Creative Ideas for Decorative Swimming Pools: Design Your Perfect Backyard Oasis

Have you dreamt of a serene backyard oasis complete with a pool that is not only functional but beautiful? Do you imagine an outdoor living space that fits your lifestyle to a tee? Do you have a particular design in mind? Or are you overwhelmed with swimming pool ideas and not sure how to narrow it down? Installing a decorative swimming pool starts with knowing what your options are and choosing what best fits your property and lifestyle. Let’s take a look at creative ideas for decorative swimming pools and help you choose the design that is right for you.

Key Design Elements

A decorative swimming pool is defined by a harmonious meeting of sophisticated design with practical functionality. To create your backyard oasis design, you want to choose elements that appeal to not only how well they function but also how well they play into the mood, atmosphere, and style you want. These elements also add comfort and convenience to the ultimate enjoyment of your outdoor living space. Key elements include:

A lounge area that offers you and your guests comfortable seating options.
Shaded areas such as gazebos, canopies, or pergolas that provide respite from direct sunlight and architectural focal points.
Custom lighting designs that promote a relaxing and inviting atmosphere, add focus to architectural design elements, and increase safety.
Amenities like outdoor kitchens, bars, and fire pits that elevate entertaining and enjoyment.
Water features that enhance the pool experience and add soothing sounds to the poolside atmosphere.
Custom-made pool decking that supports the pool’s architectural design, offers a safe, slip-resistant surface, and adds overall aesthetic appeal to the space.
Landscaping that provides privacy, blends into the surrounding natural environment, and supports the creation of an inviting, elegant space.

Design details turn a backyard pool into a truly beautiful outdoor living space where entertaining, enjoyment, and relaxation happen effortlessly. These elements are an investment in turning your pool space into an extension of your home and raising your property’s value.

Choosing the Right Pool Shape

Custom pool designs start with choosing the right shape pool for your backyard and lifestyle. To narrow down your options there are a few important things to consider.

Your Backyard Space

If you want to create an outdoor space that blends into its surrounding environment, then choosing a pool shape that fits your backyard is essential. Think about the shape and size of your yard in your choice. Weigh too where you will place your swimming pool, what existing natural features already exist, and where adjacent poolside amenities will fit into the overall design. Is your yard better suited for a rectangular pool, or a kidney-shaped pool? Maybe you have an irregularly shaped yard and will want to find some freeform pool inspiration to incorporate a harmonious shape. Then again, maybe your yard is more in the shape of an “L” where an L-shaped pool will fit better than any other choice.

Creating a Harmonious Appearance

You will want to create a pool design that compliments the style of your home. This includes considering both what your pool will look like from your home and what your home will look like from your pool. If you live in a more modern home with straight lines and angles, then it makes sense to explore geometric pool ideas. Likewise, if your home follows more traditional architectural styles, like a cottage or classic colonial, then a freeform shape that will absorb natural rocks, landscaping and lagoon-style pool designs can be the right direction to take. If your home is more mid-century, modern then the classic kidney-shaped pool from this era can be a perfect compliment to your home’s style.

Your Pool’s Functionality

Not everyone uses their pool in the same way. Knowing how your pool will function for your lifestyle is also important in choosing the right shape. Do you plan to do laps or sports in your pool? This is best done with a rectangular shaped pool. Do you plan to have a pool suited for diving? Then, a shape that can accommodate a deep end is important. If you have young children then you will need to have a shape that makes it easier to monitor their activities. If you want to combine a variety of activities in your space, then the shape you choose should support that. The choices can seem endless, but narrowing in on what type of style you want to express means exploring some inspirational ideas. Tracer’s design gallery . can offer more resources to inspire your perfect pool design.

Best Materials for a Decorative Swimming Pool

Choosing the best materials for your decorative pool depends on your pool’s shape, the level of maintenance you want to invest, the design options you want to incorporate, and your budget. Fiberglass pools are popular and can be installed quickly. They are fairly easy to maintain and fall within a moderate price range, but the pool shape options can be limited. Concrete is the most durable pool material and can be customized to fit any shape, size, or design. Concrete takes longer to install though and is more expensive. It requires more maintenance than fiberglass, but less than vinyl. Vinyl pools are the easiest to install and the least expensive pool material on the market. They are also more customizable than fiberglass. Vinyl, however, is less durable and takes much more maintenance and upkeep than other pool materials. Its less expensive upfront costs can be outweighed by higher costs over time. Other pool material options include natural stone pool finishes and tile and mosaic pool designs. These materials are both durable and long-lasting and can add a level of luxury to your decorative swimming pool as well as unique style choices.

Types of Water Features

Pool water features can add just the right touch to luxury pool designs, enhancing the overall beauty and ambiance of your outdoor pool space. Fountains or waterfalls can add soothing sound and movement to your outdoor oasis. Other options that can add simple style and movement to your pool are deck jets or scuppers. Rain or water curtains are water features that can add some dramatic flair to your decorative pool with a solid sheet of water covering a wall. Another water feature option that adds both sound and an interesting aesthetic to your pool as well as improving its water circulations is a spillover spa.

Lighting Features

No decorative swimming pool is complete without adding lighting features. Creating that stunning night time atmosphere is what luxury pool designs are all about. Some pool lighting ideas for your decorative swimming pool include:

Floating pool lights
LED pool lights
Path or step lights
Colored lighting
Underwater lights
String lights
Floodlights
Deck lights
Well lights

Landscaping and Hardscaping Your Decorative Swimming Pool

Your decorative pool is not complete once the pool itself is installed. The landscaping and hardscaping elements that you choose to incorporate into your decorative pool design need to complement your other design elements.

Landscaping around Pools

The natural plants, trees, shrubs, perennial flowers, or ornamental grasses that you incorporate into the design surrounding your pool will add interest, beauty, and style to your pool space. These natural landscaping elements along with fencing that blends into your overall design will also add privacy to your ornamental pool area.

Hardscaping for Pool Areas

The hardscaping surrounding your pool, including decking, walkways, retaining walls, ornate planters, built in fire pits, fireplaces, or poolside kitchens or bars along with plush seating all add the style, comfort, convenience, and interest that truly make your outside pool a place for entertaining and relaxing.

Cost Considerations

There are several factors that will play into the cost of your custom pool construction and design. These factors include:

Pool shape, size, and special features
Pool, landscape, and hardscape materials used
The condition and accessibility of your yard
Added features and accessories

Maintaining Your Decorative Swimming Pool

Decorative pool maintenance is important if you want to continue to enjoy your backyard oasis for years to come. Researching the maintenance requirements of the type of pool you install as well as the costs of maintaining the landscaping, hardscaping, and extra outdoor features in your pool area will help you understand the time and money involved in your pool’s upkeep.

Pool Safety Considerations

As fun and enjoyable as swimming pools can be, there are safety considerations to keep in mind too. Pool safety tips include:

Keep your pool area fenced and locked to avoid unnecessary accidents.
Install decking that is non-slippery when wet.
Set rules for young people who use or access your pool, this includes walking near the pool, avoiding any play around drains and covers, and not diving into shallow water.
Use pool safety equipment properly.

Your Decorative Swimming Pool: Final Thoughts

In the end, creating a decorative swimming pool design that appeals to your aesthetic sense, expresses your individual style, and supports your lifestyle is the most important. There are any number of custom design elements that will give you the atmosphere and outdoor living space you strive to create. Reaching out for a consultation from a professional company, like Tracer Pool and Landscape, who specialize in decorative swimming pool designs can help you pull all the right elements together to create the backyard oasis that fits you and your property perfectly.