How to Close Your Pool for Winter (and Skip the Spring Swamp)
The cannonballs are done, the floaties are deflating, and your pool is ready for a long winter nap. Here’s the catch: how you close your pool for winter decides what you find when you pull the cover off in spring. Close it right and you get sparkling water. Close it wrong and you get something […]
Plunge Pool vs. Cocktail Pool vs. Dipping Pool vs. Spool: Which Small Pool Fits Your Yard?
Your yard is small. Your neighbor’s pool is not. Doesn’t matter, you can still swim. If you’ve been going in circles on plunge pool vs. cocktail pool vs. dipping pool vs. spool, here’s the short version. They all fit where a full-size pool can’t, including that skinny side yard you’ve been ignoring since the day […]
10 Gunite Pool Features That Improve Your Backyard
A simple guide to choosing the right features for your gunite pool Designing a gunite pool can feel overwhelming. There are dozens of features to choose from, and not all of them will work for your space, budget, or style. This guide breaks down 10 of the most popular pool features, what they actually do, […]
Small Backyard Pool Ideas That Actually Work (With Real Examples)
Trying to plan for a small backyard pool that you actually like can feel impossible. Between property lines, existing landscaping, and limited square footage, most homeowners assume they don’t have enough space. The truth? You probably do. With the right design strategy, even tight or awkward yards can fit a functional, beautiful inground pool. Below […]
Pool, Patio & Backyard Privacy Solutions: Fencing, Landscaping
Your backyard should feel like a retreat, not a fishbowl. Whether you’re swimming laps, relaxing in a spa, or grilling with family, it’s hard to fully unwind when neighbors have a clear view into your space. The good news: there are plenty of ways to add privacy to a pool, patio, or outdoor living area, […]
Multi-level Pool Deck Ideas—With Photo Examples
—Achieving better looks, versatility, and functionality for backyard leisure In addition to providing a solution to a sloping property or disparate elevation between the house and yard, a deck with two or more tiers around a swimming pool delivers excellent functionality, an attractive outdoor space, and clearer “zoning” for various backyard activities.
Choosing the Right Colors for Your Swimming Pool and Patio
—Creating a palette for features and elements Henry Ford once said you can have any color car you want, so long as it’s black. Swimming pools were once that way too, confined mostly to white plaster and blue waterline tile.
12 Clever Ways for Integrating Stone into Pools—In Photos
—Style tactics to enhance an organic aesthetic Incorporating stone into a swimming pool is a favorite design technique used in backyards across America.
What is a reverse infinity-edge swimming pool?
—Redirecting a fabulous flow where you can see and hear it A reverse infinity swimming pool boasts a “vanishing” edge that faces the home and patio area so you can see the decorative wall with overflowing water and catch basin—versus being hidden from view on the pool’s far side where it appears to merge into […]
7 Swimming Pool Design Mistakes to Avoid When Planning
You get one chance to design your pool right. Once the concrete cures, mistakes are expensive to fix and easy to regret. Here are the seven design mistakes we see homeowners regret most, and exactly how to avoid them. 1. Going Too Deep Most families never dive, but they pay to heat and treat a […]