6 Scene-Setting Solutions for Your Outdoor Spa
Soaking in a hot tub is all the more relaxing in a beautiful natural setting that works as a disguise
Joanna Tovia
4 March 2017
Houzz editorial team. Photojournalist specialising in design, travel and living well. Follow her photodocumentary about pets and the people who love them on Instagram @unfoldingtails
Houzz editorial team. Photojournalist specialising in design, travel and living well.... More
Spas come in all shapes and sizes, but without a little work to blend them into their surrounds they’re rarely pretty. Relaxation doesn’t just come about by submerging yourself in hot water, it’s also about what you can see, hear and smell when you’re in there, so it pays to consider each of these senses.
Whether your home is modern or traditional, formal or casual, there’s a natural hot tub setting that’s just right for your space. If an outdoor spa is on your home wish list, just be sure to get quotes on any landscaping, excavation and fencing costs that may come into the equation before making a final decision.
Whether your home is modern or traditional, formal or casual, there’s a natural hot tub setting that’s just right for your space. If an outdoor spa is on your home wish list, just be sure to get quotes on any landscaping, excavation and fencing costs that may come into the equation before making a final decision.
1. Merge it with the pool
There’s no reason your spa need stand out like a sore thumb when it can sit so seamlessly alongside your swimming pool. The infinity edge helps the spa disappear in this pool setting, and the addition of timber, recycled bricks and perimeter plantings – clumping slender weaver bamboo (Bambusa textilis ‘Gracilis’) – soften harsh angles and hard materials. The sound of running water, meanwhile, soothes jangled nerves and disguises any traffic noise audible from your backyard.
There’s no reason your spa need stand out like a sore thumb when it can sit so seamlessly alongside your swimming pool. The infinity edge helps the spa disappear in this pool setting, and the addition of timber, recycled bricks and perimeter plantings – clumping slender weaver bamboo (Bambusa textilis ‘Gracilis’) – soften harsh angles and hard materials. The sound of running water, meanwhile, soothes jangled nerves and disguises any traffic noise audible from your backyard.
This view of the lap pool and spa on the right shows just how well natural materials and greenery have been used in this backyard, to set the scene for relaxation.
Browse more swimming pool photos
Browse more swimming pool photos
2. Set it into the water
Embedding the spa into the pool is another alternative for those happy to have the water temperature be the same in both. Bluestone tiles in the spa and pool seen here give the water a more natural look (especially when compared with the bright blue tiles typically used in pools to make the water look blue). Mature trees provide just the backdrop this spa needs to deliver a serene soak.
Embedding the spa into the pool is another alternative for those happy to have the water temperature be the same in both. Bluestone tiles in the spa and pool seen here give the water a more natural look (especially when compared with the bright blue tiles typically used in pools to make the water look blue). Mature trees provide just the backdrop this spa needs to deliver a serene soak.
Raising the edges of the spa slightly above the pool’s water level may not look as streamlined, but it does solve the temperature issue.
3. Cover it up
This in-ground spa under a tree gives it the feeling of a mini retreat, as do the additions of a custom-made timber deck and slide-away lid. A cover that’s easy to remove keeps leaves at bay and insulates the water – a low-maintenance hot tub that doesn’t require heating right before you use it means you’ll frequent it more often. Champagne optional.
This in-ground spa under a tree gives it the feeling of a mini retreat, as do the additions of a custom-made timber deck and slide-away lid. A cover that’s easy to remove keeps leaves at bay and insulates the water – a low-maintenance hot tub that doesn’t require heating right before you use it means you’ll frequent it more often. Champagne optional.
When closed, the area can be used for other forms of relaxation – yoga or meditation, for example – which just may help you justify the cost.
4. Slot it into your deck
A spa slipped into a weathered timber deck with a matching pergola hides it away, and views are definitely not mandatory for this approach to work. Just use plants to your advantage.
Which pergola is right for you?
A spa slipped into a weathered timber deck with a matching pergola hides it away, and views are definitely not mandatory for this approach to work. Just use plants to your advantage.
Which pergola is right for you?
In Australia, keep in mind that spas have the same fencing requirements as pools. Barely-there glass fencing is often the way to go – it minimises visual disruption and opens up the spa to its surroundings.
5. Sink it into the ground
A sunken spa puts the garden at eye-level, so with a little effort, people having a soak can be surrounded by flowers and greenery. The better maintained your garden, the more sublime your spa experience will be.
A sunken spa puts the garden at eye-level, so with a little effort, people having a soak can be surrounded by flowers and greenery. The better maintained your garden, the more sublime your spa experience will be.
Or go a little wild, using stones and native grasses to create a more natural setting.
7 things to consider before investing in an outdoor spa
7 things to consider before investing in an outdoor spa
6. Step it into a slope
A sloping site provides a prime opportunity for homeowners wanting a spa that’s easy on the eyes. A timber hot tub will allow it to blend into its surrounds more easily, and a natural scene can be helped along on the higher level with paving stones, gravel and plantings.
Tell us
Do you have an outdoor spa? How did you help it blend in? Share your tips in the Comments.
More
Browse more outdoor ideas
A sloping site provides a prime opportunity for homeowners wanting a spa that’s easy on the eyes. A timber hot tub will allow it to blend into its surrounds more easily, and a natural scene can be helped along on the higher level with paving stones, gravel and plantings.
Tell us
Do you have an outdoor spa? How did you help it blend in? Share your tips in the Comments.
More
Browse more outdoor ideas
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no. 3 looks to be beautifully constructed, great craftsmanship and is architecturally pleasing
Oh how I wish where to best position my outdoor spa was one of my dilemmas.