6 Great Ideas From Spring 2020’s Most Popular Pools
If ever there was a spring when homeowners were dreaming of having a private pool, the spring of 2020 was it. Houzz users browsing pool photos were drawn to pool spaces with infinity pool edges, integrated spas, beach design inspiration and nearby grassy areas. And they also checked out the adjacent spaces — many of the most popular new pool photos showcase covered lounge areas and outdoor kitchens as well as great sun-worshipping spots. Favorites range from a small and simple above-ground pool in France to an elaborate indoor-outdoor infinity pool along the Intracoastal Waterway in Florida. Dive in and see which designs make you dream of taking a dip.
1. Make the Most of Decking
Above-ground pools are fantastic but aren’t often described as elegant. Leave it to the French, however, to show that they can be. Interior designer Laure Arancio of La Nostra Secrets d’Intérieur tucked this above-ground pool in Marseille, France, into a corner and surrounded it with beautiful decking. And the deck itself is clever — it has integrated lighting, and one side serves as seating.
As if the setting for this home near Charleston, South Carolina, wasn’t stunning enough, an infinity pool and a spa make it even better. The way the decking material and outdoor furniture coordinate with the home’s facade make the pool area, by Margaret Donaldson Interiors, a natural extension of the house.
2. Add a Fountain’s Splash to the Pool Experience
Matt Sitra Custom Homes used a mix of materials around this pool in Austin, Texas. Natural stone coping, succulents and decking surround it. But it’s the plant-topped stone wall with cascading spouts that grabbed the most attention; it serves as a focal point from inside the house. The sound of the water splashing into the pool is soothing and drowns out other noise. And the plants and long planter above the wall create striking lines of texture.
3. Border the Coping With Lawn
Large areas around pools are often paved or tiled. But this quarter, verdant grassy expanses around pools caught Houzz users’ attention.
A successful minimalist design means shrewdly editing the material palette. Around this pool in Elviria, Spain, the design pros at Iddomus thoughtfully mimicked the architecture of the house with the pool coping’s geometry, color and dimensions. Grass planted in between the tiled areas emphasizes these lines and the rectilinear geometry.
Similarly, L. Lumpkins Architect married this rectilinear pool design in Dallas with the Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired architecture of the home. The green grass provides a colorful contrast to the pale tones of the regional limestone. Another popular trend seen here is a spa integrated within the pool.
4. Create Side Yard Splendor
Clever site planning by architect Greg Swedberg of 2Scale Architects made the most of this corner lot in Houston. He found room for the pool in the side yard, creating beautiful gardens that connect it to the house. And as in the previous examples, a large expanse of grass runs from stucco privacy walls that surround the property right up to the pool’s narrow coping.
Located on a narrow lot in New Orleans, this property does not appear to have ample room for a pool. But the pros at Nathan Fell Architecture cleverly designed the home to accommodate a long sliver of a pool that extends from indoors to out.
GEL: Griffin Enright Landscape
The pros at GEL: Griffin Enright Landscape used a similar strategy for this narrow lot in Venice Beach, California. As a bonus, it serves as a beautiful, moat-like reflecting pool when viewed from inside the house.
5. Include Covered Seating Areas Nearby
Houzz users were also seeking poolside shelter from the sun. In this home outside Tampa, Florida, Laura Lee Home created an inviting transition between indoors and out. The covered outdoor living room serves as a comfortable and shady spot for poolside lounging.
Located along the Intracoastal Waterway in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, this elaborate pool design continues from indoors to out. Van Kirk & Sons Pools and Spas carved out a sunken lounge space surrounded by water on three sides and with a cover. The space can be accessed by steppingstones across the pool in two places. And a linear fire pit marks the line between indoors and out.
6. Use Beach Inspiration
This Jacksonville, Florida, project built by J.A. Long took inspiration from the beach. Sandy-hued tiles surround water that, thanks to the pool tiles, looks Caribbean blue. The long, central pool area in the back is a shallow shelf made for wading or setting lounge chairs into the water. The area in the foreground has deeper water for swimming. And there’s a spa on the left.