Landscape Design
13 Outdoor Spaces That Beautifully Integrate a Hot Tub
See how thoughtfully designed decks, layouts and other details help these spas blend in — or appealingly stand out
There’s something extra special about soaking in an outdoor hot tub, thanks to the refreshing open air, an eyeful of endless sky and perhaps the comforting rustling of nearby trees. And when you integrate a spa so it feels like a thoughtful design element, as the 13 expertly designed spaces below show, you can truly feel at one with your surroundings. Could any of these ideas work for your own yard? Let us know or show us your own outdoor hot tub in the Comments.
2. Tropical Retreat in the City
Can’t you just hear the call of toucans at this remote tropical hideaway? Trick question! This cabin is actually smack-dab in the city — London’s Notting Hill neighborhood. Made of cedar, the cabin has both an above-ground hot tub and a sauna and was finished using the ancient Japanese craft of shou-sugi-ban. This treatment involves charring the wood for preservation and a textured appearance. It also increases the wood’s ability to repel water and reduce fungal growth.
Plane trees, palm trees and ferns are just a few of the plants providing lush surroundings and a secluded feel. Some even cradle the walkway leading to the cabin’s deck, which has built-in bench seating and a cafe-style table — ideal for enjoying a hot cocoa or mulled cider on a chilly night. Nigel Gomme at Cityscapers handled the design of this area and the rest of the expansive backyard.
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Enjoy Outdoor Soaking With a Classic Wood Hot Tub
Can’t you just hear the call of toucans at this remote tropical hideaway? Trick question! This cabin is actually smack-dab in the city — London’s Notting Hill neighborhood. Made of cedar, the cabin has both an above-ground hot tub and a sauna and was finished using the ancient Japanese craft of shou-sugi-ban. This treatment involves charring the wood for preservation and a textured appearance. It also increases the wood’s ability to repel water and reduce fungal growth.
Plane trees, palm trees and ferns are just a few of the plants providing lush surroundings and a secluded feel. Some even cradle the walkway leading to the cabin’s deck, which has built-in bench seating and a cafe-style table — ideal for enjoying a hot cocoa or mulled cider on a chilly night. Nigel Gomme at Cityscapers handled the design of this area and the rest of the expansive backyard.
Read more about this project
Enjoy Outdoor Soaking With a Classic Wood Hot Tub
3. English Class
No one has to shiver for long while hastening into the house after soaking in this backyard hot tub in Los Angeles, thanks to its proximity to a doorway. The homeowner got rid of an unused swimming pool so landscape designer Catherine Bosler of Bosler Earth Design could install the hot tub and deck seen here, plus a covered lounge area and plenty of drought-tolerant plantings interwoven with pathways.
Being that the homeowner is British, Bosler looked to the English countryside for inspiration, infusing the space with softness, texture and color. Climbing jasmine grows on the cable railing panel between the deck and hot tub, adding greenery and an enticing fragrance to the space.
Extra-nice touch: The hot tub has built-in shelving along the side for towels and other necessities.
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No one has to shiver for long while hastening into the house after soaking in this backyard hot tub in Los Angeles, thanks to its proximity to a doorway. The homeowner got rid of an unused swimming pool so landscape designer Catherine Bosler of Bosler Earth Design could install the hot tub and deck seen here, plus a covered lounge area and plenty of drought-tolerant plantings interwoven with pathways.
Being that the homeowner is British, Bosler looked to the English countryside for inspiration, infusing the space with softness, texture and color. Climbing jasmine grows on the cable railing panel between the deck and hot tub, adding greenery and an enticing fragrance to the space.
Extra-nice touch: The hot tub has built-in shelving along the side for towels and other necessities.
Read more about this project
4. Piece by Piece
Fitting in all the elements on the wish list for this Toronto backyard was like assembling pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. This hot tub is one of them. It’s fiberglass but integrated with the patio’s stone and coping. Steps that lead to the home’s back door double as steps for climbing into the tub. And it’s right across from an outdoor kitchen, so the cook can chat with anyone hanging out and soaking — just part of Kyle Foch of Foch Family Landscape Architecture’s thoughtful plan.
A yew hedge on the driveway side of the tub helps with privacy. The tub has a lockable cover too.
Field pavers: Bristol Valley in Granite Fusion; banding pavers: Copthorne in Basalt, both by Unilock
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Fitting in all the elements on the wish list for this Toronto backyard was like assembling pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. This hot tub is one of them. It’s fiberglass but integrated with the patio’s stone and coping. Steps that lead to the home’s back door double as steps for climbing into the tub. And it’s right across from an outdoor kitchen, so the cook can chat with anyone hanging out and soaking — just part of Kyle Foch of Foch Family Landscape Architecture’s thoughtful plan.
A yew hedge on the driveway side of the tub helps with privacy. The tub has a lockable cover too.
Field pavers: Bristol Valley in Granite Fusion; banding pavers: Copthorne in Basalt, both by Unilock
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5. Corner Case
A new ‘H.M. Eddie’ yew (Taxus x media ‘H.M. Eddie’, USDA zones 4 to 7; find your zone) hedge provides a soft backdrop for this family-size red cedar hot tub in a British Columbia backyard by design-build firm Swick’s Landscaping. Shade sails overhead manage direct sunlight, and the corner location offers a bit of distance from the rest of the yard.
Hot tub: Forest Cooperage; upper bench and housing for mechanical: Swick’s Landscaping
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A new ‘H.M. Eddie’ yew (Taxus x media ‘H.M. Eddie’, USDA zones 4 to 7; find your zone) hedge provides a soft backdrop for this family-size red cedar hot tub in a British Columbia backyard by design-build firm Swick’s Landscaping. Shade sails overhead manage direct sunlight, and the corner location offers a bit of distance from the rest of the yard.
Hot tub: Forest Cooperage; upper bench and housing for mechanical: Swick’s Landscaping
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6. Strong Point of View
Maintenance-free composite decking by Fiberon abuts this partially sunken hot tub in Colorado. But who’s looking at the decking with that incredible forest view?
Bright orange Adirondack chairs provide cheerful perches for cooling off, and they can be pulled under a shade structure for a break from the sun. Around the side of the house lie other outdoor spaces, including an outdoor kitchen and a dining area, all designed by Evoke.
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Find a local hot tub dealer
Maintenance-free composite decking by Fiberon abuts this partially sunken hot tub in Colorado. But who’s looking at the decking with that incredible forest view?
Bright orange Adirondack chairs provide cheerful perches for cooling off, and they can be pulled under a shade structure for a break from the sun. Around the side of the house lie other outdoor spaces, including an outdoor kitchen and a dining area, all designed by Evoke.
Read more about this project
Find a local hot tub dealer
7. Winning Circle
Zen Bathworks crafted this artistic 7-foot-diameter tub for a Portland, Oregon, backyard, inspired by Japanese soaking tubs. While it’s hard to tell here, the deck, designed by architect Michael Howells of Howells Architecture + Design, has a landing and steps along the tub’s visible half, offering different entry points.
Notice how the yellow tiled planter’s right edge and the raised decking on the left line up exactly with the tub’s midline.
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Zen Bathworks crafted this artistic 7-foot-diameter tub for a Portland, Oregon, backyard, inspired by Japanese soaking tubs. While it’s hard to tell here, the deck, designed by architect Michael Howells of Howells Architecture + Design, has a landing and steps along the tub’s visible half, offering different entry points.
Notice how the yellow tiled planter’s right edge and the raised decking on the left line up exactly with the tub’s midline.
Read more about this project
8. Paving the Way
Poured concrete pavers form a smooth path to this hot tub in a Dallas backyard, nestled into a corner with plenty of greenery to rest one’s eyes on. Steps in the front and an adjacent multilevel deck offer different entry points to the tub.
An L-shaped bench provides a place for drying off or hanging out. Contractor Stephan Sardone of Sardone Construction helped the homeowners achieve the backyard’s design.
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What to Know About Adding a Deck
Poured concrete pavers form a smooth path to this hot tub in a Dallas backyard, nestled into a corner with plenty of greenery to rest one’s eyes on. Steps in the front and an adjacent multilevel deck offer different entry points to the tub.
An L-shaped bench provides a place for drying off or hanging out. Contractor Stephan Sardone of Sardone Construction helped the homeowners achieve the backyard’s design.
Read more about this project
What to Know About Adding a Deck
9. Pooling Resources
A dark fence (made from pressure-treated stained pine) and dining furniture put the focus on the inviting 3-foot-deep fiberglass plunge pool in this Toronto backyard. The water is heated in winter to create a hot tub, and the homeowners set heating pads on the ground between the tub and house so no one catches a chill.
The tub’s coping, made of local Eramosa limestone, doubles as seating. The operating equipment sits in another part of the yard, unlike with most freestanding hot tubs, which meant design-build firm SK Design could construct around it in a way that didn’t require access. (It’s covered when not in use.)
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Shop for outdoor dining furniture
A dark fence (made from pressure-treated stained pine) and dining furniture put the focus on the inviting 3-foot-deep fiberglass plunge pool in this Toronto backyard. The water is heated in winter to create a hot tub, and the homeowners set heating pads on the ground between the tub and house so no one catches a chill.
The tub’s coping, made of local Eramosa limestone, doubles as seating. The operating equipment sits in another part of the yard, unlike with most freestanding hot tubs, which meant design-build firm SK Design could construct around it in a way that didn’t require access. (It’s covered when not in use.)
Read more about this project
Shop for outdoor dining furniture
10. Low Rider
Offering generous views of a newly installed garden, this hot tub in England is partially sunken into the deck for a low profile. Simon Orchard Garden Design included a pergola to define the space while keeping views open and added string lighting around the top to create a festive atmosphere at night. Steps to the right lead up to a dining area and a bar-lounge made from a shipping crate — a showstopping element that could well be party central at any time of year.
Note that the hot tub is covered when not in use.
Decking: DesignBoard
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Offering generous views of a newly installed garden, this hot tub in England is partially sunken into the deck for a low profile. Simon Orchard Garden Design included a pergola to define the space while keeping views open and added string lighting around the top to create a festive atmosphere at night. Steps to the right lead up to a dining area and a bar-lounge made from a shipping crate — a showstopping element that could well be party central at any time of year.
Note that the hot tub is covered when not in use.
Decking: DesignBoard
Read more about this project
11. Half Court
A custom sunken spa by Pool Logic occupies half of this Los Angeles backyard, which landscape architect Joshua Link of Ecotone Studios designed as a primary entertaining space. Dark fencing recedes to keep attention on the spa, pingpong table and dining area, plus a projector screen pulled down over the white wall on movie nights.
Note how the lush, loose plantings offset the strong, clean lines of the pea gravel and poured-in-place concrete paving, adding a touch of wildness to the modern space.
Read more about this project
A custom sunken spa by Pool Logic occupies half of this Los Angeles backyard, which landscape architect Joshua Link of Ecotone Studios designed as a primary entertaining space. Dark fencing recedes to keep attention on the spa, pingpong table and dining area, plus a projector screen pulled down over the white wall on movie nights.
Note how the lush, loose plantings offset the strong, clean lines of the pea gravel and poured-in-place concrete paving, adding a touch of wildness to the modern space.
Read more about this project
12. Coming to Light
Is this a four-star hotel spa, where guests bathe in the enchanting light of handmade votives and uplighting as much as the bubbling water? Nope, it’s a backyard in California’s San Gabriel Valley designed and built by FormLA Landscaping.
Two walls at one end and foliage at the other provide privacy, while nearby lounge chairs enhance the spa vibe. And this whole area is right off the homeowners’ bedroom, completing the restful experience.
Hot tub construction: Huntington Pools
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Is this a four-star hotel spa, where guests bathe in the enchanting light of handmade votives and uplighting as much as the bubbling water? Nope, it’s a backyard in California’s San Gabriel Valley designed and built by FormLA Landscaping.
Two walls at one end and foliage at the other provide privacy, while nearby lounge chairs enhance the spa vibe. And this whole area is right off the homeowners’ bedroom, completing the restful experience.
Hot tub construction: Huntington Pools
Read more about this project
13. Nature Lover
Set in a limestone gorge in Somerset, England, with cliff views all around, this sunken hot tub in a terraced landscape feels like it might have been there all along. In reality, Abigail Hazell Landscape & Garden Design included it as part of an outdoor retreat for a fashion industry professional.
An original crumbling wall on the upper terrace joins an ornamental stone fireplace with climbing roses in creating a romantic, out-of-time air. Plantings including a crabapple tree (Malus ‘Evereste’, zones 4 to 8), fragrant star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides, zones 8 to 10) and a multistemmed kousa dogwood (Cornus kousa, zones 5 to 8) provide a feast for the senses.
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Set in a limestone gorge in Somerset, England, with cliff views all around, this sunken hot tub in a terraced landscape feels like it might have been there all along. In reality, Abigail Hazell Landscape & Garden Design included it as part of an outdoor retreat for a fashion industry professional.
An original crumbling wall on the upper terrace joins an ornamental stone fireplace with climbing roses in creating a romantic, out-of-time air. Plantings including a crabapple tree (Malus ‘Evereste’, zones 4 to 8), fragrant star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides, zones 8 to 10) and a multistemmed kousa dogwood (Cornus kousa, zones 5 to 8) provide a feast for the senses.
Read more about this project
More on Houzz
Read more landscape design stories
Browse landscape photos
Find a landscape contractor
Shop for outdoor products
Paul Masse of Roberts Hot Tubs and Elliot Goliger of Artisans Landscape precisely crafted this ofuro, or Japanese soaking tub, on-site in a San Francisco backyard, sinking the cedar tub below deck level. The deck hides water lines, drainage lines and a pump.
The surrounding views, combined with the overall zen style that Beth Mullins of Growsgreen Landscape Design created, keep city stresses at bay. Perimeter plantings and a built-in bench conjure the feel of an outdoor room.
A cover protects the tub when it’s not in use. Be sure to check local safety requirements, including the need for fencing, covers and alarms on the hot tub and on doors that access the area.
Decking: Alaskan yellow cedar
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