The pool wall is raised 18 inches above the surrounding ground, providing additional seating for guests, helping to keep leaf litter out and also giving the yard some height. “Because the yard is so flat, it gives dimension and architecture to the space,” Prideaux says. Blue-glass tile covers exposed areas of the pool, down to the water line. “The blue tile makes it look like a cube of water,” she says.
Sculptural accents. Cactuses and succulents, like agave, yucca and echeveria, make excellent poolside plants. They look good year-round with hardly any care, produce practically no mess, thrive in sunny conditions and are generally pretty tough when it comes to getting splashed by a bit of chlorinated water. For the best effect, choose cactuses and succulents with interesting, sculptural forms like strappy, upright Nelson’s blue bear grass (Nolina nelsonii, zones 8 to 10) and finger-like blue chalk sticks (Senecio serpens, zones 9 to 12). Planting them against a wall or near enough to the pool so that their forms are reflected in the water will enhance the design’s graphic quality.
Love a water workout but want to use less space? A swim-in-place pool like this one in Breckenridge, Colorado, averages 7 feet wide and 12 feet long; a machine produces a current to swim against, like a water treadmill. Though it’s not a true lap pool, this option offers a similar workout for less cost — generally $10,000 to $20,000 for an aboveground unit. love the endless pool idea
love the ceiling
The reclaimed redwood chevron wall behind the hot tub creates an unexpected terminus at the end of the pool area and hides the pool equipment.
Seating around edge
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