Decorating & Design
June 27, 2023
Trends In Pools: Let’s Dive In!
The last few summers prompted many of us to consider how we could get the most out of our homes, and for many, the answer was a pool. A pool is an engaging focal point that turns a yard into a serene oasis or entertaining hub. If you’re looking to take the plunge, we rounded up some of the latest trends in pool design. Scroll down!
Fountain Features
This pool’s spa-like water spouts are built into a stone wall which also help muffle the sounds of city traffic.
Fibreglass Pools
The beauty of a fibreglass pool is that it can be installed in one day, like this one in designer Erin Feasby’s backyard. She recounts how they lifted the shell into the backyard high over the trees with a crane. Though fibreglass pools can’t typically be customized by depth like a concrete pool, they can incorporate features like a tanning shelf and built-in benches.
Curves
For a more organic look, homeowners are opting for curved pools. Often mimicking the natural shape of a curved garden, they feel more harmonious in the backyard.
Mediterranean Blues
For a while, homeowners wanted inky, dark-bottomed pools to mimic a lake, but that murky look has fallen out of favor. There’s a return towards classic azure: the water looks pristine and refreshing.
Dock Decking
Want to give your city pool a cottage feel? Incorporate wood deck inserts (bonus: on a hot day it gives off that distinctive cedar dock scent).
Green Space
To make the pool feel more naturalized, landscapers are planting grasses and ground cover to soften the hardscaping.
Creative Coping
Coping is the material that surrounds the pool and can serve both a decorative and functional purpose. It’s used here to frame the pool and break up the deck’s large-format cement tiles, creating a picture-frame effect.
Cocktail Pools
This petite pool makes a big splash with its old school decorative tile border and is an ideal choice for smaller backyards.
Facetted Shapes
Not every pool needs to be rectangle, as Brian Gluckstein proved with this uniquely facetted vinyl pool for the 2022 PMH Showhome. The benefit of a vinyl pool is you can create a custom depth and size. As Brian observes, “you don’t need a wide pool, people don’t swim from side to side: they go end to end.”
Baja Tanning Ledges
Baja ledges are typically wide areas in shallow waters that allow bathers to perch with a (plastic) glass of wine and stay cool. This pool’s wide Baja ledge is incorporated in the steps and provides lots of room to stretch out or sit in submerged furniture. Tanning ledges also offer babies and toddlers a place to splash and play.
Stock Pools
This city backyard features a galvanized metal stock tank pool used for watering cattle, a cost-effective alternative to in-ground pools (and the lip is smooth and safe). The homeowners chose this pool because their kids could cool off in the summer without sacrificing their entire backyard footprint. At the end of the season, the family drains it and rolls it away to make room for a hockey rink.