It is always a good idea to complement the interior of your home with your exterior and a grand backyard. Many homeowners choose to have their backyards filled with great landscape designs of flowers and other sorts of vegetation. However, scores of homeowners are now opting to create multi-purpose swimming pools to radiate the lavishness and glamour of patio living.
There are several things you should be aware of when designing your own poolside area. Although you will probably work with a professional, you should still get personal knowledge of what will be constructed within your fences. Here are eight ideas for landscape design revolving around a swimming pool.
1. Pool Shapes
It all begins with the shape of the pool you want, which of course is best determined by the shape and size of the ground itself. But the general rule of thumb and the current trend with pool shapes are geometrical figures and a streamlined look, including designs that give the wet-edge look. The latter — also known as infinity pools — are designed so that the water from the pool slips over the edge into a surrounding basin. This gives the dramatic illusion of a more opulent and larger pool.
2. Pool Colors
The color of the pool is always credited with giving a dramatic effect. This is because color gives a more defined outline of the general design and it dictates the surrounding landscape design. Shades of blue — more specifically sapphire hues — are popular for swimming pools. Blue also stands out well from the green shades of the surrounding vegetation and the rustic hues of bricks, marble, and other rocks common among poolside settings.
3. Water Features
Plain swimming pools are obsolete. Fountains are great for creating an additional effect for the pool. These also add aesthetics. You can use a grand wall of flowing water or small trickles of well-constructed fountains.
4. Plants
Flora is never out of fashion. Each design concept — say that of a tropical landscape — calls for various species of plants. This element for pool landscape design must be used wisely for optimized results. Of course you do not want your pool to look as if you have created a botanical garden when all you wanted is to accessorize your landscape design with touches of green.
5. Lighting
Whether you really intend to use your pool in the evening or not, you still will want to consider the use of lighting effects to illuminate the features of the pool and the surrounding area. A single spotlight has been out of trend for quite some time now, with the use of subtle lighting thought to be the best replacement.
6. Fencing
Normally the fence around the pool creates unwanted results and many homeowners would prefer to refrain from its use as much as possible. However, the law dictates that pools be fenced however ghastly the effects may be (that last bit of course was not mentioned in the Constitution). These days the preferred choice for poolside fencing is glass panels.
7. Decking
Decking, no matter what you call it, is a great addition to your pool landscape design. This suggests a good outdoor "room" where you can stay during relaxation and is very useful for additional purposes such as hanging plants.
8. Additional Design Ideas
Small details are good additions to your pool landscaping designs. Bird baths, sculptures, wildlife boxes, bird feeders, rock formations, and all other imaginable items will do your landscaping some favors when strategically placed.
