Featured on HGTV's "Cool Pools", the "Scuba Pool" was inspired by the homeowner's love for scuba diving, so we created stone tunnels and a deep diving area as well as lazy rivers and two grottos connected by a native Oklahoma boulder waterfall. A large beach entry gives young ones plenty of play space as well. These homeowners can entertain large groups easily with this multi-function outdoor space. Design and Construction by Caviness Landscape Design, Inc. Photo by KO Rinearson

Arizona Lifestyle Resort Style Pool

Tribal Waters Custom Pools

Amazing backyard resort style pool for the Arizona Lifestyle Tribal Waters Custom Pools

Rowlett Oasis

Weisz Selection Outdoor Living Specialists

Custom freeform pool with beach entry, rock grotto and rock waterfalls surrounded by tropical landscape and travertine patio.

Campbell Family

Richard's Total Backyard Solutions

Toes in the sand, a good book in your hands! Your Staycation Destination is just a few footsteps away. Check out this Staycation Pool Special + Spa combination, which is a 70 perimeter pool with a raised spa. Key features of this pool include: - 70 perimeter freeform pool + raised spa - Comfort decking around the pool with sand & rocks behind the pool for the tumbled paver travertine pathway - Silver Travertine coping - Pool plaster called "Bluestone"

Modern contemporary house outdoor rooftop patio with lots of interesting features - water fountain, infinity pool, lounge zone and amazing city view.

Atlanta Modern Farmhouse - Stunning Pool

Sheehan Built Homes

Jeff Herr Photography.........Pool by JBrownlee Design

Bentwater Lakehouse

JAUREGUI Architecture Interiors Construction

Custom Rock Waterfall Pool with Stone Grotto, Stream and Tiki Hut

Lucas Lagoons Inc.

Beyond the grand stone veneer entrance, a breezeway opens to a stunning outdoor living space with views of Sarasota bay. Over 1,000 square feet of flagstone decking lays right up to the edge of the rock waterfall pool, the stonework continues around to an outdoor shower made with three large boulders and massive stone steps to a secret tropical pathway behind the pool grotto. From here you can climb the grotto rocks and jump into the swimming pool, or meander on to the tiki hut. Once in the pool, the the swim up ledge in the grotto can be accessed from the pool’s sun shelf and is large enough to stand in. If the walk-through grotto doesn’t make this one of the best lagoons in Florida, there is a fire pit peninsula between the lounge chairs on the sun shelf and the in-pool seating cove next to the oversize spa to maximize the space. Photo: Geza Darrah

Ultimate Trophy Club Pool Transformation

Mike Farley Pool Designer, SWD, ASLA

This beautiful geometric project designed by Mike Farley has a lot of elevation changes with a stunning view of the golfcourse. The flush spa was kept near the house for easy access and blended with the contemporary style of the home. Both the outdoor kitchen and fire pit area are used as retaining walls with the elevation change. It also gives lots of seating along with the bar stools - inside and outside the pool. The water feature is a sheer rain fall that is kept low so that the golf course view isn't blocked. There is a nice sized tanning ledge to hang out on. The outdoor kitchen has a grill, trash can, drop in cooler and lots of seating. The cabana has cam lights for evening fun. We used ceramic on the patio that looks like wood and has greys and browns in it. The concrete is grey with a heavy texture. The channels have Mexican Pebble to blend with the grey tones.

Hillside Pool + Spa

Parker County Pools

Freeform Pool

Claude C. Lapp Architects, LLC

Maryland Photography, Inc.

Beach Entry Pools

A&G Concrete Pools, Inc.

Beach entry pool with slide

Backyard Oasis - Pool, Spa, Swim-Up Bar, Grotto, Slides & Water Features

Unique Landscapes and Custom Pools

The swim up bar stools are the perfect place to enjoy a snack before rejoining the fun and games in the rest of the pool.

Curvilínea

Bianchi Design

Kirk Bianchi created the design for this residential resort next to a desert preserve. The overhang of the homes patio suggested a pool with a sweeping curve shape. Kirk positioned a raised vanishing edge pool to work with the ascending terrain and to also capture the reflections of the scenery behind. The fire pit and bbq areas are situated to capture the best views of the superstition mountains, framed by the architectural pergola that creates a window to the vista beyond. A raised glass tile spa, capturing the colors of the desert context, serves as a jewel and centerpiece for the outdoor living space.

Desco Project

Pool Environments, Inc.

Randy Angell, Designer The beautiful pool, spa and outdoor fireplace create a peaceful retreat.

Apex Landscape Whitneyville Project

LPTT - Landscape Design

Backyard Swimming Pool and Patio Remodel with new outdoor kitchen, beverage station and perimeter overflow spa in Grand rapids, Michigan by Apex Landscape

Matte black and white tile are presented in an elegant striped waterfall wall display. Grand Effect helix torches stand guard over the designer water feature atop Pearl Marble cladded walls. Vidrepur - Titanium tile completely covers the raised spill-over spa and offers a perfect spot to take in the gentle waterfall. Images by Jimi Smith Photography.Photography.

Modern farm House

Perello Design & Build

Custom-shaped Pool Design Ideas

Swimming pools are heavenly during hot Australian and New Zealand summers and are the perfect way to cool down, relax, entertain friends and even get fit. A pool can also create visual interest, especially when you consider features like coloured pool tiles, lighting and landscaping. If you are short on space, you might still fit a lap pool, plunge pool or swim spa, all of which could be focal points in your small garden. As you plan your pool design, map out your space and determine what size, shape and style works best for you. Browse the photos on Houzz for design ideas for above ground pools, inground pools, as well as pool landscaping and novelty features like pool slides or water features. Then, save your favourite photos to an ideabook, and get in touch with the experts behind your favourite picks.

What type of pool should I install?

The dimensions of your backyard will determine the type of inground pools you can install. Take into account boundary restrictions and pool fencing compliance. Fibreglass versions are cheaper, and quicker to install; whereas concrete constructions are better suited to tricky sites and give you more freedom in design. If you’re on a tight budget or don’t want to commit to an inground pool, above ground pools are a more affordable alternative. If you only have a small backyard, a plunge pool is a great solution, and can easily run along a boundary wall or down the side of a house. This option is also low maintenance, can be heated for use in winter, and can do double duty as a swim spa. A long, narrow space, on the other hand, could fit a lap pool, whereas a water feature could fill an awkward space. If your backyard features a stunning vista, consider an infinity pool to accentuate the view.

What pool fencing options are available?

While the specifics vary from state to state, fencing is required of most pool designs. However, pool fencing doesn’t have to obscure your pool design. Glass fencing is increasingly popular for this reason exactly, and is available framed, frameless, semi-frameless and even in-ground. A cheaper alternative is aluminium or steel fencing, which, again, are available in a variety of styles: flat top, loop-top, double-top and wire-based.

What pool landscaping features should I consider?

To get the most out of your pool, design an area that offers multiple hangouts. Include a nearby barbecue, dining area, seating for lounging and outdoor shower. Having shaded areas will give you more reason to stay poolside longer, too. Timber decking and stone paving are popular choices for pool surrounds, and are also helpful in creating zones. Just imagine a raised timber platform with a daybed – a luxurious, resort-style addition to any pool design. Leafy trees and rocks will create a more natural-looking oasis, and will help provide more privacy for swimmers. Where you want your landscape to be the main focus, keep pool equipment and furnishings to a minimum.