Reclaimed Douglas Fir © Carolina Timberworks
Design ideas for a large country backyard custom-shaped lap pool in Charlotte with a water feature and natural stone pavers.

Colombian Romantic

Exterior Worlds Landscaping & Design

Carl Mayfield
Photo of a mid-sized mediterranean backyard rectangular lap pool in Houston with natural stone pavers.

Pool After

Realty Restoration, LLC

Christopher Davison, AIA
Mid-sized mediterranean backyard kidney-shaped natural pool in Austin with natural stone pavers and a hot tub.

Find the right local pro for your project

Find top design and renovation professionals on Houzz

Stinson Beach Modern Retreat

deckerbullocksir

In our busy lives, creating a peaceful and rejuvenating home environment is essential to a healthy lifestyle. Built less than five years ago, this Stinson Beach Modern home is your own private oasis. Surrounded by a butterfly preserve and unparalleled ocean views, the home will lead you to a sense of connection with nature. As you enter an open living room space that encompasses a kitchen, dining area, and living room, the inspiring contemporary interior invokes a sense of relaxation, that stimulates the senses. The open floor plan and modern finishes create a soothing, tranquil, and uplifting atmosphere. The house is approximately 2900 square feet, has three (to possibly five) bedrooms, four bathrooms, an outdoor shower and spa, a full office, and a media room. Its two levels blend into the hillside, creating privacy and quiet spaces within an open floor plan and feature spectacular views from every room. The expansive home, decks and patios presents the most beautiful sunsets as well as the most private and panoramic setting in all of Stinson Beach. One of the home's noteworthy design features is a peaked roof that uses Kalwall's translucent day-lighting system, the most highly insulating, diffuse light-transmitting, structural panel technology. This protected area on the hill provides a dramatic roar from the ocean waves but without any of the threats of oceanfront living. Built on one of the last remaining one-acre coastline lots on the west side of the hill at Stinson Beach, the design of the residence is site friendly, using materials and finishes that meld into the hillside. The landscaping features low-maintenance succulents and butterfly friendly plantings appropriate for the adjacent Monarch Butterfly Preserve. Recalibrate your dreams in this natural environment, and make the choice to live in complete privacy on this one acre retreat. This home includes Miele appliances, Thermadore refrigerator and freezer, an entire home water filtration system, kitchen and bathroom cabinetry by SieMatic, Ceasarstone kitchen counter tops, hardwood and Italian ceramic radiant tile floors using Warmboard technology, Electric blinds, Dornbracht faucets, Kalwall skylights throughout livingroom and garage, Jeldwen windows and sliding doors. Located 5-8 minute walk to the ocean, downtown Stinson and the community center. It is less than a five minute walk away from the trail heads such as Steep Ravine and Willow Camp.

Rivertowne Pool and Spa

Josh Atkinson - Atkinson Pools and Spas

Karson Photography
Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary backyard rectangular natural pool in Charleston with natural stone pavers and a hot tub.

Colorado Contemporary

Haley Custom Homes

Design ideas for a large contemporary backyard rectangular lap pool in Denver with a water feature and concrete slab.

Elegant Pool Deck Walkway

PPG PROLUXE Wood Finishes

Minimalist side yard area with an in-ground pool, level with a deck stained with PPG ProLuxe Stain. The glass panel railing seamlessly ties your surroundings in with nature and the outdoors. Enjoy this rich and durable stain on your deck too with PPG ProLuxe Stains.

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Naples Florida

Theo and Isabella Design Group

Photos by Lori Hamilton
Large mediterranean backyard custom-shaped pool in Boston with natural stone pavers and a hot tub.

Blue wave glass counter top

Artistic Glass Solutions - Monique's Studio

Here is an edge shot of the same blue counter-top. You can see the wave-like pattern of the entire piece. The top looks as if it is a still shot of crystal clear water.

Outdoor Oasis

E. B. Mahoney Builders, Inc.

Traditional rectangular pool in Philadelphia with a pool house.

NJ Pool and Spa

Cipriano Landscape Design & Custom Swimming Pools

The Far Hills NJ swimming pool and spa come together beautifully to maintain a consistent, beautiful look across the pool area. The NJ spa is raised slightly above the patio and features stone veneer found elsewhere in the large back yard. Due to its prominent placement, the spa serves as both a focal point and a perfect place to sit and gaze out upon the custom swimming pool, luxury patio, and gorgeous landscape.

Lot 14 Lost Star at Desert Mountain

Rains Design

Design ideas for a contemporary pool in Phoenix.

Luxurious Backyard Retreat with Contemporary Swimming Pool & Spa

Boyce Design and Contracting

Contemporary backyard renovation features a sleek rectangular shaped pool with clean lines and a minimalist design with a tanning shelf and ample space for swimming and leisurely activities. The defining feature of the spa is the striking knife-edge perimeter overflow design. The water level is perfectly level with the surrounding spa and pool deck, giving the impression of a mirror-like surface. The pool’s coping and spacious patio are finished with Sunset Sandstone pavers in a French cut pattern and provide plenty of lounge areas for outdoor pool entertainment and relaxing. The natural beauty of the Sandstone patio not only complements the Tumbled Indiana Limestone stacked stone wall surrounding the perimeter of the pool, but it also stays cool under foot during those hot summer months. The sleek Black Onyx pebble finish and matte black wall scuppers installed along the pool’s limestone wall add a dynamic contrast to the monochromatic color scheme and contemporary design elements found in this exclusive backyard renovation.

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.