5 Pool Design Trends
December 07, 2015 at 11:57 AM
Thinking of adding a pool? The pool building season is heating up. If you've decided to put in a pool, below are some of the hottest pool design trends to consider.
1. Water Features
Think bubblers, water walls and waterfalls. Which water feature you choose depends on your preference and pool use, but there'’'s truly something for everyone. Many homeowners also ask for water features with LED lighting for extra wow factor.
If you're looking for a more natural look, consider cascades, which is water running down a rock face, and dropping off into the pool. Boulders or steps can also be used to create cascades. For more water drama, look at waterfalls.
Then there's deck jets, which are set flush into the pool deck to create different water stream sizes or patterns. Deck jets can also be fitted with LED lighting, to light the water’s arc at night.
2. Fire Features
Recent trends include adding fire bowls, and integrating fire pits with the pool. Adding several small fire features around a pool’s edge or into a decorative wall surrounding the water is also a trend seen in upscale pool designs. If you have the budget, you can go big here. Some designs feature fire elements that appear to float on water or rise out of the pool. For major drama, there are even floating “islands” with fire pits set in the center.
3. LED Lighting
LED pool lighting is a nice alternative to incandescent lights and is available in many colors. Adding lighting accents to water features, stairs, and more is a popular way to up the cool factor in backyard landscapes. Also, rather than use a large single light, multiple LEDs provide a more even glow in the pool including those hard-to-reach corners. The latest generation of LED lights features RGBW technology. That means they can turn from true red, green, blue and pure white for a stunning color palette. Pros can even offer apps to synch lights and create dazzling color shows.
Pool owners notice LED’s energy-saving benefit, too. LED lights use less energy and have a longer lifespan than incandescent bulbs. Requiring less than 50 watts of power to operate versus the 300 watts required by incandescent bulbs, LED lights have been known to cut energy expenses by up to 90 percent.
4. Glass Tile
Glass tile looks iridescent and “watery,” which is a nice complement to the pool landscape. Glass tile is often installed in a band around the water line or used to line the entire pool surface - a more luxury pool look. Glass tile comes in wide variety of styles, shapes, and sizes. If you’re considering glass tile, think about where you want it installed.
According to Master Pools Guild, “Glass is very slippery so on steps might not be the best choice. Adding one or two rows of a non-slip tile for safety can help. If you are installing glass tile in a whirlpool you might not want to install a tile that has sharp edges; sitting or leaning your back on these types of tiles can cut a person’s skin as grout wears over time. These are better suited to a tile band where people rubbing up against is not an issue. Rub your hand over a non-grouted sample. If you can feel rough edges poking at your skin you will feel the same on your whirlpool seat.”
5. Sloped Entries
A pool design where one or more of the pool’s sides gradually slope into the water, beach entry pools are growing in number. Sometimes chosen by pool owners to accommodate children, beach entry pools can be designed to copy the look of a beach with sand, waterfalls, and other elements. Beach entries offer nice lounge spaces on hot days, too.
Ledges, or baja shelves are an alternative to beach entries or stairs. Set at a water depth of about one foot, ledges and shelves can fit a few lounge chairs for relaxing in water without complete submersion. Make sure your shelf has a hole for an umbrella pole and you’re all set.
There’s dozens - hundreds? - of pool customization options available. Take your time defining exactly what you want and you’ll be more likely to enjoy your dream pool come summer!