New Homes & Lifestyles

Summer's Coolest Pool Trends

More and more people are looking to their own homes and backyards for an escape from a hectic world and there's no better place to float away from the world than the swimming pool. Backyards have also become aesthetic and sensory experiences, as well as a place that fulfills practical recreational needs.



Today's pools are more attractive than ever, serving as the centerpiece of a home's outdoor space. Luxury and glamour take a front seat in this season's pool trends.



The hottest trends in pools range from water features to double features, mood lighting to fire lighting, misty fog to mosaic frogs, with some pools including swim-up bars with built-in seating, fireplaces, ramadas, underwater music, outdoor movie screens and flat-panel TV's.



In a material world, Italian glass mosaic tiles, natural and native stone, composite materials made with sprayed concrete and pebbles from rivers around the world have become popular finishes. Around the pool, decking like flagstone, brick pavers, cantera and travertine are taking the place of traditional Kool(TM) decking.



Always popular, waterfalls and raised pedestal wok pots continue to be some of the most-requested design elements. Sleek sheets of water fall over granite, stone or tiled platforms offer a secluded area for swimmers. Other versions are playful cascades that splash and fall from natural or manmade rocks. Some waterfalls let you increase or decrease the rate of fall to get the sound of gently falling rain or a turbulent rain shower. Both grottos and raised towers provide refuge from the sun.



Technology brings smart innovations that let you turn on your waterfalls, light your night, clean your pool and heat-up your spa with automatic system controllers, allowing you to operate pool functions via telephone from the office or your mobile phone. Just program and relax, on-screen programming even walks you through your pool's functions.
Just when you thought the Roman Empire was long gone, the Old World look returns with many pools reflecting the look of Tuscan and Mediterranean style homes. Of course, if you like a more natural experience the lagoon pool is also a favorite. As the trend shifts to modern home interiors, streamlined lap pools and geometric shapes are following suit.



Some of the most popular ideas in pools now involve the lack of pool walls - most notably playful and pretty beach entries, shallow and comfortable wet decks and dramatic vanishing edges. The beach entry is just what it sounds like - a gently sloping entrance to the pool that mimics a beach in looks and feel.



"People are looking at pools differently," says Mark Bowers, General Manager of Pacific Pools and Spas. "They are not just places to splash and play anymore, they have become engaging outdoor living and entertaining spaces as a natural extension to indoor spaces."



Swimming pools are making new waves offering plenty of backyard fun while also serving as beautiful and functional extensions of living space.