It appears that every facet of the home building industry is inching closer to customization – custom home pubs, custom home theatres, custom outdoor kitchens and custom home gyms. With homeowners gaining independence on selections in their homes, it was obvious that their decision-making power would extend to their own backyards – especially their pools.
Swimming pools aren’t just for swimming anymore. They have quickly become a place for sunbathing, lagoon wading, cliff diving and entertaining. With as many choices as the imagination can conjure, backyard pools are more of an aesthetic addition to a landscape than ever before.
According to Jeff Wiltse, author of Contested Waters: A Social History of Swimming Pools in America, the construction of backyard pools became popular after World War II. Wiltse credits this boom during the 1950s to the rising middle-class salary, the less expensive pool construction technique of Gunite, and the increase in lot sizes in suburbia.
Pools gave families a sense of togetherness; they created an activity that the family could share in the privacy of their back yards. Here, families could control their environment, which was a change from the community swimming pools popular during the 1920s, 30s and 40s. In summary, Wiltse says homeowners began building backyard pools for the same reasons they moved to the suburbs in the first place.
Over time, pools took on several different shapes and sizes. There have been in-ground pools, above ground pools, inflatable pools and baby pools. Throughout history, diving boards, slides, lights and steps have been introduced.
Recently the bar has been raised, and new terminology – such as sunbathing deck, beach entry and waterfalls – is being used to describe the backyard pool
Pat Brennan, of Mid-American Gunite Pools, says the options available to homeowners are endless when it comes to customizing their pools. “The pool automation, salt generators, beach entrances and tanning shelves are all new,” he says. “In the old days, the design was pretty much a rectangle or a kidney bean.”
Two different clients, who were looking to create totally different atmospheres in their back yards, recently contacted Brennan. One pool is more tranquil and relaxing, while the other is more geared towards a water park atmosphere. “Both pools have rock work, yet they have totally different looks,” Brennan says. “Pools don’t have to look the same way twice anymore.”
When Sean first contacted Brennan about building his family a pool, he knew he was looking to create a Zen atmosphere for his family to enjoy. “All of the materials are natural,” Sean says. “We wanted a place of serenity. There’s a really nice view from the backside of the pool. The lot was very wooded where we wanted to place the pool for privacy and a natural setting.”
Sean says his lot was all one level before they added their pool, but now there are several levels. “We terraced the lot down and carved out a part of the ledge for the water feature,” he adds. “This is the first pool I’ve been involved with, but we knew we wanted a pool when we built the house.”
Bob Shehan, vice president of sales with Shehan Pools, says another popular trend in the pool industry is the lagoon-style pool. As some homeowners create their master bath based on a resort spa they visited on vacation, other homeowners want to recreate the resort’s tropical pool setting.
Shehan says the beach entry and the sundeck shelf are also popular in lagoon pools, but large, bolder-like rocks are used to create a lagoon atmosphere. “There is a jumping rock instead of a typical diving board, and the pool has a quartz pebble finish on the inside that makes the water darker the deeper you travel into the pool – just like in the ocean,” Shehan says.
The rocks that Shehan Pools use to create the lagoon setting are actually manufactured from synthetic material. “It looks like it was created out of the hillside, but it is lower maintenance and actually looks even more realistic than real stone,” Shehan says.
“I think the natural looking pools are some of the most popular right now,” Shehan says. “To carry this natural look, we use landscaping.”
Whether you plan to utilize your pool for pure relaxation, or a private place to exercise – there is a pool out there for you. Other people might simply be looking to create a luxurious retreat for hosting dinner parties. No matter what, a pool is sure to add value to any property or quality of life.