"It was apparent that an existing swimming pool was awkwardly related to the main living area, located just where you would put a garden," says Page. "We were meeting with the clients and their architect, and the first thing I said was that the pool should move." It was a shock, but eventually everyone came to agree.

Page and Birmingham architect Katherine Owens subsequently worked as a team for the owners, refining the way the remodeled and expanded house relates to the relocated pool, new parking areas, spacious lawns, and a variety of gardens and other features. As a result, this grand estate has never looked -- or functioned -- better. The completed project embodies the best of 1920s domestic design, fully realized at last.

That collaboration shows first on the approach, where overgrown boxwood hedges were removed, a stone-paved guest parking court was installed at a lower grade, and a handsomely detailed front terrace was built to anchor the house in the landscape and give it a gracious entry sequence. Architectural refinements to the house include a new limestone entry surround, improved rooflines, and restored half-timbering.

Although the setting was generous, the space had not been used to its best advantage. Not only was the pool in the wrong place, but cars were also parked right against the living areas at the back of the house. "We wanted the pool and the cars to be in the background, not in a prominent position," says Page. On the lower side of the site, the drive branching off the new motor court leads past the house to an expanded rear service court and a two-car garage tucked under an expanded kitchen wing.