Graffiti on the Grass: How Our ‘Lawn Art’ Helps Us Build Your Beautiful New Pool

In the hands of Sean Gaffney, Budd Pools & Spas Landscape Architect and Project Manager, a lowly can of spray paint becomes a medium for translating abstract ideas into the first step of the Design/Build process. “Painting a yard like this helps us make the transition from our vision on paper to building the real thing,” he says.

Paint before you dig

Changing your mind on paper is cheap and easy. Changing concrete isn’t. But, even when it’s rendered in realistic 3D illustrations, people have a hard time visualizing how everything looks, feels, and works in the real world of their backyards. A simple spray-paint process helps everyone see how things fit together at full scale, right there, on the building site—before the concrete is poured.

Using the building plans as their guide, the design team locates, carefully measures, and spray paints the project’s outlines on the lawn. Different colors represent each element, such as pool, spa, landscaping, patio, decks, and new buildings.

“After the layout is painted on the ground,” Sean says, “we do a walk-through with the homeowners. It’s a great way to physically experience the spatial relationships.”

As they all walk through the outlines of the patio, they can feel the size and volume of the pool and spa. They see how each feature relates to the patio, the house, and the entire outdoor space. “It helps us visualize the space in its true scale,” Sean says. “We experience how all the elements fit together, and see it more clearly. You can’t get that in a rendering.”

This simple yard-painting detail can uncover final changes and improvements, especially when it reveals key placement decisions like mechanical equipment and sight-lines. Sean recalls a recent project where they discovered the placement of pool equipment would expose part of it when seen from certain viewpoints.

“We had placed the equipment to be hidden behind a new garage, but once we saw it marked on-site, we realized it wasn’t hidden from every view,” Sean says. “Shifting the garage, just a little farther to the back, solved the problem.”

The design-to-build process

The painted yard exercise demonstrates the detail we go into when designing and building a luxury pool and outdoor living area. It helps us balance creativity with precision and practicality. “This is how we create beautiful plans that are practical to construct,” Sean says.

You’d think all building plans would be designed for building, and yet throughout history we find architects, builders, and designers —some quite famous—who focus solely on style, on how things look, with little regard to practical use or durability.

“You can design breathtaking projects, but sometimes they’re just not buildable,” Sean says. “Our goal is to create something that’s both elegant and feasible.”

A bridge from designer to onsite manager

As a designer and landscape architect, Sean starts at the beginning of a new project. As an onsite project manager, he’s a bridge between design and construction. This connection illustrates one of the most important values Budd brings to your project: Everything is designed to be built and managed to be built right.

Project continuity is built into our process. As an onsite manager, Sean says he has the opportunity to refine plans, to learn from each build, and to enhance future designs. He says his design experience informs his on-site management and leads to smarter planning, fewer surprises, and a better experience for the homeowner.

“I like to be out there,” Sean says. “It helps me learn and refine my designs for future projects. Every site presents unique challenges, and by being present, I can make real-time decisions that improve both functionality and aesthetics.”

For example, during construction, adjustments might be needed to:

• Fine-tune elevations to improve drainage and grading.
• Modify retaining walls for better structural support.
• Reposition utility lines to avoid unnecessary relocation work.

This hands-on approach ensures that the design isn’t just beautiful on paper—it’s practical, efficient, and seamlessly integrated into the landscape.

A collaborative, hands-on process

At Budd Pools & Spas, we believe that a collaborative, on-site management approach results in the best possible outcomes. Our commitment to quality and buildability ensures that each outdoor living space is both stunning and seamlessly integrated into its surroundings.

By taking the extra steps to visualize, refine, and adapt, we transform backyard dreams into luxurious, well-crafted realities—one detail at a time.

If you’re ready to start designing your dream outdoor space, contact us today to schedule a consultation.