Boulevard House is an expansive, light filled home for a young family to grow into. It’s located on a steep site in Ivanhoe, Melbourne. The home takes advantage of a beautiful northern aspect, along with stunning views to trees along the Yarra River, and to the city beyond. Two east-west pavilions, linked by a central circulation core, use passive solar design principles to allow all rooms in the house to take advantage of north sun and cross ventilation, while creating private garden areas and allowing for beautiful views.

Project Traditional Sauna

Alpha Wellness Sensations

Alpha Wellness Sensations is the world's leading manufacturer of custom saunas, luxury infrared cabins, professional steam rooms, immersive salt caves, built-in ice chambers and experience showers for residential and commercial clients. Our company is the dominating custom wellness provider in Europe for more than 35 years. All of our products are fabricated in Europe, 100% hand-crafted and fully compliant with EU’s rigorous product safety standards. We use only certified wood suppliers and have our own research & engineering facility where we developed our proprietary heating mediums. We keep our wood organically clean and never use in production any glues, polishers, pesticides, sealers or preservatives.

Thirty Oaks

SOLSTICE Planning and Architecture

The challenge was to provide a sustainable, cohesive design for the home, pool, and landscape layout that would appear honestly interwoven with the subtropical site while also providing a comfortable indoor/outdoor environment for the family to live and entertain.

Lakeway Residence

Clark Richardson Architects

Photo: Paul Finkel

Price Residence

Starwood Custom Homes

Refurbishment and Rebuild, Villefranche Sur Mer, France

Charlotte Candillier Interiors

Charlotte Candillier

Luxury Backyard + Poolscape

Plantenance Landscape Group

Rough Hollow IV

KB Custom Pools

This beautiful pool and spa features a perimeter overflow spa and wet deck, which is framed with a gourgeos 12 copper water fall. It boast fire features, a full gourmet kitchen, and some very special glass materials.

Pool house / man cave

The Other Side Landscapes Pty Ltd

This project located on an acre of land adjoining the fairway of a Sydney golf course was completed in three stages over nearly 5 years. The final stage culminated in the construction of the swimming pool, cabana and man cave (shed). The expansive family pool was installed on a mid-terrace 6 steps up from the home. On this terrace a sun lounging area and fire pit with floating hardwood bench were installed within the pool enclosure. Another six steps up from the pool we constructed a massive (8x5m) pool house fully provisioned with bathroom and kitchen. Behind the cabana our construction continued with the man cave, large enough to house 3 classic cars (14 x 7m). Photography: Peter Brennan

Pool project - Building Adventures

Guiton's Pool Center

Vanishing Edge Pool with Grand Effects automated fire bowls, laminar jets, travertine coping and concrete pavers. This pool has the most gorgeous view of Mt. Shasta to the North.

Villa Linda

Ryan Hughes Design

The Villa Linda center courtyard exudes a calming and peaceful ambiance. This complex outdoor space is full of water, natural materials, fire, lighting and venues for leisure. Palm trees tower above this tropical outdoor oasis with the expansive pool and experience-filled outdoor area including a custom built sunken fire lounge with contemporary stepping stones. Photography by Jimi Smith.

Hillcrest: Trousdale Estates Modern New Home

Boswell Construction

Photo Credit: DIJ Group

Vista Del Valle

Zimmerman and Associates

Stylish Contemporary Backyard for Entertaining

Kym Rodger Design

This contemporary back yard was designed for entertaining. Large Fleetwood doors stack back so the living room is completely open to the back yard. The modern swimming pool has a freeform curved shape, striking zero edge, and thoughtful 18"-deep conversation area at one end, which is centered around a water feature made from an oversized vintage urn. Photography by Jon Robershaw

Saguaro Forest Contemporary

ArchitecTor, PC

Dramatic framework forms a matrix focal point over this North Scottsdale home's back patio and negative edge pool, underlining the architect's trademark use of symmetry to draw the eye through the house and out to the stunning views of the Valley beyond. This almost 9000 SF hillside hideaway is an effortless blend of Old World charm with contemporary style and amenities. Organic colors and rustic finishes connect the space with its desert surroundings. Large glass walls topped with clerestory windows that retract into the walls open the main living space to the outdoors.

Custom Design - Outdoor Living - New American Home 2009

Blue Heron

Outdoor Oasis

Chisel Marble & Granite

Dream backyard complete with outdoor kitchen and swim-up bar. All pool coping and decking is made up of Nory Travertine tile. Custom Homes by Schultz Development

Marcos Residence

M. Designs Architects

Blair Project

Arizona Kitchens and Refacing, Inc.

Custom Design - Outdoor Living - New American Home 2009

Blue Heron

Expansive Contemporary 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 contemporary 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 contemporary 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 contemporary 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 contemporary 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 contemporary 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.