floateeus.com.
 
Discover more:
https://www.floateeus.com/
https://floatee.co/en
https://www.farleypooldesigns.com/https://www.instagram.com/farleydesigns/https://www.instagram.com/luxuryoutdoorlivingpodcast/
 
00:00 Welcome to the Podcast
01:17 Water Safety Month Intro
01:59 Meet Scarlett and Floatee
02:21 How Floatee Works
05:04 Inside the Tech
08:23 Fit Sizes and Reuse
10:35 Travel and Layering Tips
12:23 Adult Versions Explained
14:46 Scarlett Safety Journey
20:26 Why Drowning Gets Overlooked
24:32 Real Life Saves and Pricing
27:35 Future Plans and Care
32:42 Rapid Fire Questions
34:23 Contact and Trade Shows
35:54 Final Wrap Up
 
 

Ep 131 What Your Builder Won’t Tell You with Sean of Deck Remodelers and Farley Pool Designs

Mike and Trey Farley host the Luxury Outdoor Living Podcast and interview Sean of Deck Remodelers from Northern New Jersey about his background from an Irish carpentry family through construction and culinary school to specializing in high-end decks since 2007–08. Sean describes winning 70+ national design awards, focusing on team-building, and advising homeowners to start with an honest budget rather than bidding games, then vet contractors by details and materials (steel framing, premium PVC, fewer posts, better beams). He explains his in-house architects and exterior-focused interior designers, custom fabrication and board bending for curved decks and stairs, full-yard design/GC scope, VR walkthroughs, and standardized training via “Deck Remodelers University.” Topics include fire features and clearances, covered spaces, lighting and electric infrared heaters (Infotech), under-deck drainage (Haven Under Deck), code/climate considerations like frost depth, and common remodel failures from inadequate blocking. He also discusses NADRA’s education/community, his book and favorite book “Die With Zero,” and a road-trip ride to Niagara Falls.
 
Discover more:
https://deckremodelers.com/
https://www.farleypooldesigns.com/https://www.instagram.com/farleydesigns/https://www.instagram.com/luxuryoutdoorlivingpodcast/
 
00:00 Welcome to the Podcast
01:17 Meet the Hosts and Guest
01:34 Spring Weather and Busy Season
02:01 Why the Name Deck Remodelers
02:24 Origin Story and Early Carpentry
05:35 From Culinary School to Construction
06:49 Deck Medic to High-End Decks
08:20 Awards and Building a Team
09:08 Homeowner Mistakes and Budget Talk
12:08 In-House Designers and Architects
13:46 Curved Decks and Board Bending
18:08 Fire Features and Material Safety
18:48 YouTube Experiments and 50 Cal Test
19:50 Full Backyard Design and GC Scope
20:38 Standardizing Quality with DRU
22:44 Service Area and Expansion Plans
25:05 Climate Loads and Louvered Roofs
27:04 Designing Transitions and Materials
28:56 Tough Home Styles and Review Boards
30:32 Writing the Book and Going Full Service
31:38 Grand Staircases and Glue-Lams
32:45 Heaters and Lighting Expertise
36:58 Frost Lines Steel Framing and Durability
40:02 Designing for Function and Furnishings
41:02 Making Under-Deck Space Usable
42:38 Waterproofing Done Right
43:38 Details That Add Value
46:15 Cover It For Comfort
47:46 Building Docks On Ice
50:17 Lifestyle Upgrade Mindset
51:39 Football Fan Banter
53:51 Master Planning Backyards
57:24 Gunite And Clay Engineering
01:01:20 Contractor True Crime
01:05:14 NADRA And Community
01:09:26 Fire Features Under Roofs
01:11:23 Rapid Fire Favorites
01:17:15 Wrap Up And Mission
 

Ep 130 Hidden Details of the Ultra Luxury Patio with Armen of Arto with Farley Pool Designs

Mike and Trey Farley introduce and interview Armen from Southern California’s Arto Brick, a family business founded in the 1960s by Armen’s father after emigrating from Egypt. Armen explains how the company began with handmade clay thin-brick veneer sold on a milk route, grew from installation into full-time manufacturing, and expanded staff significantly. He discusses working through family-business conflicts, Arto Brick’s “rustic elegance” look and how trends affect demand, and the value of handmade products and factory tours. Armen outlines current offerings—handcrafted concrete and low-absorption clay tiles for walls/floors indoors and outdoors, trims/coping, custom colors/shapes, and curated stone/porcelain—plus installation and maintenance issues like sealing, expansion joints, and hot-weather setting, with notes on saltwater pool impacts. He also shares favorites (movie Patton, books Gates of Fire and How the Mighty Fall) and travel interests.
 
Discover more:
https://www.arto.com/
https://www.farleypooldesigns.com/https://www.instagram.com/farleydesigns/https://www.instagram.com/luxuryoutdoorlivingpodcast/
 
00:00 Podcast Welcome
01:17 Meet Armen Arto Brick
02:01 Immigrant Origin Story
03:39 Thin Brick Innovation
06:06 Scaling the Family Business
07:58 Working With Family
10:37 Celebrity Client Tales
12:02 Trends Rustic Elegance
14:53 Handmade Factory Advantage
19:06 What Arto Brick Makes
22:48 How Customers Discover It
27:14 Pool Coping Throwback
30:05 How Tiles Are Made
31:12 Molding and Packing Tiles
31:54 Concrete vs Clay Process
33:12 Low Absorption Benefits
34:48 Indoor Outdoor Transitions
35:42 Freeze Thaw and Waterproofing
37:04 Saltwater Pool Material Choices
39:54 Common Install Mistakes
41:31 Expansion Joints and Movement
42:37 Sealing and Cleaning Tips
43:36 Patina Expectations and Trends
45:41 Ceiling Install Stories
48:44 New Art Tazo Brick Line
50:47 Growing in California
52:43 Legacy and Customer Value
54:52 Rapid Fire Favorites
57:16 Travel Plans and Wrap Up
58:30 Podcast Mission Statement
 
 

Ep 129 Step 1: The Dream to Your Luxury Pool and Outdoor Living Oasis with Farley Pool Designs

Mike and Trey Farley introduce the Luxury Outdoor Living Podcast from Farley Pool Designs, explaining their goal of helping homeowners avoid “dream-to-nightmare” outdoor projects by sharing industry knowledge, trends, and insider tips. In this episode, they outline step one of a homeowner’s journey: define the dream and establish a realistic budget using photos to clarify style and features, align priorities with a partner, and identify must-haves versus compromises due to space or cost. They discuss how backyard projects can be major investments that may return value at resale, and how media and social platforms inspire new ideas. Mike describes a “shopping list” budgeting method that factors in site conditions like soil, access, grades, utilities, and HOAs to price features individually. They preview future step-by-step episodes covering site analysis, patios/structures, outdoor kitchens, aesthetic features, and pools.
https://www.farleypooldesigns.com/https://www.instagram.com/farleydesigns/https://www.instagram.com/luxuryoutdoorlivingpodcast/
 
00:00 Welcome to the Podcast
01:12 Step One Overview
02:28 Avoiding Backyard Nightmares
03:56 Big Investment Value
06:29 Where Dreams Begin
09:47 Media Inspired Ideas
12:29 Use Photos to Communicate
16:57 Compromise and Priorities
19:27 3D Models and Lot Types
21:04 Outdoor Kitchen Segment
22:14 Warm Towel Hack
22:44 Dream Pool Options
24:35 Water And Fire Features
25:45 Outdoor Kitchens And Comfort
27:00 Tech Wellness And Fitness
28:56 Privacy Landscaping And Budgeting
31:59 Shopping List Budget Method
37:28 Real World Overbudget Story
41:48 Cost Of The Dream Wrap Up
42:26 Next Episodes Roadmap
43:55 Podcast Mission Statement
 

Ep 128 Five Tips for Better Deck Design w Industry Experts Robert The Deck da Vinci and Farley Pool Design

Mike and Trey Farley host the Luxury Outdoor Living Podcast and interview Ontario-based deck designer Robert Hodichak (“Deck Da Vinci”), who designs complex outdoor structures and co-runs 33 North Design with contractor John Lee while also designing for Decks & Docks. Robert explains how remote design is enabled by photos, tools like Hover, SketchUp, and Lumion, and stresses that homeowners should prioritize proper space planning, flow, and understanding use cases (gatherings, dining, kitchens, hot tubs) before aesthetics. He recommends NADRA as a resource for finding qualified deck builders and highlights common mistakes from unqualified contractors, including code and waterproofing failures. The conversation covers material choices (wood vs composites vs PVC), heat and expansion concerns, steel/aluminum framing longevity, under-deck drainage for usable dry space, railing options (aluminum vs glass), lighting for ambiance, stairs and landings, and trends around wellness features like saunas, cold plunges, and spas.
 
Discover more:
https://www.instagram.com/33_northdesign/
https://www.farleypooldesigns.com/https://www.instagram.com/farleydesigns/https://www.instagram.com/luxuryoutdoorlivingpodcast/https://www.instagram.com/poolzila/
 
00:00 Podcast Welcome
01:12 Meet Robert Hodichak
01:56 Deck Da Vinci Origin
03:46 Remote Design Reach
04:23 Launching 33 North
05:57 Social Media Backstory
08:07 Finding Builders NADRA
11:48 Deck Planning Mistakes
15:31 Deck Materials Guide
22:13 Steel and Aluminum Framing
24:50 Permits and Runoff Rules
26:01 Dry Space Under Deck
29:27 Railing Options
33:08 Cantilevered Fireplace Build
34:44 Lightweight Stone Cladding
35:20 Decks That Belong
36:20 Tying Decks Into Homes
38:34 Wellness Outdoors Trend
41:04 Biophilic Design Benefits
43:03 Lighting For Ambiance
44:33 Railing Lights Explained
46:10 Fire Pits On Decks
47:23 Signature Project Styles
48:33 Stair Design Essentials
51:38 Built In Seating And Code
53:56 3D Design Workflow Tools
58:18 Deck Failure Horror Story
01:01:52 Extend Season With Porches
01:03:58 Design Due Diligence
01:05:46 Contact And Rapid Fire Qs
01:09:29 Podcast Wrap Up