Tired of this winter weather? Today I’m bringing you a little summer sunshine!
Charles and I have definitely kicked around the idea of adding a pool to our backyard someday, but really wouldn’t know where to begin with choosing a style. Enter Carol Atkins! Carol writes for poolcenter.com and is here to tell you how to choose the pool that’s right for your house.
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When we bought our current house, we wanted to install a swimming pool in our wonderful new back yard. I did a lot of research about pool design, and got a much better idea of what would work for us. I wanted a design that would complement our house, and came up with some great ideas.
First look at the space. I first had to evaluate how much space we had, and how that would dictate our pool choice. We were fortunate enough to have bought a house with a large back yard, and so I could have almost any pool design I wanted. One of our neighbors wasn’t so lucky, and she said they had to tailor the shape of the pool to fit their fairly small yard. The yard also had an odd shape, so they chose a pool that looked like a lima bean – but it curved to fit their yard nicely. So the first thing to look at is the space you’re working with.
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Next look at the house. Our new house is a two story red brick, a colonial style. I couldn’t see putting some jazzy curvy pool in the back yard, with black tile all around. So I was looking at what style of pool would fit for us. Our house is all about long straight lines and right angles. A curved pool didn’t seem appropriate. So I decided to stick with a standard rectangular design. I laid it out in my mind parallel to the house, so it wouldn’t look odd having a pool at an angle where everything else goes along straight lines.
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Take a look at colors. Once I had decided on a rectangular pool, I looked at color options – both for the surfaces of the pool, and the decking surrounding the pool. Once again, with a stately colonial, I wasn’t about to get an exotic color for the bottom of the pool – it just wouldn’t blend with the house at all. I stayed with basic white concrete. The trim on the house is basic white, so I thought that would work well. It doesn’t draw attention to itself because it’s so common a color for pools.
A lot can be done with accents. What is the dominant feature of our house? It is the red bricks which make up the exterior. I got with a pool designer, and found out that they could lay decking using a red brick pool paving – that would blend very nicely with the bricks on the house. We laid a deck of those bricks about 4 feet out from the pool – about the same distance you would for a plain concrete decking. It was beautiful! When you stand behind the pool and look past it at the house, there’s a sort of seamless effect that is very subtle, but outstanding.
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What about the plants. In the back yard, we already have a lot of plants next to the house, and along the fence. I like to design things, and I’m big on white space – I don’t want to have an area so busy and cluttered that you notice it. I found some low green plants to set next to the pool, which would complement the plants along the back wall of our house. I added a couple Hawaiian hibiscus that gave the area just a touch of the exotic, without dominating the space.
The main thing I wanted to accomplish when I designed our back yard pool was to have it blend well with our house, and be pleasing to the eye, specifically my eye. Now I have a pool that makes me smile every time I walk out into the back yard – and that’s really the point.
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About Carol: Carol Atkins has 3 kids with her wonderful husband – two boys and a girl – and two lovely black Labradors. When she’s not working out with aqua aerobics in the family pool, she spends hours watching the kids and dogs play and have fun. She also helps out doing volunteer work at her church. She currently writes for Poolcenter.com.
If you would like to be a guest blogger, please comment below or contact me at 702parkavenue {at} gmail {dot} com.
Thanks again!
Thank YOU, Carol! :)
I like the first pool on here. It’s a bit small, but the wood around it looks so nice! My dream house would have one like that, but bigger.
An excellent landscape designer will listen to your desires and do his or her best to work with your site to make that happen. A knowledgeable landscape designer can guide the homeowner toward plant material that is suitable for the region and the specific site conditions.
You have listed so many great tools to decide what pool will best fit your house. As you mention, many pools could clash with the style of the home, and so it is important to create a cohesive feel throughout. I love your idea of toying with different accents and working to incorporate them into the pools. Thank you for your ideas!
A swimming pool is the ultimate backyard amenity. It’s the center of family life with children spending much of their summers in the water. Other homeowners see a pool as a strong aesthetic element, the focus of the entire landscape.
Pool decks can be made out of wood, stone, slate, concrete, granite, etc. They serve as much more than a slip-resistant surface surrounding a swimming pool. They can also be used to complement the exterior of your home.
I’ve never thought to design a pool like your home, but I wouldn’t have it any other way now that I’ve seen how it’s done. I really like the black fence around the first pool picture, as well as the wood and brick lining around it. If I were to get a pool, I’d like to get something similar to that one!
Nice tips. I just wonder if we can use this to go with in-ground and above-ground pools? I love these designs. Look awesome!
Thanks for including more than just tips on the pool itself. The best pools are indeed those where the whole pool landscape looks almost like an extension of the house and property, including decking or paving and plants.
The only additions I’d make when planning for a swimming pool is thinking about how it’s likely going to be used (more for the kids or for social entertainment or workouts) and how you are going to maintain it. A lot to plan for but in the end it’s going to be worth it.
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Landscape contractors are licensed professionals who are trained in different aspect of landscape design and technique and they need good supplies in doing so.
Thanks for your guide on choosing a pool design! I find your post really helpful!
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Even if the weather is cool outside, you and your family will be able to enjoy your swimming pool at your preferred temperature, thanks to your solar heater! If you want the swimming season to last longer each year, a pool heater could be a terrific investment for your household.
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Pools can be easily fashioned to suit the requirements of everyone. Smaller depths can be introduced for young children who haven’t yet learned to swim. You could encourage them to use the pool to practice between swimming lessons or simply to splash around in and get used to the water.
Thanks for telling me to evaluate the available space before deciding on a pool design. We only have a small rectangular pool when we first moved in but now that all of our kids already know how to swim, my husband and I are thinking of having it remodeled. It might be a good idea to consult a contractor first and have a professional perspective before deciding on the final design.
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Thank you for sharing these valuable tips on choosing a pool!
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What to know before building a pool?
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This is a really great content, I can see how detailed you have gone through and explained about choosing a pool design to match your house. I love this article, thanks for producing such great contents. I love your posts always.If possible visit this website precisionpools.co.nz to gain more idea or tips on the same.
It is a wonderful article choosing a pool design to match your house, which can be the best option as per your need. I like how you have researched and presented these exact points so clearly.If you are looking same kind of valuable information, then can also visit Poolpac.co.nz
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I love that there is an option wherein the decking was created with red brick pool paving to match the brick of the house. With that in mind, I will make sure to choose a pool deck paving that will match our plans for the house. We haven’t had any materials in mind yet, but I am enticed to also pick red brick and have them on the deck as well. Thanks for sharing this!
I like that you pointed out that you based the color of your pool on the color of the house which made you decide on white. I guess I will have to pick blue for the inground pool that I plan to have this year before summer comes. It’s because the exterior of our house is painted with blue. Thanks for sharing this!
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Thank you for sharing your experience! By the way, saltwater pools are very popular today. What cleansing system did you choose for your pool?
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