How to design your own poolside paradise

A private pool is a sign of affluence in cooler climes, remaining just a pipe dream for most. While in the hottest areas, it’s a ubiquitous necessity. Like off-street parking or multiple bathrooms.

Whatever the climate, private pools, be they heated or unheated, inside or out, keep residents and selected guests cool, relaxed, revitalised and entertained, all with the added comforts of home. With more time spent poolside than in the water itself, the cost, time and effort put into poolside design pays dividends when it comes to its long-term usability. Here are the key points to consider to make the poolside work for you.

When drawing up the size, it’s tempting to squeeze in as much water as you can, but be warned, every sqm sacrifices valuable patio space. As a rule, water and patio coverage should be split 50/50, straight down the middle. While literally positioning the pool like this, up against an edge or corner, maximises usable space in tighter areas and enhances privacy and shade, safety considerations must also be kept in mind to ensure all areas of water are immediately accessible.

Once you know the space requirements, the patio or deck’s surface material is the next design decision. Complementing other areas of the patio or house’s architecture with natural stone like Altamira Rosal Vintage, for example, is a popular choice. The limestone tiles’ natural absorbency cuts down on slippage and dries quickly.

Wood decking like Ecolegno from Saimex, meanwhile, can also be naturally water-absorbent and tactile, while the material soaks and dissipates solar heat too – making awkward sandals and pool shoes unnecessary. Positioning a walkway alongside an open body of water will always compromise safety, but adding tactile floor tiles such as waterproof polypropylene podoalerte tiles by Marcal Signalétique warns those without spatial awareness of the impending depths, thus helping to mitigate this risk.

You can’t just swim and walk around the edge all day, of course. Poolsides need comfortable places to rest while basking in the sun or the enjoyment of others. Sun-loungers provide great all-round comfort, their lightweight manoeuvrability catching the best of the light or shade. Loungers like the Gio Chaise longue by B&B Italia even include their own matching side table to rest imperative accessories like books, sunglasses or cocktails.

If a single seat is too solitary, very good friends might prefer to share the experience in the confines of an outdoor loveseat such as the Tosca Daybed by Tribù, with plenty of space for multiple parties. Or, if the midday heat gets too much, poolside structures are relatively simple to erect and care for, ranging from simple gazebos to socially superior cabanas like the Kettal lounge pavilions, or full-on pool houses with running water and electricity.

Summer houses aren’t the only way to get respite from the midday sun, of course. Centrally stabilised parasols offer a well-balanced escape inside their circumference, with adjustable tilting options like the Napoli parasol by Barlow Tyrie able to easily move its shade throughout the day.

Cantilevered parasols such as the huge markilux planet awning sit off to one side instead. Like well-serving butlers, they remain on hand when required and silently blend into the background when not.

Shade sails, on the other hand, are stabilised at multiple points for even wider coverage, possibly stretching over the water itself like this Mediterranean Oasis solution by Sefar. Another option is to build wooden or cabled trellises like Jakob’s wire rope nets, up and over an area to give full-time sun protection to the activity underneath.

These shading structures that enclose seated or swimming areas have the advantage of a strong joist on which to fix lighting or heating, like Heatsail’s Dome pendant, which does both, allowing well-lit and -warmed pool areas to remain usable well into the evening.

Weatherproof outdoor lighting like the Asteroid table lamps from Innermost, meanwhile, ensure exposed areas stay well-lit and welcoming for evening revellers, while recessed poolside patios or underwater lights like L&L Luce&Light’s Moby mark out the danger zone to stop accidental, if comedic, falls. Alternatively, ASB GlassFloor’s Lumiflex is a waterproof, reinforced, underwater glass video floor, transforming bespoke pools into ground-level artworks.

Whether it’s an early morning or late evening dip, a quick ten laps before breakfast or a day under the canopy with a good book, pool showers provide nearby refreshment to both body and mind, without the chilly run inside leaving wet footprints on the carpet. There are options to fit any poolside style, but those with multiple shower heads such as the two-, three- or four-berth Melody Cylinder from Inoxstyle reduce queuing to shirk the day's chlorine or suncream in the cold air.

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