Swimming pools don’t have to be gigantic or have every waterpark gadget to be appealing. A unique colour, artisanal tilework or a glass pane can make a pool highly photogenic and desirable. Here are some truly gorgeous ones to fuel your imagination and give you ideas to upgrade your yard.
Whimsy at the bottom
The squared basin at Riad Yasmine is a cool oasis under the Marrakesh sun.
Patterns on the bottom and walls of the pool can make it shine like a jewel. Line the surfaces in blue ceramics with iridescent highlights and you’re on point for the #mermaidcore trend, which is huge on TikTok right now. Get another unique look with a mosaic that incorporates the multicoloured flourishes of Italian or Moroccan earthenware. These are often seen at Mediterranean boutique hotels and in riad courtyards.
A liner (soft plastic cover installed inside the pool) is a more appropriate way than tiles for adding prints in our climate. Some of the classics include geometric bands emphasizing the contours just below the border of the swimming pool. To think outside the box, why not opt for some Keith Haring–inspired doodles to add an artsy touch?
Candy for the eyes at the Capri Tiberio Palace: an ad lib tile arrangement typical of southern Italy.
A doodle pattern lends an artistic note to this pool.
Old-fashioned lavoir style
Daybeds and a lavoir to take a dip are key ingredients in the recipe for relaxation at Maison Couturier in Mexico.
Semi-in-ground pools are in style, especially those that bring to mind old-fashioned washing basins. These vessels from the late 18th century were originally for washerwomen to rinse the laundry after it was clean. Fans of the film Call Me by Your Name, starring Timothée Chalamet, will remember the long trough-type pool in the Tuscan villa’s garden. Today, a similar vintage country look can be recreated by surrounding the pool with stone. This style has also been adapted for contemporary design, with sleek ceramic cladding. If you’re hesitating between an in-ground and above-ground pool, this may be the best option for you.
A small-sized half-bath, half-pool, decorated with grey-toned tiles that contrast with the brilliant turquoise.
Waterfalls and water sounds
Controlled overflow: The water flows over one side, seemingly into the greenery.
If there’s one type of pool that creates a wow effect, it’s the overflow system. We all have one on our bucket list, either somewhere in the Greek Isles or on the Amalfi Coast, with a stunning sea view. You can’t tell where the blue of the pool water ends, and the sky begins. We may not be able to have umbrella pines here, like those often seen next to infinity pools in postcards, but we can still enjoy this style here, surrounded by linden or nannyberry trees…they do quite well in this climate.
The idea behind these pools is simple. The water goes right up to the edge and flows over into a gutter. Then it goes into a balance tank where it’s filtered and returns to the pool. You can have the effect on only one side or on all four. Not only are overflow pools aesthetically stunning, but they are also a pleasure for the ear. The soft gurgling of the water as it spills over the edge is so relaxing!
There are other ways to add the soft sound of running water to your swimming experience. For instance, small cascades can flow from a low wall on one side of the basin. PS: Tell the daredevils to go do their cannonballs at the water park. You’re entitled to a little peace and quiet in your pool haven.
In the suburb of York, Ontario, a garden with a three-cascade pool is the perfect place to disconnect from city life.
Aquarium effect
Enjoy exceptional night swimming in an illuminated pool with two transparent panels.
Glass walls have a modern look that can turn a pool into a sensation. They let us enjoy the colour of the pool more, watch the swimmers and—most importantly—bask in some magical night swimming when combined with dreamy lighting.
Glass panels used to be a luxury reserved for big hotels, but now they’re more accessible, albeit still at the high end. We see them in private properties, but expect a high cost due to the complex installation.
Set in a grassy mound, this ultra-simple swimming pool becomes an attraction with its glass partition.
Straight and narrow
One of the world’s most photogenic narrow pools, at Le Sirenuse Hotel in Positano.
A 25-metre pool for laps is not a common sight! But avid swimmers can get a narrow structure for the backyard that looks exactly like a pool lane. And it’s possible to add in a few extras, like a current to swim against and exercise bars.
Some chic hotels offer this type of pool to guests so they can practice their front crawl or breaststroke in an idyllic setting.
Side-by-side swimming lanes built on two levels at Il Salviatino Hotel in Tuscany.
Graceful curves
The pools of Santorini Island in Greece are often listed among the best in the world, and the one at the Mystique Hotel is a gem.
Swimming pool shapes have changed over the years, adapting to our needs and space constraints, like narrow rectangles resembling swimming lanes or small squares that fit in cramped urban yards.
Pools have also adopted sinuous curves, following in the footsteps of furniture and accessory trends. Those lucky enough to have a large lot can combine more than one, for instance, an oval pool flanked by a circular jacuzzi. And besides the aesthetics of curves, sometimes, free contours are needed to adjust to the natural relief. Take out your sketchbook and call the specialists who can make your custom-made creation a reality.
Pools in a row, following the relief of the local geology: blocks of granite typical of Sardinia.
The semi-circular end and the carefully cut stone border give a Romanesque air to the pool at Mas de la Chapelle, Provence.
A lesson in applied geometry: an elliptical pool, a spa of concentric circles and a patio designed with curves.
Antique baths
The Isle of Capri, blessed by the Roman gods. The wonderful pool of the boutique hotel Excelsior Parco is watched over by sculptures of naiads.
The Romans knew a thing or two about la dolce vita, spending hours in the thermal baths. Today, we can give a nod to that lifestyle with decorative elements that lend an air of antiquity. Use the border of the pool to display terracotta amphorae, planted with flowers or succulents. Then add in a few sculptures of naiads, sirens and other aquatic divinities.
Terracotta amphorae and a bronze god statue let you swim into another time.
Inviting patios
The sliding deck is so versatile. It can be used as a base to set up an outdoor dining room or living room, a play area for the kids, protection for the swimming pool and more.
There’s nothing like cocktails around the pool in summer. But if someone invites you for a drink ON the pool, it might not be a typo. Yes, it is possible to set up right on top of the water, thanks to a mobile deck (manual or motorized) that slides sideways, like a shutter, to cover or uncover the pool, partly or fully. These platforms are generally made of wood. Add some comfortable furniture, like daybeds or outdoor poofs, and dedicate the space to farniente or add a table and chairs for a dining area.
An over-the-pool lounge area lets you enjoy the water without getting wet. This deck with table and benches looks like a small pontoon boat, but well secured!
We’re not going anywhere. We’re staying right here on the deck over the pool.
Waves and light
Home cinema next to an infinitely blue pool. An idea to steal from this charming hotel in the South of France.
Some of a pool’s beauty comes from its luminosity after nightfall. Think of the magic of swimming under the stars and add some lighting that skims the surface or changes the colour of the water (green, purple, pink) with LED bulbs. Why not make it even more dreamlike by adding floating lamps shaped like bubbles, water lilies or lanterns?
You’ll have to go to the St. Regis Hotel in Lhasa, Tibet, to enjoy this extraordinary golden pool, made even more spectacular by recessed lighting at the bottom.
Environmental containers
Perfectly integrated container pool on uneven terrain, set among the trees.
In the last few years, a new concept has appeared in the aquatic world, surfing the recycling wave: steel transport containers transformed into pools.
Why buy a container pool? For ethical reasons, like saving the planet, but also for practical ones, like having a small or uneven yard, or rocky soil that would cost a fortune to excavate. It’s freestanding, easy to install AND uninstall—because, yes, you can bring it with you when you move!
Colourama
A pool that’s in harmony with the villa’s contemporary lines. Its two inky blue basins are linked by a sloping area over which a cascade flows.
Colour adds to the otherworldly effect that a pool creates. The turquoise of the Caribbean, a lagoon in Tahiti, or the blue of a Greek sky transports us in a snap. Other tones have now appeared in the swimming pool palette, like emerald green, to blend into the garden, or navy, for a modern style. Other shades, both intriguing and unusual, were showcased in decorating magazines before finally making it to our own backyards. Grey and black look great in contemporary linear pools. And don’t forget that dark colours absorb more sunshine, which can have a (slight) warming effect on the water temperature.
These Bali stone tiles feature multiple shades of greenish grey. This non-skid material is very popular for pool decks.
With a mosaic in dark colours, the water seems even deeper and more refreshing.
