SUMMARY:
Paolo is an artist who is passionate about his craft. He has elevated swimming pools to a fine art form. I would recommend Aquatic Technology Pool and Spa without hesitation (and have). Paolo is expensive, but like the other reviews that I’ve read -I agree HE IS TOTALLY WORTH IT!
DETAILS:
We reside in the Beverly Hills area of Los Angeles, CA. We learned of Paolo through business associates he had done work for. They spoke so highly of him, that we just had to meet him. We are SO glad that we did!
We had been working with an architect on the restoration plans of a historic property that we own in Pebble Beach, CA. The architect’s ideas for the pool just didn’t seem right to us. Though the original pool had been removed decades before, we wanted it back into the same area.
Not only did Paolo agree with us, he actually had images of the original pool in a book in his library. As it turned out, he is very well traveled. He had been to Spain countless times and has an innate understanding of the architecture and period details. He commissioned custom ceramic tiles from Spain to match the period, but that are unique to us. He even turned us onto some vendors that made authentic fixtures for inside the house (hand painted ceramic sinks, lamps and iron work).
He charged us like an architect for the design and detail work that he performed. His work was always done when promised. He even hand drew some perspective drawings that were incredible in their detail.
Paolo collaborated well with our architect, even after the architect’s initial refusal to work with some “pool guy.” By the end of our project, they had developed a deep friendship & Paolo had earned his utmost respect. In fact they are working on a project together for another client, as a result of our insistence that he work with Paolo.
Paolo is highly organized, detailed and focused. He ensured that his subcontractors knew what was expected of them (in workmanship, specifications and even jobsite cleanliness!). He inspected their work as it progressed and made corrections to ensure that we had a flawless final product.
In retrospect, I cannot imagine pulling off out project without his insight, knowledge and resourcefulness. I also admired that he was dedicated to his family & refused to work (or his subcontractors) on weekends. “Everything needs balance” he used say, over & over about many facets of the project. The construction contract was “cost plus.”
After talking to some prior clients of his about my reservations of a cost plus contract, I learned that he is very dedicated to his clients. He shops for bargains, obtains the best value from the subcontractors and negotiated discounts from vendors (that he passed through to us). He even provided copies of vendor invoices to substantiate his billings. I found his honesty and loyalty very refreshing in today’s business climate!
Paolo is now working on plans for the yard of our Coldwater Canyon home…
…AND WE CAN NOT WAIT!