Key design features for your pool area

Design features for your pool area can offer visual interest and also make it a more appealing space to spend time in. “In addition to the pool design, you can add elements to make the pool a little more exciting, maybe a bit more usable,” says Dean Herald of Rolling Stone Landscapes.

According to Matt Bramley of Splish Splash Pools, the key design features for your pool area to consider when building:

• Lighting
• A spa
• Feature walls
• Furniture

All our pool experts agreed, lighting becomes integral to your outdoor space. “A beautifully lit pool and landscape comes to life and you have that depth of vision all year round, so you’re maximising what you are spending on your pool space,” says Matt Leacy of Landart Landscapes.

Creating a seamless aesthetic

When considered as an entire outdoor space, adding design features for your pool area can be done to create a seamless aesthetic rather than a distraction. “What we like to concentrate on these days is keeping the palette of materials simple”, says Matt Cantwell of Secret Gardens.

Regardless of the size of space, be it a large garden, a small courtyard or a balcony, Matt explains the star of the space should be the furniture. He recommends you consider the size of the furniture, how many people you’re accommodating and selecting furniture that works with the rest of the outdoor space.

“Always select the furniture early on in the process rather than it becoming an afterthought because you can almost always spot when it was an afterthought.”

Looking for more pool advice? Explore the pool section of our Learning Library.

Interview Transcript:

Dean Hearld of Rolling Stone Landscapes: In addition to just the basic pool design, you can add elements to just make that space a little bit more exciting, maybe a bit more usable, and it can work in two ways. I mean, the movement of water in a swimming pool can add sight and sound at the same time, and also just give some interest to what may be just a standard swimming pool area.

Matt Bramley of Splish Splash Pools: Some other key design items to consider when building your pool, lighting is very, very important.

Matt Leacy of Landart Landscapes: The thing about lighting is, in the middle of winter, if you’re inside your house and all the doors are shut, if you have a beautifully lit pool and landscape, it comes to life and you’ve got that depth of vision all year round. So, you’re maximizing what you’re spending on your pool space.

Matt Bramley: Adding a spa is another great feature, feature walls, not necessarily with water features, but just a nice feature wall with a great product.

Dean Herald: Having usable space to see it and entertain around is another way to actually look at enhancing that space.

Matt Cantwell of Secret Gardens: What we really like to concentrate on these days is keeping the pallet of materials simple. And for the star of the space, be it a courtyard, or a much larger garden, or a balcony, to be the furniture. We are always thinking about the size of the furniture, how many people we are going to be catering for, always selecting the furniture early on in the process rather than it becoming an afterthought because you can almost always spot when it was an afterthought.