Inspiration for a mid-sized tropical backyard rectangular pool in Dallas with natural stone pavers.

Harvey Smith
Photo of a mid-sized tropical backyard rectangular lap pool in Orlando with natural stone pavers and a hot tub.

Here is another night shot that showcases the LED lights in this San Antonio area pool with waterfall and spa with spa spillover.
Photo of a mid-sized tropical backyard custom-shaped natural pool in Austin with natural stone pavers and a hot tub.

A Memorial area family commissioned us to create a natural swimming pool in their back yard. The family already had a standard pool on premises, but it was isolated in an area of the yard not particularly suited to seating guests or hosting get-togethers. What they wanted was a second, natural swimming pool built that would serve as the hub of a new home outdoor entertainment area consisting of a new stone patio, comfortable outdoor seating, and a fire pit. They wanted to create something unique that would preserve as much of the natural features of the landscape as possible, but that would also be completely safe and fully functional as a swimming pool. We decided to design this new landscaping plan around a pre-existent waterfall that was already on the property. This feature was too attractive to ignore, and provided the ideal anchor point for a new gathering area. The fountain had been designed to mimic a natural waterfall, with stones laid on top of one another in such a way as to look like a mountain cliff where water spontaneously springs from the top and cascades down the rocks. At first glance, many would miss the opportunity that such a structure provides; assuming that a fountain designed like a cliff would have to be completely replaced to install a natural swimming pool. Our landscaping designers, however, came up with a landscape plan to transform one archetypal form into the other by simply adding to what was already there. At the base of the rocks we dug a basin. This basin was oblong in shape and varied in degrees of depth ranging from a few inches on the end to five feet in the middle. We directed the flow of the water toward one end of the basin, so that it flowed into the depression and created a swimming pool at the base of the rocks. This was easy to accomplish because the fountain lay parallel to the top of a natural ravine located toward the back of the property, so water flow was maintained by gravity. This had the secondary effect of creating a new natural aesthetic. The addition of the basin transformed the fountain’s appearance to look more like a cliff you would see in a river, where the elevation suddenly drops, and water rushes over a series of rocks into a deeper pool below. Children and guests swimming in this new structure could actually imagine themselves in a Rocky Mountain River. We then heated the swimming pool so it could be enjoyed in the winter as well as the summer, and we also lit the pool using two types of luminaries for complimentary effects. For vegetation, we used mercury vapor down lights to backlight surrounding trees and to bring out the green color of foliage in and around the top of the rocks. For the brown color of the rocks themselves, and to create a sparkling luminance rising up and out of the water, we installed incandescent, underwater up lights. The lights were GFIC protected to make the natural swimming pool shock proof and safe for human use.

The client's came to us wanting a design that was going to open up their small backyard and give them somewhere for their family to enjoy and entertain for many years to come. This project presented many technical challenges due to the levels required to comply with various building regulations. Clever adaptations such privacy screens, floating deck entry and hidden pool gate behind the raised feature wall were all design elements that make this project more suitable to the smaller area. The main design feature that was a key to the functionality of this pool was the raised infinity edge, with the pool wall designed to comply with current pool barrier standards. With no pool fence between the pool and house the space appears more open with the noise of the water falling over the edge into a carefully concealed balance tank adding a very tranquil ambience to the outdoor area. With the accompanying fire pit and sitting area, this space not only looks amazing but is functional all year round and the low maintenance fully automated pool cleaning system provides easy operation and maintenance.

This is an example of a small tropical backyard l-shaped pool in Miami with a water feature and decking.

This lagoon/freeform swimming pool with raised spa and LED lights in Coral Springs, Florida has a real tropical feel! It's lush landscaping with palm trees, outdoor cabana, and rock style coping around sections of the pool make this the perfect backyard oasis without ever having to leave home! There are also rock waterfalls and small sun shelf with bubblers! Photo by Van Kirk & Sons Pools & Spas

These planters were all exisiting, scattered over the lanai space. Grouping them together makes for a strong visual statement. Filling them with pretty plants that require zero maintenance makes them that much more enjoyable.

Rip Hooker
This is an example of a mid-sized tropical backyard custom-shaped natural pool in Other with a water feature and natural stone pavers.

Mid-sized tropical backyard kidney-shaped lap pool in Hawaii with natural stone pavers.

This is an example of a mid-sized tropical backyard rectangular infinity pool in Miami with natural stone pavers and a hot tub.

Mid-sized tropical backyard custom-shaped natural pool in Tampa with natural stone pavers.

Photo of a large tropical backyard custom-shaped natural pool in Houston with a hot tub and concrete slab.

JWK
This is an example of a large tropical backyard custom-shaped natural pool in Miami with natural stone pavers.

Photo of a mid-sized tropical backyard custom-shaped lap pool in New Orleans with a hot tub and concrete slab.

Inspiration for a mid-sized tropical side yard rectangular lap pool in Los Angeles with a water feature and concrete pavers.

Design ideas for a mid-sized tropical backyard natural pool in Orange County with a water slide.

Inspiration for a mid-sized tropical front yard pool in Tampa with concrete pavers.

Large boulder rock waterfalls and stone staircase into a very large swimming pool
Design ideas for a mid-sized tropical backyard custom-shaped lap pool in Miami with a water feature and natural stone pavers.