Summertime is in full swing, a time for Texans to either stay indoors or find water sources. Whether you’re an active swimmer, a swimming pool lounger or need a space for the kiddos to get out and play — you can create an outdoor oasis with these tips for designing pools and poolside landscaping.
What’s Your Swimming Pool Profile?
There are a variety of ways to enjoy a pool, from playtime with the whole family to swimming laps and relaxation. When planning for a pool, it’s important to start by defining who will be using the pool and for what purposes. Here are some factors to consider for each type of pool-user:
- Active Swimmers: If you’re an active swimmer, you’ll want a larger swimming pool size and more pool depth with plenty of room to get your laps in without running into anything.
- Relaxers: Those who prefer a more relaxing space may benefit from a shallower pool with plenty of steps to provide easy access. The pool size can vary depending on how many people lounge at once. Consider tanning ledges for sunbathing and hot tubs for a spa-day experience.
- Kids: For children, the pool is a world to be explored, with cannon balls, belly flops and deep diving adventures. A larger and deeper pool may be your preference for older children who know how to swim.
Swimming Pool-Building Essentials
Functionality plays a crucial part in enjoying your outdoor oasis. You need a pool that is not only beautiful but constructed with materials that fit your needs and your budget.
- Gunite: An alternative form of concrete made of cement, sand and water, gunite can be sprayed at a high velocity rather than poured. The spraying provides many advantages as the material is easier to manage, creates a strong bond with any surface and is less likely to crack.
- Non-slip Surfaces: Some materials can be slipping hazards for swimming pool areas. There are many types of finished surfaces that are not slippery to compliment your personal style.
- Continuity of Materials: Look at your home’s exterior materials, whether they’re brick, stone or wood. The pool coping (the edges around the pool’s perimeter) should tie in with some of those exteriors to create a sense of continuity between your pool and home.
Inspiring Swimming Pool Aesthetics
Your pool area shouldn’t feel like an awkward addition to your home. Pools can be designed to bring harmony and balance to the rest of your property while providing a beautiful getaway for your family and friends.
- A Pool with a View: When you’re relaxing outside by the pool, you want a nice view to gaze at other than the back of your house. Try standing in your yard and thinking about where your eyes gravitate to. Then, design around that.
- Water Features: Waterfalls, fountains and jets all contribute to an added layer of relaxation through sound and visual serenity. Infinity edges allow your pool to seamlessly blend into the rest of your environment.
- Pool Lighting: Add a layer of safety for nighttime swimming or walking through the yard with custom pool lighting. In addition to safety, the right lighting can transform a pool’s ambiance by highlighting certain features and details of the pool’s structure or yard landscaping.
- Color: The blue color of your water is affected by the finish of the swimming pool’s plaster. For a tropical vibe, choose lighter-colored plaster to give off a bright blue hue. Darker plaster creates a lush deep blue color for your pool water.
Incorporate Poolside Landscaping
The possibilities are practically endless when it comes to greenery and outdoor landscaping. Here are some tips for accentuating your pool space and bringing it to life with colorful greenery.
- Outdoor Oasis: Add contrast and soften your building materials with lush greenery by using a variety of Houston hardy plants that complement your personal style. A variety of colors and textures surrounding your pool area cultivate vibrant beauty for the ultimate oasis.
- Natural Privacy: Merge privacy and beauty by planting Houston hardy trees and shrubs to help add privacy and vertical interest to your pool.
- Boundaries: Establish the boundary of your walkways and garden paths with flower beds and small shrubs surrounding your pool area. The arrangement of these smaller plants can provide framing for other tall, architectural plants that may be mixed in.
- Paving Paths: If your pool is surrounded by grass, you might consider adding paving stones around the pool area, so your guests can keep their feet free of outside debris.
With the right swimming pool size and building materials, you can create an outdoor oasis for everyone in the family to enjoy. Thoughtful poolside landscaping design ties in a touch of nature and creates a relaxing environment for those lazy days by the pool. At Prewett, Read & Associates, we can help you design and build a pool that fits perfectly onto your property while tying eye-catching aesthetics and landscaping design for the ultimate poolside paradise. Explore our portfolio for more inspiration and contact us to build the pool of your dreams!