I have always thought a life size realistic sculpture of a alligator at the bottom of the pool was a fun idea.

Shade.

lol Mark, we have a floating alligator head in our pool, it keeps the critters out (they like to use the pool as a litter box at night). I’m building a new pool now, went for a huge jacuzzi because the adults end up using the jacuzzi the most, a sun step for lounge chairs, only 5 feet deep at deeper, and salt water chlorinator. This is the second pool I’ve built so I definitely took some missteps from the first and changed it up some. However we have a salt water chlorinator now and I’d never go back to a regular chlorine pool. Not very expensive to do and totally worth the cost.

An automatic cover that doesn't look like it was slapped on 60 years after the pool was built. :)

Things I would do differently -- I would use different water edge tile - we used small format and I would use larger. Things I would do again - installing a pool heater (in central TX with a heater, you can swim year round), and installing an automatic pool cover (love not having to clean out pool -- just blow debris off cover and good to go).

Enclose the pool. Several years ago I designed a pool house for a client. It contained a 40' x 16' pool, workout room, bathroom, changing rooms, and mechanical room. The main house, which I had nothing to do with, is on the left and the pool house that I designed is on the right. It sets high on a bluff with great views of Lake Michigan. I used the buildings at Fishing Bridge in Yellowstone National Park as inspiration.