If you have a large backyard, or even a small one, installing a swimming pool will not only increase the value of the home, but it also lends an added dimension to the ways you can entertain guests and your own family.
Swimming Pool Shapes
In the past, home pools were square or kidney-shaped. Sometimes a homeowner could get a larger square or larger kidney, but typically the shape options were arresting. Today, no matter how big your yard is or what shape you have designated for the pool, there are pools that can comfortably fit any shape yard. Be sure to consider the space that will be used by the hot tub and home sauna when thinking about the size and shape of your pool.
Swimming Pool Decking
Another great design feature of the modern pool is the variety of decking options. Here, decking doesn't refer to a wood or composite deck (although it could if that's your preference), but rather the material immediately surrounding your pool. There is more available than just concrete. There are brick pavers, limestone, flagstone, materials that won't get hot to the touch, to name a few.
Some homeowners choose to save money by only using a requisite amount of decking, and just use their yard as a good launch pad to the pool. While this is a smart option for the budget-conscious homeowner, extending the decking is a great way to get creative and add outdoor living and entertaining space.
Your decking can stretch into a large patio that trails over to a gazebo or offers a nook for breakfast and outdoor dining. Many have installed brick hearths to warm themselves during the colder months, stationary outdoor grills, even brick ovens.
Of course the decking doesn't have to stretch from the pool to the house, although it does cut down on the amount you have to mow every week, but extending the decking is a nice, logical way to have continuity from the back door to the pool.
Swimming Pool Coping
coping is a smart way to add texture to your pool design. Pools have a lip about one foot deep that is the same material as the pool shell. Now, if you want the decking material to be continuous up to the edge of the pool, you definitely can. However, if you want to tie in other materials or just have a visual edge to the pool, using a different coping material can be a stylish choice.
Pool Remodeling Ideas
If you have an existing pool or are moving into a home with a pool you aren't satisfied with, there are several remodeling ideas that can make an old pool look young again.
During the off-season, have an electrician out to add new or unusual lighting to the pool, whether in the pool or in the surrounding area.
Resurfacing the existing decking or extending it to update the pool and patio area are often overlooked ideas.
Tile is a popular solution to add flare to the upper edges of the pool. Typically this tiling is for the part of the shell that is above the water, but it doesn't have to stop here. Tiling the entry steps or even the entire bottom is not uncommon, plus it won't rip up the bottoms of people's feet, not to mention it is easier to clean.
Water features, such as fountains or waterfalls, are unique and popular methods of adding style a pool's design.
Resurface your pool with colored plaster, mosaic tile or pebble surfaces.
Add exciting features such as rock waterfalls, deck options, water accents, spillover spas, diving boards, slides, and more.
Accent your poolscape with new innovative lighting systems.
Add color and life with fresh landscaping.
Make your pool easier to care for with an automatic cleaning system and digital controls.
Complete your poolside paradise with accessories such as toys and games, a backyard grill, or a poolside fire pit.
