For over 20 years, Platinum Pools has been building new and renovating residential pools. The foundation of building a vast outdoor space integrates the following:
- Consultation with clients, house builders, landscapers, and designers
- Thinking of efficient use of the space
- Consistency of design
- Complimentary use of material selections
- Balance of hard and soft surfaces
Maximize the Space
Larger houses are now often on smaller lots, and their market value constantly increases.
Hence, much of our initial design advice centers on placing the pool and the pool fence for best use in the available area, such as:
- Build the pool in an area that will only section off a small area of your backyard.
- Reduce the area inside the pool fence as it is not usable outside the summer. Regardless of having children inside the pool fence, always have adult supervision.
- You do not need unrestricted access to the pool. One-sided or two-sided access to the pool is all that is required. It also applies to the pool fence with paving stones.
- Build the pool where it’s most visible from the home’s living areas. It gives an advantage in watching the kids or as a showpiece.
Guidelines in Pool Design
As for the pool design, we try to give the following advice to customers (based on our experience):
- Think about the kids when planning a pool. They are the ones who will use it the most. Make sure the design includes a safety fence.
- The most used areas of the pool are shallow areas like a beach entry, tanning ledge, pool benches, or lounge areas in the pool.
- Build areas like spas and stairs so that they are either built within the overall shape of the pool or half inside/half outside.
- There should be a logical transition so you can get from the house to the pool. It would help if you sequenced the exit from the house, the gate at the pool fence, and the steps to the pool for seamless use.
- Water temperature is the first factor determining how often you use the pool. The larger your pool, the more expensive and difficult it will be to heat it, regardless of which pool heating method. Remember, consider the size of the pool carefully.
- Design the pool to be an extension of your home’s architecture. If your home is modern and rectilinear, build your pool similarly, with right-angled corners and straight lines. The same goes for historic homes – use curved radii and pool shapes with Roman ends for a classic look.
- Incorporate the pool into the backyard. If your property has a slope, build the pool to take advantage of that slope. Similarly, build an infinity edge if your property slopes from front to back.
- Incorporate a retaining wall along a property line into the pool’s design by building raised planters along the pool’s edge.
- Acrylic walls are another way to bring the best out of your swimming pool and a great backyard view.
Selecting Material and the Pool Aesthetics
Pool design involves materials for coping, waterline tile, raised walls, surface finishes, and more. Consider the following:
- Try to strike a balance between hard and soft surfaces. For example, if you have a large, 2-story plastered home, use potted plants, planters, and strip beds to break up the paving. Wooden sticks and decking boards also help soften the intricate masonry. Rough wall coverings can help add texture to otherwise smooth, rendered, and paved surfaces. You do not want your yard to look like a stone grave – so consider this aspect of your decision thoroughly.
- Current design trends lean toward large-scale products with an overall minimalist feel regarding the number of available products.
- Darker surfaces tolerate stains better. If you must use a light-colored product, choose one with color patterns or a variegated appearance, as it is less likely to stain than a uniformly light-colored product. Please think carefully before using light-colored paving products outdoors, as they can stain and discolor easily.
- A good color combination is a light pool interior and darker decking, especially if you have little natural light over the pool. If you have a lot of natural light over the pool, you can get away with a darker interior.
Remember that our designers at Platinum Pools are ready to help design the perfect pool for your backyard. Call us today at 281-870-1600 or visit our website for a free quote.
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