Well before summer arrives, practically everyone has started dreaming of swimming as soon as the warm weather allows. As soon as temperatures warm up, people flock to public pools and beaches, everyone wishing they had a pool of their own to avoid the drive and the crowds. Indeed, your own personal swimming pool is truly a delight to have and the possibilities for fun and relaxation are practically endless. As you start planning your backyard fun, dive into these sixteen styles and options for a swimming pool in the Brookhaven, NY area.
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A Tropical Paradise
Along with the arrival of warm weather, people have a great desire to be in nature. You can turn any swimming pool into a tropical paradise with the help of some lush broad-leafed plants, a natural stone pool deck, a turquoise-colored pool (preferably one that’s kidney-shaped for a natural feel) and sand-colored pavers around the pool. For a much more immersive experience, this design is best accompanied by a waterfall feature. The waterfall can be part of the pool, or it can be a separate feature that keeps the space interesting even when no one is swimming.
Modern and Minimalist
A minimalist approach can make a pool area simple, elegant, and expansive. The pool shape should be composed of long lines, either straight or at a gentle curve. There should be plenty of space between plantings and other landscape features so that each piece can be properly viewed and appreciated. This pool design style is best used in a sunny area so as to capture the full visual beauty of the pool and its surroundings.
Native Greenery and Xeriscaping
Building a swimming pool has a big impact on the landscape; but you can reduce your footprint with some water-wise plantings. A great deal of the energy and resources used up by your landscape can result from installing thirsty exotic plants - including the lawn. Instead, there is a huge variety of beautiful native plants that will only use water that the climate provides. These plants are perfectly adapted to the environment. Instead of constantly fussing with thirsty and needy plants, opt for natives and your landscape will look much healthier and lively while you relax at the pool.
Embrace Natural Curves
Every landscape is unique and has the capability to lend some inspiration to the design of a swimming pool. Even the most basic natural accents or home architectural styles can inform the shape, position, or location of your swimming pool. Get to know your space. Look for natural lines to follow and let the pool fall in line with the perfectly imperfect flow of your landscape. As it embraces the natural curves of your landscape, your swimming pool will be the perfect fit.
Take Advantage of Views
There’s nothing like relaxing in the pool and enjoying a beautiful view. If your landscape provides a gorgeous view, it’s a great idea to use a vantage point for the location of your swimming pool. Make sure that the landscaping surrounding the pool allows for as much of the view as possible, including all plantings and masonry installations. One great pool design to take advantage of a view is the infinity pool, which creates an optical illusion that makes the pool extend well into the horizon. Be sure to position taller elements like a pergola or outdoor kitchen behind the pool.
Keep Water Moving
For the most calming and exciting pool experiences, a water feature is always a fantastic addition to a pool. Small bubbling fountains can be built into shallow areas of your pool, creating an enticing place to play for the youngest in your clan. A glassy sheer descent waterfall cascading directly into the pool will enable some fantastic visuals, especially when combined with creative lighting after dark. A large waterfall structure constructed as if it was pulled directly out of the jungle will be the setting for all sorts of adventures and visual intrigue. Even if you don’t have space for a large or extravagant water feature, a small fountain tucked into an otherwise unused corner will add much to the ambience.
Warm Up in the Hot Tub
The perfect companion for any backyard swimming pool is the hot tub. The steaming warmth of a hot tub will draw people in for a soak no matter the season, greatly expanding the seasonal use of your swimming pool area. Though the pool and the hot tub are most efficient when their plumbing is separate (to avoid heating a pool you aren’t using in the colder months), they can share the same space. A hot tub can even be built on an elevated platform above your swimming pool, complete with outflow scuppers that let the warm water splash down into the cooler water below.
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Compact and Simple
Not every pool needs to be Olympic sized to maximize the fun. In fact, some of the most cherished backyard pools fit in a relatively small area. You can choose a secluded section of your backyard as the location for a smaller swimming pool such as a dipping pool or “cocktail pool.” This small pool doesn’t need to be deep. It is designed for relaxing, with comfortable underwater benches. If you have kids, they won’t mind the small size. Water is irresistible, and water in any quantity is great fun!
Shelter Beneath a Pergola
No matter how refreshing and relaxing the pool is, at some point you’re going to want to relax in the shade. Install a louvered pergola at the poolside. The adjustable roof can allow in as much sunlight as you want or completely protect the space below from all weather. A pergola is a great place to have water misters, fans, and climbing vines, too, to keep things cool on the hottest summer days.
Get Some Daily Exercise
A backyard pool is definitely one of the most comfortable places for exercise. It gives you the freedom to swim the lanes for practice movement for as long as you like, without all the constraints of a public pool. If there isn’t a lot of space available for a long lap pool, consider installing a swim jet, which will push the water in one direction at varying speeds. This allows you to practice swimming against the current, greatly reducing the amount of space necessary for the perfect low-impact daily exercise.
A Dazzling Light Show
The shimmering sunlight can produce some incredible images around your swimming pool throughout the daytime, but there’s a great need for lighting after the sun falls below the horizon. Of course, every pool needs to be fully illuminated at night for safety reasons. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t have a little fun as well. Add a lighting system for your pool that allows for changing to different colors and set to various programs so you can put on a dazzling light show whether or not your loved ones are enjoying the water.
Decorate with Gorgeous Tiles
There’s no reason that the interior surface and the surroundings of your pool need to be a bland color. Tiles have been used for many centuries to bring beauty to pools, both underwater and above the surface. Adorn the edges of the pool with brilliant patterns and colors to create a great deal of visual interest. These tiles certainly won’t be the main attraction, but they will bring a creative accent to your pool that will make the entire space even more memorable. These same tiles can be used as accents on other features such as a retaining wall for a unified look.
Keeping Everyone Comfortable
Staying underneath the water will provide a great deal of the fun during the summer, but there’s always that point when the chilly air makes everyone shiver in discomfort. There needs to be a space where all of your pool-goers can continue to relax in the outdoors as they dry off and warm up. Include a lounge near the edge of your pool, complete with a natural gas-fueled fire feature. A gas-fueled fire feature is clean and safe, while still giving you the wonderful ambience of a bonfire at the beach. It’s also a feature that will let you use the pool area even after the pool has been closed up for the season.
Graceful Entry and Exit Points
Getting in and out of the pool is a transition that can be challenging for some. In order to make your pool as comfortable as possible, consider alternative pool entry and exit points. One of the most popular solutions is the baja shelf, which provides a gradual descent into the water - much like a beach. This lets people with mobility challenges enter and exit the pool with greater ease. It also provides a great space for small kids to splash without venturing into the deep end.
Work with Different Elevations
Not every landscape is blessed with perfectly flat land and this can make landscape improvements like a pool very challenging. But, you can take advantage of the slope to create a visually stunning backyard. A pool can be built at a different elevation from the surrounding landscape or even pool deck. Some very successful pools are built several feet above the pool deck to either provide a better view or make the space feel more integrated. This could even manifest in something that few places besides tropical resorts enjoy: a swim-up bar that is connected to an outdoor kitchen.
Focus on the Beauty of Masonry
The masonry materials you use in your landscape can provide a great deal of comfort and beauty when used in different features, including the swimming pool. Whether you’re interested in using natural stone or concrete pavers as part of the pool deck, high quality concrete blocks to create a memorable retaining wall, or any sort of stone veneer to add a creative touch to vertical features, masonry should always be explored. Whether you’re after a naturalistic look using stone or stone-inspired concrete materials, or a sleek modern space where poured concrete adds to the minimalist appeal, always incorporate masonry as a finishing touch to your pool area.