Decorating & Design
Trends In Pools: Let’s Dive In!
Published on May 16, 2024
A backyard pool is an engaging focal point that turns any outdoor space into a serene oasis or entertaining hub. If you’re thinking about taking the plunge, it’s important to consider the latest trends. From petite city spas to sprawling country swimming pools, we’ve rounded up some of the best pool design ideas to inspire you. Ready to dive in? Scroll down!
Negative Edge Pools
“The pool’s dark bottom has a reflective effect. It has a perimeter negative edge, where the water level comes up to the same level as the patio,” says homeowner and landscape designer George Coito. “I love looking at it.”
Swim Out Benches
In this resort-inspired backyard, a bench is cut into the pool coping so the homeowners can lounge in the water with a glass of wine. For added privacy around the pool, landscape designer Leigh Gravenor added Columnar Kindred Spirit hybrid oaks against the fence (that keep their leaves all winter for year-round interest!).
Luxury Swim Spas
A 42’-pool is upgraded with a luxury swim spa and custom diving plinth. Instead of running laps between the pool and hot tub, this negative edge spa makes the transition seamless and creates a luxe, spa-like vibe.
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.
Fountain Features
This pool’s spa-like water spouts are built into a stone wall which also help muffle the sounds of city traffic.
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.
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.
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.
Plunge Pools
For homeowners who spend their summers in the city, petite plunge pools are a great way to turn a petite backyard into a luxurious oasis (without the commute to Cottage Country!).
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.
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.