This is an example of a large transitional backyard custom-shaped lap pool in Houston with a hot tub and natural stone pavers.

Macapa

Dean Larkin Design

Design ideas for a contemporary backyard custom-shaped infinity pool in Los Angeles with a hot tub.

Pool with Rock Grotto and Spa

Paradise Oasis Pools

This modern style pool with its geometric shape is a great addition to this home. The spa and grotto offer the best in water features. Travertine coping, Kool Deck decking and 6x6 tile for the water line tile all came together beautifully. They chose different colors of silver and added the Pebble Tech color of Blue Surf to give the added touch.

Tanglewood Modern House

Flavin Architects

This new modern house is located in a meadow in Lenox MA. The house is designed as a series of linked pavilions to connect the house to the nature and to provide the maximum daylight in each room. The center focus of the home is the largest pavilion containing the living/dining/kitchen, with the guest pavilion to the south and the master bedroom and screen porch pavilions to the west. While the roof line appears flat from the exterior, the roofs of each pavilion have a pronounced slope inward and to the north, a sort of funnel shape. This design allows rain water to channel via a scupper to cisterns located on the north side of the house. Steel beams, Douglas fir rafters and purlins are exposed in the living/dining/kitchen pavilion. Photo by: Nat Rea Photography

Hale Hano Hano a Kala

Pu'uwai Design & Construction

The great room sliding glass doors pocket into the walls opening the indoors to the outdoors in this beach house design. The covered lanai boasts a built-in outdoor kitchen. Woven basket pendants hang about the teak outdoor dining set and two swinging beds hang adjacent to each other for days spent lounging half inside and half outside. The family wanted the pool area to be both comfortable and beautiful so we custom covered the lanai furniture in a green coral motif and a brown tropical leaf pattern so that the living room and lanai flow together into one space.

New Home in Water Mill NY

Heartwood Corp

Design ideas for a large beach style backyard rectangular lap pool in New York with a hot tub and tile.

Pleasant Lake Home

DreamScapes Landscaping & Design, Inc.

Landmarkphotodesign.com
Inspiration for a large mediterranean backyard rectangular lap pool in Minneapolis with a hot tub and concrete pavers.

Residential Pools

Vande Hey Company, Inc

Mid-sized traditional backyard rectangular lap pool in Other with a hot tub and concrete slab.

Heights Farmhouse

Kensington Smith Design, LLC

Design ideas for a large contemporary backyard rectangular lap pool in Orange County with a hot tub and decking.

Tierney Pool's Projects

Tierney Pools

Large contemporary backyard rectangular lap pool in Los Angeles with a hot tub and natural stone pavers.

Contemporary Swimming Pool & Hot Tub

Inspiration for a large contemporary pool in Cornwall with a hot tub.

Landscaping

Richard Cohen Landscape

Large mediterranean backyard custom-shaped pool in Orange County with a hot tub.

Pool Patios

Green Environment Landscape, Inc.

Photo of a mid-sized mediterranean backyard rectangular lap pool in San Francisco with a hot tub and concrete slab.

Beautiful razor edge with infinity edge.

Richardson Development, Inc

Beautiful razor edge with infinity edge.
Mid-sized modern backyard rectangular infinity pool in Los Angeles with a hot tub.

Southwest Ranches

SDH Studio Architecture and Interior Design

SDH Studio - Architecture and Design Location: Southwest Ranches, Florida, Florida, USA Set on a expansive two-acre lot in horse country, Southwest Ranches, Florida. This project consists on the transformation of a 3700 Sq. Ft. Mediterranean structure to a 6500 Sq. Ft. Contemporary Home.

Dripping Springs Farmhouse

Olson Defendorf Custom Homes

Country backyard rectangular pool in Austin with a hot tub and concrete pavers.

Farmhouse

Fairmont Homes

Inspiration for a country rectangular pool in Houston with a hot tub and concrete pavers.

Highland Park Swimming Pool With Raised Hot Tub and Auto Cover

Platinum Poolcare

This pool and raised hot tub in Highland Park, IL features an automatic pool safety cover with custom stone lid system. The pool measures 20'0" x 40'0" and the hot tub measures 8'0" x 8'0". The hot tub has a waterfall features spilling into the pool. Indiana Limestone coping on the hot tub and pool completes the look, with Brussels Block pavers on the decking.

Transitional Home

Diditan Group Inc.

Inspiration for a large transitional backyard rectangular lap pool in Other with a hot tub and concrete pavers.

Lakeview 1

Borges + Associates Architects

Inspiration for a large modern backyard rectangular lap pool in Miami with a hot tub and tile.

Blue Pool Design Ideas with a Hot Tub

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.