Too funny! I am still a sucker for a simple rectangle with minimal coping and no attatched patio, just pluck it right in lush green grass lol

We are boring; in my area the most common shape is a rectangle, set in lawn.I thought about doing that when we put the pool in in Maine but it's too formal for that house. We put in a kidney, with a grey liner, and nestled it into the vegetation, old beach roses bushes, and old stone wall to make it seem natural-esque.

When we put a pool in at our first house, I picked a design from a brochure. Once on site, the builder said that was a stock photo and they had never built it before. They were trying to figure it as they built. It was a fairly classic design, but it was raised at one end with a waterfall. We had them build in an underwater bench all along that end. At night, you could sit on the bench and have the warrm waterfall run over you. I miss that pool.

I don't think a dollar sign pool (for my profession) or a scales of justice pool (for DH's) would work too well.

Not career-based, but state-based … the people who bought a friend’s house put in a Texas shaped pool. They’re pretty common here.

A hotel in Houston went a step further and put in a Texas shaped lazy river —

And then we have the cowboy boot shaped pools:

My DH would love this:

This pool is at Cypress Gardens, now Legoland. The use there is ok with me because its an attraction, not in a backyard.

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I personally think anything other than a rectangle can become dated. The only one I like above is the Texas Lazy River, but that pic isn't in anyone's back yard and an exception being a business, the rest are tacky.

If/when I do build a pool, it will not be a squiggly a$$ pool. Simple rectangle. I'm also not a fan of no patio around the pool. I prefer hardscape to grass in that setting. Something simple and understated, like bluestone. There would be grassy areas too, just not surrounding pool on all sides.

Apologies to anyone who has or loves squiggly a$$ pools ;-)

I can't even imagine.

If I were ever to have a pool this is more my style - just add a big umbrella and a place to put a drink on the sun shelf.

We had a rectangular one when I was a kid, with a slide. I lived in that pool.

I want that shape again, but with a curvy slide built into boulders. And a fountain. And grotto bar under a waterfall. :D

I had a coworker who designed their pool and the concrete deck to look like a unicorn. But, it was hard to tell when your eyes are only 5’ or 6’ off the ground. They had a ranch house. So maybe if you stood on the roof you’d see the shape.

Jilly, I remember Aggies as being especially prone to incorporating their alma mater into design, like that garden and the boot!

I want that shape again, but with a curvy slide built into boulders. And a fountain. And grotto bar under a waterfall.

You are describing my BIL and SIL’s pool to a ”T.” Big boulders, coping all rock paving, slide, fountain fountain, grotto, waterfall. They built it about 15 years ago when that style was just getting off the ground and today it looks extraordinarily dated and clunky. You can’t go wrong with a classic shape and wonderful landscaping—- be it a lush lawn surround or beautiful patio with palm trees and hedges or something else suited to the style, setting and geopgraphy of the house.

I’d build one in the way I’d enjoy it, not to be in style.

Alas, I haven’t won the lottery.

I like the shape of my pool

Dec 24, 2022

Nov 30, 2019, with snow on Mt San Jacinto

We use the pool about eight months of the year, from April through November - it would cost too much to heat it in the winter.

I would only want a rectangular pool if I needed a cover for it, but I don't. I like the combination I have of curved and straight sides. The spa is square, and so the pool doesn't need to be.

What I really dislike is a sun shelf, since I have to stay out of the sun - huge waste of space. If you are going to have one, it is better to have it on the side, as DLM showed, so that it does not take away from swimming space. My pool has a bench at one end, near the spa, which gets a lot of shade, and so sometimes I sit there, but only when it is in the shade.

In the summer, I have to wait until 5PM for there to be enough shade over the pool, or else I have to wear a rash guard and lots of sunscreen.

We have rectangle shaped pools, always wanted a baja shelf but not meant to be currently. Probably a good thing, I would spend way to much time in the pool.

You are describing my BIL and SIL’s pool to a ”T.” Big boulders, coping all rock paving, slide, fountain fountain, grotto, waterfall.

Yes, like a bad resort. I've seen a lot of those. If you have boulders and a grotto on site, fine, But I think they look very Epcot-y when people just plop things onto a landscape that were not there and don't belong. In Maine, we largely used the setting that was there ... the topography, the old stone wall, and the vegetation, as much as possible. The landscape architect thought I was crazy for making him keep the existing rhododendron, hydrangea and beach roses, motley though some of them were.

In our first house, the pool was pretty simple in shape but it had brick coping (to match our house) and blue tiles at the waterline. That feels almost ... Mexican or Southwestern to me now and I would not choose it again. I did like the way the grey plaster interior changed the color of the water, which was why we did that in Maine, too.

The "new" owners (of 12 years) totally redid the pool. It is very nice but I don't think it suits a 1904 brick Georgian Colonial. It looks like Miami to me ... very sleek and modern and the white liner makes it that bright turquoise color.

Lars, love your pool, and seeing snow on the mountain in the background! Very cool.

All these shapes one can see so well from far above. I just wonder if you live there, use it , if you really appreciate shapes since they can't be seen from eye level.

I think pools should fit their surroundings, including the house. Like Mtn's MA pool.Lars is interesting but not guady. I am not into funky shapes, mountains with waterfalls and slides, or multiple fires... or even one fire. One house we looked at had two fires, I would have removed them. As said above, it becomes too resort-like or Epcot-esque.

Our pool is rectangle and goes along the side of the house, which is also where the front entrance is located. I don't care for the shelf (sold the wave chairs since they just got in the way), but 3yo DGD uses that area.. If we ever redid the pool, we would remove the shelf.

What happened to diving boards, Is it because of accidents and insurance costs?

Several years ago I watched a couple of the HGTV pool shows (bored one night, what can I say?) and could not get over the tackiness.

“What happened to diving boards, Is it because of accidents and insurance costs?”

Yes, our insurance company strongly suggested we remove our diving board before they would renew our homeowner’s about 15 years ago.

It’s a silly requirement, having the small diving board was safer then diving off the side of the pool.

What happened to diving boards, Is it because of accidents and insurance costs?

Yes, we were told you could have a diving rock, though. Makes no sense.

I think pools should fit into their environment.

This was the pool we put in about 1987. We had 3 acres in the NYC suburbs.

Beautiful, Czarina

The pic DLM posted is exactly what my pool would look like. Would love the sun shelf.

It will never happen in this house, but I'm hoping if/when we downsize I can get my pool.

I agree with czarina, pools need to fit their surroundings. We built 2 "natural" looking pools (one in MA and one in NC) we used native stone and landscaping for both. The NC one was a show-stopper, built into a hillside with a vanishing edge overlooking the woods. So relaxing....like being on vacation in our back yard. But the waterfall was noisy!