Articles

When you survey the projects pictured on LuxuryPools.com, it becomes abundantly clear that the world of exterior design is full of limitless potential, especially when swimming pools, spas, and other water elements become a part of the mix.

Appreciating how colors work in tandem with each other and with our personalities is important to understand because color is the quickest way to illustrate a feeling or to craft a desired effect. When creating a design, the impact of color on the final product must be taken into account—especially in a swimming pool design, where every facet of a poolscape and its setting influences how the final piece will appear.

Whether your backyard has a beautiful view, enclosed intimacy, or is an open canvas, the key to a successful implementation of your envisioned pool and outdoor living space is having a coordinated design, proper material selection, and features that fit your budget.

Glass tile is revolutionizing how pools and spas are built, often with breathtaking results. From the luxurious pools and spas of ancient Greek and Roman palaces to modern-day masterpieces, intricate tile treatments have transformed water features into works of art. Elaborate designs, shimmering colors, and an extensive array of possibilities greet homeowners hoping to turn their projects into jaw-dropping achievements of design. 

A great pool design is often realized by the water within—its appearance, reflections, and how it refracts light and color. By adding a vertical element of moving water, the design can spring to life and almost become a work of art. There are many types of water features to choose from, and the effects they can create are seemingly infinite when factoring in size, flow rate, acoustics, and lighting.

For all the purposes a pool serves, its most vital role is as a water feature—that is, a central point of interest within the overall landscape of your home. A luxury pool design recognizes this priority, blending the pool into the surrounding yard and enhancing the home’s existing beauty. Even if your luxury pool is still just a dream, this knowledge is important.

Beginning a new project can be exciting: plans, research and dreams come together to create an electrifying anticipation. Developing a luxury pool elicits that kind of emotion. Thinking about the pool and knowing that the goal is attainable generates an excitement that is second to none. It is like taking a thrill ride that ends in a magical wonderland.

When a warm breeze blows in a clear sky, nothing compares to a dip in a crystal clear outdoor pool. The weather is fickle, however, and can turn an idyllic setting into Poseidon's playground in no time. That is why indoor pools are becoming increasingly popular with new pool buyers.

Creating a spectacular pool and complementary surroundings requires careful attention to detail so that all backyard elements harmonize with each other, the home and the region's natural features.

When illumination professionals think of design, they think of creating an evening outdoor room-one filled with just the right amount of effective lighting. Used to enhance, change, set the tone or simply add drama, outdoor lighting magically transforms. Creating visual delights and practical solutions in and around the pool and its setting results in a spectacular scene that comes alive with light. The ultimate outdoor room is a poolscape-with the pool as its focus.

Unlike in years past, pools are no longer just for the rich and famous - today, they are a smart way of life. Pools give you the best exercise for your body. They provide your family with quality time. They create the largest room of your home: the outdoor room, a place where you don't have to be swimming to enjoy yourself where the stars are your ceiling.

When planning a pool, homeowners and pool builders alike want the end result to be a beautiful, seamless outdoor environment. And just what are the keys to a creating a balanced backyard? With the current trend toward complete backyard renovations, it's all about creating an outdoor room that allows the yard to become an extension of the house - and for that, you need a comfortable and attractive transition.

Whether they use natural stone, simulated rock or a combination, talented pool and landscape designers create lagoon-style marvels that rival Mother Nature. Caves, grottos and waterfalls are just a few of the rocky creations that transform basic backyard pools into crystal clear ponds that appear to be carved from their surroundings.

Have you ever wondered why the cost of swimming pools of comparable sizes can vary from $35,000 to $500,000? A pool is a pool is a pool, right? Wrong. While a high price tag doesn't necessarily guarantee quality and complete customization, it does if you are dealing with a top of the line pool builder. Luxury pools, designed and built by high-end custom pool builders, cater to clientele who demand the best.

Designing your outdoor space is an exciting process that often takes the same kind of perception, planning and preparation as designing a custom home. An experienced landscape architect or designer can help you create and execute your vision into an art form of functionality, expression and style. These professionals are attuned to trends, attentive to details, artistically inclined and accustomed to solving a myriad of problems.

Traditionally, pool tile in America has served very utilitarian functions, either as a waterline border or a step-marker, and the designs formerly available were highly reflective of those functions. Today, aquatic designers create beautiful poolscapes and decks that integrate the pool and surrounding landscape into one living environment. The pool is not simply a place for recreational activity, but is now recognized as a primary element within the outdoor living space.

Transforming barren land into a native paradise to rival Mother Nature is an art...with plenty of scientific technology. To clients, they are the professionals who transform open space surrounding their homes into amazing retreats with elegant waterfalls, serene lakes and sleek pools. In reality, those such as Bill Goddard, David Rowean and Michael Nantz are much more.

To help you talk the talk as you gather ideas to plan your ideal pool, we have compiled a short glossary of some words and phrases you are likely to encounter. Now, instead of scratching your head and looking confused, you can hold your own in the discussion and ensure that your pool will be everything you want it to be.

What do these things have in common? A Hermes scarf. A clamshell ashtray. Japanese knives. Andy Warhol. Give up? Each has served as the cultural inspiration behind a luxurious swimming pool crafted by leading builders and designers, resulting in a project that exceeds expectations...and satisfies customers.

There are many descriptive words used to define pool types—traditional, modern, freeform, geometric...the list goes on and on. By familiarizing yourself with the factors and standards that ultimately determine the quality of a pool's design, you will increase the likelihood of having a piece of liquid art in your own backyard.

As backyards increasingly become extensions of the home, natural materials traditionally found indoors have moved outdoors to create spectacular surfaces in and around swimming pools. Discriminating consumers desire a harmonious blend of elements. The pool and patio should appear as a natural progression of the home, not as an afterthought.

If you would like your pool to reflect your own personal style, you can break out of the humdrum box simply by making some minor additions, or by incorporating major stylistic changes. Following are some suggestions to consider if you are willing to venture a notch above what is typical and declare your pool's individuality as an extension of your own.