Design ideas for a beach style backyard rectangular pool in New York with a pool house.

Modern Luxury

David Small Designs

This is an example of a large contemporary backyard rectangular lap pool in Toronto with a hot tub and tile.

Urban Small Backyard Makeover with Plunge Pool

Soake Pools

Soake Pool project complete! This is one of our favorites. The customer had a super tight space with a walk out patio that was about 4' above ground. Pool was installed above ground and a wood deck was built up to and around it. Great use of space and super appealing!

Rosegrove Pool & Landscape

Morgan Howarth Photography

©Morgan Howarth Rosegrove Pool & Landscape
This is an example of a mid-sized transitional backyard pool in DC Metro with a pool house and natural stone pavers.

Athens Building Company

BEVOLO GAS & ELECTRIC LIGHTS

Old Farm Project - Pergola & Pool - Athens Building Company
Mid-sized traditional backyard rectangular natural pool in Other with a pool house.

Below Ground Pool with Patio and Pool House Project

ALL Renovation & Design LLC

For this project, we were asked to create an outdoor living area around a newly-constructed pool. We worked with the customer on the design, layout, and material selections. We constructed two decks: one with a vinyl pergola, and the other with a roof and screened-in porch. We installed Cambridge pavers around pool and walkways. We built custom seating walls and fire pit. Our team helped with selecting and installing planting beds and plants. Closer to the pool we constructed a custom 16’x28’ pool house with a storage area, powder room, and finished entertaining area and loft area. The interior of finished area was lined with tongue-and-groove pine boards and custom trim. To complete the project, we installed aluminum fencing and designed and installed an outdoor kitchen. In the end, we helped this Berks County homeowner completely transform their backyard into a stunning outdoor living space.

Indoor/Outdoor Spaces

Bertolami Interiors

Bertolami Interiors, Summit Landscape Development
Inspiration for a large modern backyard rectangular pool in San Francisco with tile and a water feature.

English Garden & Pool House

NSPJ Architects

Steeply pitched roofs, brick exterior with half-timbering, and steel windows and doors which are all common features to the English Tudor style. While staying true to the character of the property and architectural style, unique detailing like bracketed arbors make it well suited for its garden setting.

Amazing Roman Geometric Pool & Spa in Parkland

Van Kirk & Sons Pools and Spas

Highlighted in this project was a themed backyard that was inspired by luxury from the gold chairs to the black lagoon finish and it's Roman geometric shape. This project screams Versace! The decking we used was a white marble and the accessory structure was built to mimic the arches of the swimming pool. This accessory structure was topped off with a beautiful chandelier hanging center piece. Also, a crystalized material was added to the plaster to create an extra shimmer!

1300 Rodeo Rd., Arcadia, CA

Mur-Sol Builders Inc

Photo of a large mediterranean backyard rectangular infinity pool in Los Angeles with natural stone pavers.

Contemporary poolside room

User

Contemporary backyard rectangular pool in Essex with a pool house and decking.

Jagged Edge

Hub Design

Design ideas for a contemporary backyard rectangular lap pool in Dunedin with decking.

Somerland Contemporary Gardens - Piney Point Village, Houston

Moss Landscaping

Inspiration for a contemporary backyard rectangular pool in Houston with a pool house and concrete pavers.

Great Wall of Fire

Presidential Pools, Spas & Patio

A description of the homeowners and space from Linnzy, the Presidential Pools, Spas & Patio designer who worked on this project: "The homeowners can be described as an active family of three boys. They tend to host family and friends and wanted a space that could fill their large backyard and yet be functional for the kids and adults. The contemporary straight lines of the pool match the interior of the house giving them a resort feel in the very own backyard! The large pergola is a perfect area to cool off in the shade while enjoying a large outdoor kitchen as well as an oversized fire pit for the cooler nights and roasting marshmallows. They wanted a wow factor as the pool is the main focal point from the living room, and the oversized wall and rain sheer did the trick!"

Esteswood

Chateau Properties, Inc.

Photo of a mediterranean backyard kidney-shaped pool in Nashville with a water feature.

Deer Creek Estate

Elite Landscaping Omaha

In the back of this estate just outside of Omaha, Nebraska, Elite Landscaping designed a custom concrete swimming pool with a covered pool house and 360-degree, negative-edge spa. The pool house features an outdoor kitchen and bar area, which rests on posts that adjoin the raised pool wall. The pool house was built as an exact architectural match to the house, from the stucco, to the cedar decking beams, down to the paint color. This covered outdoor entertaining area provides a shady spot in the afternoons, where guests can lounge on four in-pool, swim up bar stools. The rest of the pool remains in full sun. The sunken swim-up bar is adorned with glass tile accents, and the pool wall features natural stone. Oversized, UniLock bluestone pavers comprise the pool deck and patio. The unique negative-edge spa sits above the pool, and was designed so one half of the spa flows into the pool while the other half flows back into the landscaping. The entire poolscape is automated by a Pentair IntelliTouch system that runs off of a smartphone or other device. With the touch of a button, the homeowners can adjust pool and spa temperatures, change water flow speed, program the FX color-changing LED lights, and even test the pool chemistry.

Calistoga

JKT Associates, Inc.

Amy A. Alper, Architect Landscape Design by Merge Studio Photos by John Merkl
Inspiration for a country backyard rectangular lap pool in San Francisco with a pool house and tile.

New Project

Neadho Landscaping Co.

Design ideas for a large mediterranean backyard rectangular lap pool in Sacramento with a water feature and concrete pavers.

Riley Residence

Altera Landscape

Photography: Jeri Koegel / Landscape Design: AMS Landscape Design Studios, Inc.
Photo of a mid-sized modern backyard rectangular infinity pool in Orange County with a hot tub and natural stone pavers.

Custom Pools

Lifetime Pools & Outdoor Living

Large contemporary backyard l-shaped lap pool in Other with a hot tub and tile.

Backyard Pool Design Ideas

Swimming pools are heavenly during hot Australian and New Zealand summers and are the perfect way to cool down, relax, entertain friends and even get fit. A pool can also create visual interest, especially when you consider features like coloured pool tiles, lighting and landscaping. If you are short on space, you might still fit a lap pool, plunge pool or swim spa, all of which could be focal points in your small garden. As you plan your pool design, map out your space and determine what size, shape and style works best for you. Browse the photos on Houzz for design ideas for above ground pools, inground pools, as well as pool landscaping and novelty features like pool slides or water features. Then, save your favourite photos to an ideabook, and get in touch with the experts behind your favourite picks.

What type of pool should I install?

The dimensions of your backyard will determine the type of inground pools you can install. Take into account boundary restrictions and pool fencing compliance. Fibreglass versions are cheaper, and quicker to install; whereas concrete constructions are better suited to tricky sites and give you more freedom in design. If you’re on a tight budget or don’t want to commit to an inground pool, above ground pools are a more affordable alternative. If you only have a small backyard, a plunge pool is a great solution, and can easily run along a boundary wall or down the side of a house. This option is also low maintenance, can be heated for use in winter, and can do double duty as a swim spa. A long, narrow space, on the other hand, could fit a lap pool, whereas a water feature could fill an awkward space. If your backyard features a stunning vista, consider an infinity pool to accentuate the view.

What pool fencing options are available?

While the specifics vary from state to state, fencing is required of most pool designs. However, pool fencing doesn’t have to obscure your pool design. Glass fencing is increasingly popular for this reason exactly, and is available framed, frameless, semi-frameless and even in-ground. A cheaper alternative is aluminium or steel fencing, which, again, are available in a variety of styles: flat top, loop-top, double-top and wire-based.

What pool landscaping features should I consider?

To get the most out of your pool, design an area that offers multiple hangouts. Include a nearby barbecue, dining area, seating for lounging and outdoor shower. Having shaded areas will give you more reason to stay poolside longer, too. Timber decking and stone paving are popular choices for pool surrounds, and are also helpful in creating zones. Just imagine a raised timber platform with a daybed – a luxurious, resort-style addition to any pool design. Leafy trees and rocks will create a more natural-looking oasis, and will help provide more privacy for swimmers. Where you want your landscape to be the main focus, keep pool equipment and furnishings to a minimum.