About 70 miles outside of Washington, D.C., on the eastern coast of the Chesapeake Bay, you'll find something surprising: a tropical oasis.
Almost, anyway. What you see is actually the home of AQUA Pools and Spas (Easton, Md.). With emerald grass, a bright coral exterior and a sky-blue roof, AQUA Pools and Spas evokes thoughts of a Caribbean oceanfront paradise. According to General Manager Danny Morris, that's by design.
"[We're] definitely trying to bring a beach feel to this area," he says.
You could say it's been a long road to paradise. AQUA Pools and Spas opened in 1974 as a service/construction company; as time passed, a separate retail-only location opened. Another retail store would follow.
By the early 2000's, AQUA Pools and Spas was a web of various entities spread throughout eastern Maryland, something owner Dan Bridges wanted to rectify.
"We decided to build a new building and combine everything together," Morris says.
While the final result looks relaxed and carefree, the process was anything but. Bridges carefully designed everything with a business strategy in mind: to make the outside replicate what could be found inside.
The blue and orange colors, for example, are the company's signature colors. A wave pattern pops against the orange paint and subtly reflects the aquatic nature of the company. The top of the building has large windows that allow in lots of natural light. And for years, passersby could take in the sight of palm trees on the grounds. (The team planted a cold-hardy variety bred to withstand cold weather, but after two especially bad winters, they didn't survive.)
If you think the building seems rather imposing, that's not your imagination. It measures 20,000 square feet in total, including a 5,000 square-foot showroom, 5,000 square-feet of office space and 10,000 square feet of warehouse space. And for good measure, an infinity-edge pool is on display on the side of the building.
Even if AQUA Pools and Spas isn't in paradise, we have to admit, it comes close.
Comments or thoughts on this article? Please e-mail [email protected].
