Photo of a large country backyard rectangular lap pool in San Francisco with a hot tub and concrete slab.

Design ideas for a large contemporary backyard rectangular lap pool in Boston with a hot tub and concrete slab.

Photo of a large traditional indoor rectangular pool in Salt Lake City with concrete slab.

Grecian Style family diving pool. Includes tanning ledge with bubblers, horseshoe spa, salt finish decking and flagstone coping.
Photo of a mid-sized victorian backyard custom-shaped pool in Dallas with a hot tub and concrete slab.

Malibu Modern Farmhouse by Burdge & Associates Architects in Malibu, California. Interiors by Alexander Design Fiore Landscaping Photos by Tessa Neustadt

Transitional backyard custom-shaped lap pool in San Francisco with concrete slab.

Ryan Gamma
Inspiration for a small contemporary backyard rectangular lap pool in Tampa with a hot tub and concrete slab.

Inspiration for a modern backyard rectangular lap pool in Los Angeles with concrete slab.

AquaTerra Outdoors was hired to bring life to the outdoors of the new home. When it came time to design the space we were challenged with the tight space of the backyard. We worked through the concepts and we were able to incorporate a new pool with spa, custom water feature wall, Ipe wood deck, outdoor kitchen, custom steel and Ipe wood shade arbor and fire pit. We also designed and installed all the landscaping including the custom steel planter. Photography: Wade Griffith

Inspiration for a large traditional backyard rectangular lap pool in Salt Lake City with a hot tub and concrete slab.

Photography by Rebecca Lehde
This is an example of a mid-sized contemporary rectangular pool in Charleston with concrete slab.

Inspiration for a mid-sized traditional backyard rectangular lap pool in Raleigh with concrete slab.

This homes timeless design captures the essence of Santa Barbara Style. Indoor and outdoor spaces intertwine as you move from one to the other. Amazing views, intimately scaled spaces, subtle materials, thoughtfully detailed, and warmth from natural light are all elements that make this home feel so welcoming. The outdoor areas all have unique views and the property landscaping is well tailored to complement the architecture. We worked with the Client and Sharon Fannin interiors.

Matthew Millman
This is an example of a small modern front yard rectangular lap pool in San Francisco with concrete slab and a water feature.

This compact pool maximizes the small backyard with all the features of a larger backyard. Photography: Wade Griffith
This is an example of a small contemporary backyard rectangular pool in Dallas with a hot tub and concrete slab.

This outdoor kitchen includes a grill, refrigerator, and storage. The bar top adds extra seating and entertaining space.
Photo of a large traditional backyard rectangular pool in Other with a pool house and concrete slab.

This is an example of a large traditional backyard kidney-shaped pool in Chicago with concrete slab and a hot tub.

Interior Design by Pamala Deikel Design Photos by Paul Rollis
Design ideas for a large country backyard rectangular pool in San Francisco with concrete slab and a hot tub.

The planning phase of this modern retreat was an intense collaboration that took place over the course of more than two years. While the initial design concept exceeded the clients' expectations, it also exceeded their budget beyond the point of comfort. The next several months were spent modifying the design, in attempts to lower the budget. Ultimately, the decision was made that they would hold off on the project until they could budget for the original design, rather than compromising the vision. About a year later, we repeated that same process, which resulted in the same outcome. After another year-long hiatus, we met once again. We revisited design thoughts, each of us bringing to the table new ideas and options. Each thought simply solidified the fact that the initial vision was absolutely what we all wanted to see come to fruition, and the decision was finally made to move forward. The main challenge of the site was elevation. The Southeast corner of the lot stands 5'6" above the threshold of the rear door, while the Northeast corner dropped a full 2' below the threshold of the door. The backyard was also long and narrow, sloping side-to-side and toward the house. The key to the design concept was to deftly place the project into the slope and utilize the elevation changes, without allowing them to dominate the yard, or overwhelm the senses. The unseen challenge on this project came in the form of hitting every underground issue possible. We had to relocate the sewer main, the gas line, and the electrical service; and since rock was sitting about 6" below the surface, all of these had to be chiseled through many feet of dense rock, adding to our projected timeline and budget. As you enter the space, your first stop is an outdoor living area. Smooth finished concrete, colored to match the 'Leuder' limestone coping, has a subtle saw-cut pattern aligned with the edges of the recessed fire pit. In small spaces, it is important to consider a multi-purpose approach. So, the recessed fire pit has been fitted with an aluminum cover that allows our client to set up tables and chairs for entertaining, right over the top of the fire pit. From here, it;s two steps up to the pool elevation, and the floating 'Leuder' limestone stepper pads that lead across the pool and hide the dam wall of the flush spa. The main retaining wall to the Southeast is a poured concrete wall with an integrated sheer descent waterfall into the spa. To bring in some depth and texture, a 'Brownstone' ledgestone was used to face both the dropped beam on the pool, and the raised beam of the water feature wall. The main water feature is comprised of five custom made stainless steel scuppers, supplied by a dedicated booster pump. Colored concrete stepper pads lead to the 'Ipe' wood deck at the far end of the pool. The placement of this wood deck allowed us to minimize our use of retaining walls on the Northeast end of the yard, since it drops off over three feet below the elevation of the pool beam. One of the most unique features on this project has to be the structure over the dining area. With a unique combination of steel and wood, the clean modern aesthetic of this structure creates a visual stamp in the space that standard structure could not accomplish. 4" steel posts, painted charcoal grey, are set on an angle, 4' into the bedrock, to anchor the structure. Steel I-beams painted in green-yellow color--aptly called "frolic"--act as the base to the hefty cedar rafters of the roof structure, which has a slight pitch toward the rear. A hidden gutter on the back of the roof sends water down a copper rain chain, and into the drainage system. The backdrop for both this dining area , as well as the living area, is the horizontal screen panel, created with alternating sizes of cedar planks, stained to a calm hue of dove grey.