Matt Wier
Bedroom - 1950s master light wood floor bedroom idea in Los Angeles with white walls

The owners of this pool house wanted a bright, airy and modern structure. The design challenge was that it needed to compliment their traditional, whitewashed brick home. A pergola featuring whitewashed columns was used to unify the pool house and main home. Modern touches were added inside and out.

Inspiration for a large timeless backyard stone and custom-shaped natural hot tub remodel in San Francisco

A description of the homeowners and space from Linnzy, the Presidential Pools, Spas & Patio designer who worked on this project: "The homeowners can be described as an active family of three boys. They tend to host family and friends and wanted a space that could fill their large backyard and yet be functional for the kids and adults. The contemporary straight lines of the pool match the interior of the house giving them a resort feel in the very own backyard! The large pergola is a perfect area to cool off in the shade while enjoying a large outdoor kitchen as well as an oversized fire pit for the cooler nights and roasting marshmallows. They wanted a wow factor as the pool is the main focal point from the living room, and the oversized wall and rain sheer did the trick!"

Example of a mid-sized classic backyard kidney-shaped natural pool fountain design in Phoenix with decking

This waterfront pool project in Beaconsfield reimagines a transitional backyard by fusing timeless warmth with crisp modern geometry. At its heart lies a custom concrete pool whose expansive beach entry pool—also known as a generous tanning ledge—slopes gently into the water, delivering the relaxed feel of a private resort. A frameless glass pool fence with low-iron panels preserves unobstructed lake vistas while ensuring safety, allowing the pool’s shimmering surface to merge visually with the open water beyond. Anchoring the far end of the basin is a dramatic outdoor fire feature that rises directly from the waterline. By day it acts as a sculptural focal point; by night the flames ripple across the water, transforming the space into a show-stopping luxury swimming pool experience. Every contour, drainage line, and equipment specification was shaped by Northstone’s in-house landscape architect design team and executed by our 180-strong crew of specialists, reinforcing our reputation as the go-to Beaconsfield pool builder for bespoke, high-end projects. Because Northstone is an entirely in-house design build firm, we streamline all stages—city permits, excavation, steel placement, shotcrete, and finishing—under a single roof. This turnkey approach distinguishes us among Montreal pool construction companies and ensures flawless craftsmanship in every pour. It is also why clients seeking a custom pool contractor to create a resort-style backyard consistently choose Northstone. That commitment to quality has earned us the #1 ranking for landscaping on bestinMTL.com and the top spot for pool design-build on bestmontrealservices.com. Our work has been showcased in Dwell, House & Home, the Montreal Gazette, and Living Luxe Magazine, underscoring our status as Montreal’s premier high-end pool company for luxury outdoor living on lakefront properties.

Custom heavy timber framed pool pavilion set at end of swimming pool. The base of the pavilion is a contoured brick bench with custom upholstered cushions & pillows. The roof structure is arched, load bearing timber trusses. The back wall holds a large television & customized copper lanterns.

Example of a minimalist courtyard tile and rectangular pool design in Phoenix

This beautiful inground pool has a unique shape that creates an interesting focal point. The pool also features a twisting slide a pool house, and a fence for safety. The natural colors of the concrete accent the pool and create a stylish outdoor area.

Jane Beiles
Mid-sized farmhouse formal and open concept light wood floor and beige floor living room photo in New York with white walls, a standard fireplace and a wall-mounted tv

Huge elegant backyard stone and custom-shaped pool fountain photo in Other

This project was designed by architect and developer of Cypress Pointe, Mitch LaPlante. To quote Mitch, "Nature is the inspiration for this pool and water feature design. The Tranquility Garden Pool is nestled quietly within grand oaks and large pine trees, orchestrated to blend into its surrounding. The curvature of the pool reflects the pattern waves leave on the beach as they wash ashore and the cascading water features are a nod the to the waterways that surround Kiawah Island, South Carolina. The pool and deck were built by Aqua Blue Pools. Water features installed by Aqua Blue Pools. The interior finish is French Silver Aggregate, the waterline tile is 1'x1" Fujiwah Albi, deck is a combination of Ipe wood and the pool coping is pre-cast concrete. Photo Credit: Clint Fore

Photo by Susan Gilmore Photography
Ornate rectangular pool photo in Minneapolis

Newport Coast Primary Bath Remodel
Inspiration for a mediterranean master porcelain tile, white floor and double-sink bathroom remodel in Orange County with a bidet, white walls, an undermount sink, quartzite countertops, a hinged shower door, white countertops and a built-in vanity

Atherton has many large substantial homes - our clients purchased an existing home on a one acre flag-shaped lot and asked us to design a new dream home for them. The result is a new 7,000 square foot four-building complex consisting of the main house, six-car garage with two car lifts, pool house with a full one bedroom residence inside, and a separate home office /work out gym studio building. A fifty-foot swimming pool was also created with fully landscaped yards. Given the rectangular shape of the lot, it was decided to angle the house to incoming visitors slightly so as to more dramatically present itself. The house became a classic u-shaped home but Feng Shui design principals were employed directing the placement of the pool house to better contain the energy flow on the site. The main house entry door is then aligned with a special Japanese red maple at the end of a long visual axis at the rear of the site. These angles and alignments set up everything else about the house design and layout, and views from various rooms allow you to see into virtually every space tracking movements of others in the home. The residence is simply divided into two wings of public use, kitchen and family room, and the other wing of bedrooms, connected by the living and dining great room. Function drove the exterior form of windows and solid walls with a line of clerestory windows which bring light into the middle of the large home. Extensive sun shadow studies with 3D tree modeling led to the unorthodox placement of the pool to the north of the home, but tree shadow tracking showed this to be the sunniest area during the entire year. Sustainable measures included a full 7.1kW solar photovoltaic array technically making the house off the grid, and arranged so that no panels are visible from the property. A large 16,000 gallon rainwater catchment system consisting of tanks buried below grade was installed. The home is California GreenPoint rated and also features sealed roof soffits and a sealed crawlspace without the usual venting. A whole house computer automation system with server room was installed as well. Heating and cooling utilize hot water radiant heated concrete and wood floors supplemented by heat pump generated heating and cooling. A compound of buildings created to form balanced relationships between each other, this home is about circulation, light and a balance of form and function. Photo by John Sutton Photography.

This transitional timber frame home features a wrap-around porch designed to take advantage of its lakeside setting and mountain views. Natural stone, including river rock, granite and Tennessee field stone, is combined with wavy edge siding and a cedar shingle roof to marry the exterior of the home with it surroundings. Casually elegant interiors flow into generous outdoor living spaces that highlight natural materials and create a connection between the indoors and outdoors. Photography Credit: Rebecca Lehde, Inspiro 8 Studios

John McManus
Example of a large ornate backyard stone and rectangular lap hot tub design in Atlanta

This amazing home features a backyard patio and pool area with a spectacular custom pool with many features including island which feature sitting areas and fire pit a spa as well as incredible slide which goes into the swimming pool. The pool measures roughly 2300 square feet, and has a deep end of 10'0". The spa is raised and has 12 therapy heads. There is LED colored lighting throughout the project. There is a 300 square foot zero depth beach entry into the pool with agitator jets to keep the water moving. There is also a sunshelf within the pool. The lazy river wraps around the sunken island, and the current in the lazy river is propelled by a commercial waterpark quality pumping system. The sunken island has lighting, a fire pit, and a bridge connecting it to the decking area. There is an infinity edge on one edge of the pool. The pool also has an in-floor cleaning system to keep it clean and sanitary. The swimming pool also has the ability to change colors at night utilizing the amazing LED lighting system. The pool and spa exposed aggregate finish is French Gray color. The slide that cascades down the grotto is custom built. The waterfall grotto also provide a thrilling jump off point into the deepest part of the pool. This amazing backyard was designed and built for a home in Bull Valley Illinois.

The focal point of this yard is an 18’ x 51.5’ custom Gunite pool with glass-walled spa and shallow steppingstone path. In the shallow end a spacious 9’ x 18’ tanning shelf is a great place to relax. The handy shade umbrella can be adjusted to give you just the right amount of direct sun.