Singing a Soothing Song - Page 2

"I was concerned that positioning the feature in a sunny area outdoors would bring on evaporation concerns," Arbunich said. "Can a water auto-fill unit be installed with this feature, and can it be low profile to the point that it's unnoticeable?"

And what about this particular fountain's sound level? "A water feature's sound may be soothing during the day, but if it's positioned near a bedroom, will it interfere with sleep at night?" Arbunich wondered.

He is currently working with Tatar to ease his concerns.

"It's certainly beautiful," observes Biondo of the Falling Water model. She noted that Tatar's product has metal pans, as opposed to her own, which is a vintage but similar design made of fiberglass.

Sound level is definitely one of the factors to be weighed when purchasing a water feature. Biondo said this is particularly the case for Eichler owners, such as herself, who place one in their atrium.

"You know how the atrium can be—it's like a little sound chamber," she pointed out. Noting that her husband's home office opens up to their atrium, she added, "If he's working, we always have the option to unplug the fountain."

"It's a little louder than the average fountain," Tatar conceded of the Falling Water model, which Biondo's story describes as "resembling lily pads, four-tiered circular dishes custom-made of powder-coated metal resting on a metal base."

"The pans are about ten inches from each other, so it has that distance to fall," Tatar acknowledged. "It makes it ring out a little louder."

Of course, for some home environs, it's all about adding the presence of that natural, trickling soundtrack. Biondo was a little surprised that the ten products she surveyed didn't offer sound level specifications.

"I had hoped they'd try to quantify it up front," she noted.

Whether your concern is sound level, moisture, auto-fill considerations, or easy access to sources of water and power, there is one important aspect that makes adding a water feature to an Eichler so pleasant and adaptable.

"The thing about this fountain is, you can move it," Tatar promised, alluding to his Falling Water's relatively lightweight base once the pans are removed.

While Biondo and Arbunich agree that the customizable colors and circular geometry of Falling Water make it a great fit for the X-100, Tatar added that "it does work well in other style homes."

All the more reason to explore what a water feature could add to your own home. Start by checking out our 'Falling Water' story and its ten different modern offerings in the Summer '21 issue of CA-Modern, or by clicking here to read a PDF version.