Pool and Spa Ideas

A multifaceted deck dresses up an off-the-shelf spa.

• In narrow urban landscapes, a side yard makes a good spot for a slender deck or spa.
• Placed with its top level aligned with the deck's floor, an in-deck hot tub becomes less obtrusive.
• Located right next to the hot tub, an outdoor-resistant rug offers a spot to dry off.
• Because the spa is sunk into the deck, the railings serve as a privacy screen.
• Above the nearby couch, a few hooks offer a convenient spot to hang towels.

• Keep your active family in mind with tips for landscaping.

A slender wall divides public from private.

• While a spa may require privacy from the neighbors, it can also call for screening from the rest of the house. Here, a stucco wall protects the space from the home's back windows.
• A wide deck around the hot tub does double duty as an informal bench.
• An extension of the spa's concrete base provides a transition between spa and grass.
• The geometry of the spa repeats in the pattern of pavers inset into the grass.
• If appropriate, choose materials that help to tie the spa area with the rest of the house -- here, the same color and style of brick repeats in the walls around the pool area.

A pool maximizes the view in its secluded site.

• Good lighting is essential. This pool features a few fixtures sunk into the surrounding concrete pad.
• A neutral light brown stain for the concrete pad offers a color choice in-step with the natural surroundings.
• Curves cut out of the pool's concrete pad offer spots for a few shrubs and decorative boulders.
• An infinity edge orients the view to the forest and lake.
• When the area around a pool is mostly paved, containers planted with annuals can provide a way to add color and texture.

Beautifully landscaped grounds are the backdrop to an expansive pool.

• If space allows, a nearby building can be useful to store cleaning tools and other pool-care necessities.
• The geometry of the pool stands in stark contrast to the lushly planted surroundings.
• The patterning of the pool's deck is repeated in other hardscape elements, such as the series of mostly rectangular pavers (spaced at regular intervals) that lead from house to pool.
• Instead of a basic long rectangle shape, this pool subtly widens at the shallow end.
• Columnar evergreens and towering ornamental grasses shield one end of the pool from view.

A home's sleek style extends to its minimalist pool.

• Grasses and river rock fill a slim area between pool and house.
• Instead of a traditional wide deck surrounding the pool, here, nearby paved patio spaces offer spots to sit down and towel off.
• The home's contemporary style and geometry supply inspiration for the pool's design.
• In a sleight of pool-design hand, a very shallow section provides a spot for a few people to cool off without getting submerged.
• Deep blue tile offers a restful accent for the wall and edging surrounding the pool.

A small-scale spa enlarges outdoor living space.

• A brick patio naturally extends into a design element in this spa. Mortared pavers forming the pool's edge.
• Casual seating -- such as the bordering wall here -- provide a spot to perch if they're not using the spa.
• Rigid borders go by the wayside in this spa, which is cleverly cut into a curved niche in the retaining wall.
• Stonework in the adjacent fireplace repeats in the spa's backdrop to create continuity in the yard.
• A few blooms crest over the retaining wall, supplying a pretty spot for spa users to rest their eyes.

A pool/spa combo creates a backyard refuge.

• Sometimes pools and spas are completely different spaces, but integrating them can be a natural fit.
• In place of an ordinary fence, a distinctive stone wall offers a back border for the pool.
• Two fountains -- one in the spa, one in the pool -- create dramatic vertical interest.
• If budget allows, try using stone pavers to provide an attractive and texturally interesting deck around a pool.
• Small niches of plants fill a spot in the corner of the pool, softening the stone's edges.

A relaxing view serves as backdrop for this sleek pool.

• With one length an "infinity" edge, a pool relies on slim stone paving for the three other sides to minimize visual disruption.
• Grass offers a soft landing pad around the deck.
• Both chairs and the placement of the pool orient the view to the wide-open countryside.
• A short metal railing defines the yard's (and the pool's) back border.
• Bountiful blooms disguise the fence and offer a welcome bit of color.

Spots to escape the sun while enjoying the pool are key in this landscape.

• A stone border offers a low-key separation between spa and pool.
• A portable outdoor umbrella provides protection from the sun.
• Comfy benches and a covered patio furnish spots for poolside rest and relaxation.
• Two subtly different materials -- one as edging, another as surrounding deck -- add a slight but welcome point of visual interest.
• A sculpture of large boulders serves as focal point and natural spot for inclusion of a waterfall.

Sophisticated details dress up this combo pool/spa.

• A series of concrete "pads" jut out in the pool space, offering just variation to the mostly neutral deck.
• A short retaining wall, which features the same creamy white color of the surrounding stone, separates the pool area from the rest of the yard.
• Speckled stone provides this spa with its own distinct border.
• Lighting around a pool and spa is for both safety and ambiance; here, a few fixtures unobtrusively dot the landscape.
• Here, both the fence and the deep green foliage serve a visual counterpoint to the white stone.