A rising star in the industry and definitely one to watch is pool remodeling expert Chris Bowen, the President of Bowen Pools in Flower Mound, TX. While already gaining the respect of his peers within the pool industry, Bowen has also been rapidly becoming a favorite with homeowners in the local Dallas / Fort Worth area.

One of the Top Pool Remodeling Firms in DFW – Bowen Pools

Recently voted Best Pool Builder (Best of Denton County 2021) – and one of the Pool Pro Mag 30 under 40, the 31-year-old has come very far and has had an almost meteoric rise to become one of the top pool remodeling firms in the Dallas area. Developing an impressive portfolio of pool construction and high-end pool remodeling projects; Bowen Pools is fast on its way towards achieving the type of notoriety that usually comes with having been in the industry for decades.

We had the opportunity to catch up with Chris Bowen and wanted to hear about how he got his start and how he’s positioning for new growth. We also wanted to get a pulse on what he sees going on in his local market and his opinion on the status of the industry down in Dallas, Texas. As one of the top pool remodeling firms in town, Bowen has unique insight as to what is going on in the industry right now in his neck of the woods.

How Chris Bowen Got His Start in The Pool Industry

With a young family and limited resources, Bowen started his pool service company back in 2017. He began with a single service account working out of the back of his family’s Honda CRV. With just a $500 seed investment he sunk into equipment, Bowen set out to conquer the DFW market.

From Nothing to Something in 5 Years – An American Success Story

Inside of as many years, Bowen had built the service side of the business up to over 250 accounts. That’s a respectable feat giving the fact that he’d been working for someone else’s pool company only five years ago. In essence, Chris started Bowen Pools virtually from nothing and has come very far in a short amount of time. It’s the type of success story that resembles many others we’ve heard. Bowen came up through service and successfully made the leap to construction.

Focusing on Pool Remodeling & New Pool Construction

This year however has been a challenging one for many. Bowen Pools clearly is no exception to the rule in terms of those impacted by rising prices. This summer, Bowen elected to make a major change in his business. He stated he intends to focus more on pool remodeling and new pool construction. “We sold the service side of our business in August of this year,” said Bowen. He told us he had been struggling with rising chemical costs all year. This summer he decided to sell that division of his company.

Dealing With Rising Costs & Unpredictable Delays

“We were definitely getting killed on the pricing side of it,” said Bowen in response to why he was motivated to sell his service company. “We’ve had shortages and price increases on everything,” said Bowen, “Hopefully when that plant down in Louisiana comes back online prices will level out.”

However, the grass doesn’t seem to be much greener on the construction side of the pool industry. In terms of rising costs, materials are at an all-time high. We asked whether he had begun to push back on previous estimates he had given, to which he replied “That’s been the hardest part. We lost quite a bit of money earlier in the year.”

Setting Expectations With Customers

Being a family man himself, Bowen says that having to tell his customers that their swimming pool or their pool remodeling project is going to cost more is something that he dreads. “We’ve had to go back to clients to renegotiate, but at the end of the day I need to put food on my family’s plate too,” said Bowen.

Pool Remodeling Expert Chris Bowen Weighs in on What’s Going on in the Industry and in DFW

In his off-hours, Bowen networks online and is peers with many different builders in the industry. He often communicates about what is going on through a private group chat they’ve established. Bowen says that one constant topic of conversation this season has been the unpredictable price increases. He says both service and construction trades have seen huge price hikes from manufacturers and distributors.

“I don’t know how if you’re in the pool business you’re not affected by all of these price increases,” said Bowen, “We’ve seen prices for materials go up 60-80%.”

What Caused Such Dramatic Price Increases

“I don’t think the Texas freeze helped matters,” said Bowen, “I believe these price increases would have occurred either way.” Referencing a storm Texas experienced in February which caused pool equipment that would have typically gone towards new construction projects to be immediately requisitioned for repair work.

Experts agree that the rush for equipment in one of America’s biggest pool markets may have contributed to hoarding. This in itself would indirectly cause pricing to go up and availability to go down throughout the summer.

Texas Pool Freeze Could Have Been Way Worse Says Bowen

“We got lucky that it wasn’t cold enough to freeze anything underground or we really would have had some back luck,” said Bowen, “but a lot of people lost their equipment this year. There are ice storms like this every other year, but never something quite like this.”

Bowen weighed in on whether winterizing pools in his part of the state would be the new norm. “There’s really not a great way to prepare. You can’t really prepare for them doing rolling blackouts when it’s freezing out. If it starts to happen you can winterize your equipment,” said Bowen, “As far as prepping everything ahead of time, unless you have everything on a generator there’s really not a lot you can do.”

Typically winter storms in that region of the country may disable power for a day or two, however, homeowners were without power for an extended period of time. This prevented people from running their pool equipment in order to keep water circulating during the freeze.

“I lost power at my house for 3 days,” said Bowen, who claims that he stayed with relatives while utilities were down. “We came back home to a busted pipe and some flooding,” said Bowen who indicated that thankfully events like last year’s aren’t a frequent occurrence.

Should Homeowners in Dallas Winterize Their Pools?

Bowen told us he doesn’t foresee a trend in the Dallas / Fort Worth area of folks winterizing their pools.

“Everybody uses their pool so much, “said Bowen, “Those pools get down to 60 degrees. A lot of people still heat them, especially early in the winter through November. People use their spas year-round down here. I don’t think it’ll be a trend to do that (winterize). Only in case of emergencies would it be necessary.”

Demand For Swimmings Pools Will Taper

While Bowen predicts that demand for swimming pools will go down over the next few years, he does not predict prices will stabilize right away. “With everything going on in the ports right now, they’re not going to have the figured out anytime soon.”

As far as pool remodeling projects go, Bowen has never been busier. “We get more calls than ever before for pool renovations, it was big last year but it’s definitely been bigger this year,” said Bowen, who indicated that he expecting the demand for pools may have crested as many predict.

“If everyone rushed out to get their backyard renovated, at some point that has to wind down. We’ll see if that happens next year or the following year, but it’s definitely going to taper off,” said Bowen.

Correlation Between New Home Construction And Pool Construction

We asked whether local real estate market conditions looked favorable in the Dallas / Fort Worth area and if Bowen noticed new homes still being built. Traditionally, there is an intrinsic correlation between new home construction and new pool construction.

“New homes are going up like crazy, it’s just that the prices are being driven very high. I don’t know how high those prices can go before people start getting priced out of them,” said Bowen. He suggested that while this may be common in other places of the country, Texans were unused to the prices homes are now selling for.

What A Cooling Housing Market Means For The Pool Industry

With a booming population, the housing market in Texas is becoming increasingly competitive. According to a Texas A&M University – housing report published September 23, 2021; despite decreasing mortgage rates and lumber prices plummeting 93.6 percent in July, instances of double-digit home-price appreciation chipped away at home affordability.

This information itself gives credence to what Bowen is forecasting about new homeowners being ‘priced out’. A recent Forbes report definitely indicates that housing market is slowing down and has begun to cool. While experts certainly don’t predict a housing market crash, first-time homebuyers could be the worst impacted by a market correction. Experts fear new home buyers could essentially see much of their equity wiped out. What this means for the pool industry is we could see demand go back down to pre-Covid levels quickly as the market recorrects. A lack of available inventory and many of the mortgage relief programs ending may contribute to this happening much faster than expected.

Bowen has eyes on the ground in the DFW market, which just so incidentally happens to be one of the strongest pool markets in the entire country. We’re definitely fortunate to have been able to spend some time chatting with him and get a pulse on what is going on in the Dallas / Fort Worth area.

Listen to our entire interview with Chris Bowen

Chuck Baumann is the president of Creative Environments, one of the leading Bay Area Design/ Build firms for luxury inground swimming pools and high-end custom backyards. He’s a pioneer in the world of luxury pools and has been at the forefront of modern pool design for the better part of four decades.

We had the opportunity to catch up with Baumann on the Pool Magazine podcast and Q&A’d him about his role in the pool industry. We also talked about how he got his start building pools, and what trajectory he sees our industry headed towards over the next few years.

Learning the trade at a young age, Baumann had been working alongside his father since the age of 5. During his high school years, he took the initiative to learn the business in earnest. It was a natural step for the enterprising teen to look to start his own company.

Starting Off At A Young Age In the Pool Industry

When Baumann began his tenure in the pool world; like many in the industry, he first got his start cleaning and maintaining swimming pools. Having come from a family entrenched in the pool industry (three of his family members owned a pool business), Baumann started his very first pool company when he was just 16 years old while at the same time working in his father’s pool retail store. While some kids his age were busy tending to their paper routes delivering newspapers to homeowners, Baumann was tending to their swimming pools.

Continuing to learn the trade and expand his skill set, he partnered with his uncle’s pool company until 1979, when he would ultimately decide to start a second pool company called Creative Environments. “At the time of creating that pool company; there really wasn’t any other pool contractor thinking about anything in the backyard other than the swimming pool, that was their dog in the fight,” explained Baumann.

Creative Environments Path To Becoming a Leading Pool Builder In Their Market

“I realized it was all about the entertainment and the lifestyle that having a swimming pool in the backyard created for folks,” said Baumann, explaining where the name ‘Creative Environments’ came from. His intention with giving his firm that company name was to resonate that they handled every aspect of creating a completely custom pool and outdoor living environment.

Ushering In A New Era of Pool Building

“From day one, I went out and found landscape architects to team up with and remember this is 42 years ago so this was pretty revolutionary at the time,” said Baumann, “Instead of taking out a template, we started thinking about how the patio interacted with the pool and how other elements such as sun decks, fire pits, and pavilions incorporated the lifestyle of the client.”

During the span of four decades, Creative Environments has been responsible for building over 1,500 custom pools and backyards for homeowners in the California San Francisco Bay Area. Baumann explained how each project is a unique undertaking.

Each Outdoor Living Project is Unique

“You have uniquely different clients and settings and topography to work around,” said Baumann. For him, the opportunity to change homeowners’ perception of what a swimming pool could be put him on par with other pioneers who were revolutionizing and changing the way pools and patio areas functioned together.

“The pools of my father’s era were all one-dimensional. They were all flat and there were no raised-up portions. There were no water features that incorporated sound, texture, and lighting into the pool. Along comes my era of pool builders and we started really pushing the envelope and raising the bar in terms of design and construction techniques.” said Baumann.

Baumann recalls that all through the 1950s and 60’s production pool builders had put a stamp on what an inground swimming pool should look like. It wouldn’t be until the 1970s, that more uniquely shaped pools with completed custom backyards really began to take hold.

Swimming Pools Became a Status Symbol

Homeowners recognized the convenience of having their own private oasis. The ability to purchase that type of luxury brought validation. It demonstrated to others that they could provide that type of convenience for their family. Having a swimming pool suddenly became a status symbol on par with driving a Mercedes or owning a boat. To many Americans, building your own swimming pool meant that you had “made it”.

It was firms like Creative Environments who were able to capitalize on that interest when the culture of swimming pools truly began to ignite. It was during this era Baumann explained that swimming pools began their transformation to resemble the more modern pools of today.

The backyard amenities and features going into these pools began to correlate to a much higher price tag than those sold in the ’50s and ’60s. “In my father’s era when he ran his pool company, his average pool sold for around $2,000. The pools I sell today go for upwards north of $200,000,” said Baumann.

Pioneers in Planning Outdoor Living Environments

Creative Environments was one of the first pool construction firms in Northern California to take the entire outdoor space into account. Consequently, they helped to set the paradigm in terms of how they approached planning a complete backyard with a pool and patio. They were also one of the first pioneers to incorporate many of the pool and outdoor living features we see in the backyards of high-end homes today.

Baumann also credits visionaries like Vance Gillette for not only inspiring him but opening the pool industry’s eyes to the fact that homeowners were looking for a more cohesive outdoor living environment. The incredible changes that have been made over the last few decades have helped to incorporate the swimming pool area in a completely new way which has helped propel the entire industry as a whole.

The Demographics of Pool Buyers Today

While that validation story may still be true today, there has been another force at play over the past two years. Covid-19 has certainly amplified the demand and been a force multiplier in terms of the number of leads that pool companies are getting today.

“That dynamic has changed our business model,” said Baumann. “The interest has always been there when I study the demographics of who buys a swimming pool in our industry; there’s a particular age group. The standard demographics of pool buyers are an active couple in their late 30’s to early ’50s with a family of children 5-15 years old.”

“That has always been the standard. Those are active people and travel is part of their experience. How did Covid affect that? Well they’re not going to get on a plane and take a vacation so they’re saying ‘let’s work on our backyard’.” said Baumann.

There is no denying that Covid-19 has correlated in a spike in swimming pool and hot tub sales throughout the world. One contributing factor has been a lack of competition for funds that typically may have been spent on a vacation. “I think we’ve been very fortunate to be the recipient of those discretionary dollars. The majority of it is being invested in the home. As an industry, we’ve been very fortunate,” said Baumann.

Capitalizing On Momentum

One thing that has blocked the industry from being able to capitalize on the white-hot interest in pools has been the ongoing shortages. There has also been a mass influx of new freshmen pool companies looking to grab a piece of all this new consumer interest. “I think it behooves all of us to make sure that we keep the momentum going.” said Baumann, “We do that by being professionals at our craft. It’s easy to go out and say ‘I’m a pool builder’ because the market is hot right now. What we really need to do is be as professional as we can be and that professionalism is going to perpetuate through our industry. “

One major resource that has enabled Baumann to stay ahead of the many shortages and delays affecting the industry has been his close personal relationships with vendors and suppliers established through the Carecraft group (one of the industry’s leading organizations for pool professionals). It’s been Creative Environment’s long-standing relationships and strong network that have enabled them to maintain the status quo throughout the last two years; even when so many have struggled to do so.

Even still, Baumann told Business Insider that paying top dollar doesn’t guarantee your pool will be ready by summer, as many pool construction firms are booked through the rest of the year. Many of those projects aren’t anticipated to be completed until 2023.

We asked Baumann, what trends he has noticed during the last two years that have emerged in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. As one of the top pool builders in the San Francisco area, he has his fingers on the pulse of not only what is going on in the world of pool construction, but also what high-end homeowners want in their backyard.

Outdoor Living Trends in 2021 – Chuck Baumann

One outdoor living feature that Baumann said has become enormously popular during the pandemic has been the inclusion of pavilions in the backyard design plan. “The pavilion has shade, a fireplace, a TV, an outdoor kitchen, a wet bar. People are building whatever they want right now to satisfy their outdoor dream because they’re stuck at home.” Baumann indicated that projects of that nature can go for upwards of a million dollars or more.

Another outlying cause for increased demand; Baumann first mentioned during a PACE conference a few years ago. That wildcard factor has been the number of homeowners looking for pool renovations and remodeling work. A good number of the pool projects Creative Environments has undertaken during the past couple of years have been homeowners looking to remove an old pool that was built decades ago and replace it with a new one. “We will build twenty pools this season and half of them already have a pool in the backyard,” said Baumann. “We’re jackhammering out those old pools and creating a multimillion-dollar experience for people in their backyards.”

Baumann has certainly left an indelible mark on luxury pools in the Bay Area over the years. His firm was one of the first in the area to begin incorporating features like pool cabanas, outdoor kitchens, and raised patios incorporating different elevations. For him, it’s been immensely satisfying to see his work has helped to usher in new standards in pool design and construction. He’s also equally gratified to see his son Nicco Baumann has progressed to the point in his own career where he is now eager to make his own mark on the pool world.

Passing the Torch to the Next Generation of Pool Builders

“I’m watching what he’s doing now. He’s handling all of our construction and is one of the finest builders I’ve come across in a long time. It’s wonderful to see the legacy being passed down to him.” said Baumann.

A long-time member of Carecraft, Baumann has enjoyed watching his son become more involved and immersed in the organizations he has been a part of for so long. “He’s being embraced by pool contractors of my age that are looking to guys like him as the new generation who are going to take our industry to the next level,” said Baumann.

Listen to our Entire Interview with Chuck Baumann of Creative Environments

When discussing the world of luxury pools and pool designs, one can’t go very far in the conversation without bringing up gunite pools. Unquestionably, concrete inground pools offer the most versatility in terms of customization. Homeowners go all out tricking out their backyards with the latest outdoor living amenities to take their backyards to the next level. Consequently, they want their pool designs to have the latest state-of-the-art technology. Builders are constantly being asked to push the envelope and incorporate pool features that complement the aesthetics of the home.

Tranqulity of Moving Water

This luxury inground pool with multiple sheer descents coming from a raised retaining wall offers the tranquility of moving water and provides a tasteful and elegant focal feature in the pool area.

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Outdoor Pool & Patio Design

A simple and elegant backyard that makes excellent use of the space provided to offer a classic-looking outdoor pool and patio. Cohesive and tasteful throughout the entire space.

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Personal Backyard Oasis

This space backyard resort had room for a huge pool design with a large tanning ledge. Bubblers and sheer descents add to the atmosphere of complete relaxation.

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Covered Patio & Pool Vibe

When the summer is hot, you’ll want a covered patio area to relax and beat the harmful rays of the sun. This hangout has an outdoor wet-rated ceiling fan to help circulate the air while lounging poolside on hot days.

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Beach Resort Pool

This quaint backyard beach resort comes complete with a raised spa. Guests lounging poolside will want to dive right in. Nothing screams beach vibe like a giant crab on the wall.

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Perfect Pool Design For A Beach House

Everything about this beach house says pool party. The minute you pull up to the house, the side entrance leads right to an elegant pool with a neatly appointed lounging area.

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Classic & Contemporary

The classic look of the home with its brick columns demands a simple and contemporary pool design. Large format pool tile at the waterline of the pool help gives it color and dimension.

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Freeform Designer Pool

This designer pool features a huge freeform design with a raised spa and travertine coping all around the perimeter of the pool. Smartly appointed umbrellas offer multiple shaded areas.

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Enclosed Inground Pool

Enclosed pool designs are extremely popular in Florida. This homeowner opted to install a rain curtain feature in the center of the pool for a breathtaking centerpiece.

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Fire & Water Features

There is nothing quite so captivating as when fire and water come together. The firepots complementing the sheer descents and laminar jets work beautifully with a spillover spa.

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Outdoor Living At It’s Finest

This perfectly appointed outdoor living design features a firepit conversation area right next to the pool. One of the most popular outdoor living trends you’ll see this year.

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Gunite Is The Way To Go

Homeowners that want a truly custom luxury pool design 9 times out of 10 will choose a gunite pool because of the flexibility it offers pool designers in terms of materials and shapes.

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Raised Wall Sheer Descents

Pool designers are opting to add elevations by building retaining walls that step down to the pool area. Adding a sheer descent that provides the sense of moving water throughout is a classic pool feature folks tend to ask for again and again.

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Large Format Tiles Are Popular

One popular trend that continues to dominate pool designs is large format tiles. Homeowners are opting for beautiful grout lines and textured interesting patterns that pop.

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Modern Pool Design With Retaining Wall

This modern pool design features multiple sheer descents from a huge retaining privacy wall that keeps prying eyes and nosey neighbors from checking out the raging pool party going on.

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Luxury Pool Design With Mosaic Tile

This beachside mansion features a luxury pool with a perimeter overflow to a smaller pool below. The entire wall of the pool is covered in gorgeous mosaic pool tile throughout the whole length of the pool.

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Southern Mansion Pool

This quaint southern mansion features a neatly appointed luxury pool area with paver tiles throughout the entire deck area. Seating is available under covered porches on multiple levels.

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Garden Pool Design

Homeowners looking for the perfect garden pool design need to look no further. This exemplifies an ideal outdoor pool design down to the doll-sized change room in the garden.

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Poolside Shade With Pergolas

One smart way to add a permanently shaded area is to build a pergola. This homeowner opted to build one running the length of the pool. A raised spillover spa provides the perfect accent.

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Perfectly Simple Inground Pool

Not every pool design has to be overdesigned with a million dollars worth of water features in order to be the ideal perfect pool. Sometimes simple is better when it comes to designing a pool and patio. The paver decking throughout is a classic and sophisticated look.

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Picture Perfect Backyard

This picture-perfect backyard has all the outdoor living amenities one could want. An outdoor fireplace, pergola, and outdoor kitchen complement a freeform pool with raised spillover spa.

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Elevations Are Popular

Homes with a sloped backyard are a prime candidate for creating tasteful pool designs that incorporate exciting elevation changes. This modern pool design does that handsomely.

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Luxury Outdoor Living

When discussing outdoor luxury amenities that add value to the home, a beautiful beach entry pool is definitely one that is adding to the sale price of a home. Completed backyards with a swimming pool like this one are going for top dollar in today’s real estate market.

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Private Waterfront Pool Area

Luxury homeowners could want nothing more than a private waterfront pool area with easy dock access for any guests that may want to drop in for the occasional dip.

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Vanishing Edge Pools

Vanishing edge pools are a luxury that homeowners investing in an outdoor pool seem to want. They add a sophisticated modern design aesthetic to areas that open up to a view.

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Spillover Spas a Popular Pool Feature

Pool designers that opt to include a raised spillover spa to a complete view of the pool area will create a relaxing detached area away from children playing in the pool. This design is popular with homeowners that want an elegant pool design but still want to keep an eye on their kids.

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Crafting Outdoor Living Environments

Crafting the ideal outdoor living environment that speaks to a homeowner’s lifestyle and design aesthetic can be a challenge for pool builders. The best pool designs think about the entire backyard as a whole. Considering the flow from the main home to the patio area, homeowners frequently opt to add an outdoor home theater system and seating area. This beautifully appointed outdoor fireplace is the perfect place to lounge poolside.

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Pool & Firepit Area

One of the most popular backyard amenities homeowners are adding to their swimming pool is a separate fire pit area. This beautiful stacked stone fire pit with crushed blue glass perfectly accents the pool interior. Using color to combine design elements is a method outdoor living experts use to create a cohesive palette in the backyard.

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Complement Your Natural Canvas

Homeowners that already have an impressive natural backdrop to build against are eager to add a pool. Adding a custom luxury pool completes the transition from the indoors to an impressive outdoor canvas. Adding small touches like moving water features creates the serenity that homeowners seek after a trying day at the office.

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Add Natural Rock To Your Pool To Create An Outdoor Oasis

Natural rock immediately gives you the sense that you’re in an outdoor oasis. Pool designs that incorporate a chatter fall feature where moving water rushes down the rocks are very popular. Multiple entries are also a pool feature that creates a resort-style pool.

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Rustic Southern Style

This beautiful freeform pool with a raised spa is the focal point of the backyard. A huge paver patio has an outdoor fireplace with Adirondack chairs. A covered pergola and barbecue setting area make it easy to serve food and drinks to guests poolside. Incorporate the right landscaping, trees, and plants pulls the whole pool design together in this beautiful rustic southern-style backyard.

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Sheet of Glass

This pool is literally a sheet of glass. A perimeter overflow pool design with a small gap around the entire pool area allow the water to continuously recycle back into the pool. If you look closely you’ll notice a spa area got the same treatment on the other end of the backyard. Truly a modern pool design aesthetic that homeowners are gravitating towards.

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Designing Pools For Narrow Spaces

This homeowner opted to build a beautiful and luxurious inground pool and spa on the side of their house instead of in their backyard where they had less square footage. It’s a unique pool design that makes the most out of the usable space.

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Pool Entries Are Important

When planning a pool design, builders will often recommend a pool entry that flows seamlessly into the rest of the backyard area. Making it easy for swimmers to enter and exit the pool is important. Backyards that are on a slope are best suited for stair entry pools.

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Geometric Shaped Pools

Modern pool designs tend to lean more towards geometric shapes. This simple L shaped pool design is perfectly suited with a retaining wall at the far end that creates a walkway with garden boxes on each side. The concrete decking here blends in seamlessly with the coping.

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Adding a Ledge Lounger

It’s amazing what adding a ledge lounger can do to really give the pool a backyard resort style look and feel. The fact that loungers now come in a wide variety of colors make it easy to add one on and coordinate it to the rest of your outdoor palette.

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Creating Seating for Guests

Creating seating for guests to be able to comfortably lounge poolside is one design element that shouldn’t be overlooked. If you do a lot of entertaining in your backyard, you’ll want to consider adding a few lounge chairs by the pool which will require a deck to place them on. Adding a tanning ledge to the pool allows swimmers to lounge in the water without actually getting in the water. Definitely a pool feature that homeowners want these days.

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Poolside Pergola

Pergolas consistently remain one of the top outdoor amenities that homeowners add to their swimming pool area. This simple outdoor seating area has a beautiful pergola that perfectly accents the home. It’s incredible what adding a Pergola can do to help bring the entire backyard together. A massive tanning ledge in this pool can easily be equipped with a ledge lounger.

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Raised Spa With Large Format Tile

The pool designers paid attention to creating a continuous line above the waterline throughout the pool. Adding a raised spa with large format tile was a smart touch here. A huge spillover into the pool creates that waterfall sound that really makes this backyard resort feel like an oasis. A beautiful pergola and outdoor kitchen are the perfect addition to really complete this outdoor living environment.

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Massive Tanning Ledge

One of the most popular pool design features that homeowners are requesting these days is a massive tanning ledge. A tanning ledge is a particularly useful feature for homeowners that have small children. Parents want a larger than average shallow area for splashing around with infants and toddlers.

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Retaining Wall Water Features

The sound of moving water creates the sense of tranquility and an atmosphere of elegance. Homeowners opt to add retaining walls for a number of reasons. Whether it’s for holding the earth back from the pool area, or creating privacy, or forming elevations; builders that are able to incorporate water features into them are pushing the envelope on their pool designs.

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Making The Most Of Travertine

Travertine decking is one of the more high-end materials that homeowners are choosing for their patio. Using that material on the raised detached spa was smart. Creating a channel for the water to flow into the pool and create a moving water feature was even smarter.

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Popular Water Feature to Add – Deck Jets

A popular pool feature that homeowners are adding to their pool design – deck jets. The jets can be aimed to shoot a stream of water a certain distance or height and can even incorporate LED lighting to create a colored stream of light into the pool at night.

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Cascading Sheer Descents & High Retaining Walls

If privacy is an issue, a high retaining wall solves a lot of problems and a good design solution if you have a lot of earth to hold back in your yard. A popular water feature these days is adding a cascading sheer descent to your pool. Water appears to flow from the top of the wall into the pool below.

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No Deck Needed

Not every pool needs to be surrounded by a slab of concrete or travertine decking. Some outdoor pool designs look just as beautiful without a deck. This homeowner opted not to build a deck and has their pool surrounded by a lush green lawn. The pool design itself is very simple but stylish with a sunken channeled spillover spa.

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Cabo Ledges

Lounging poolside, swimmers may opt to need breaks in the pool. Builders will frequently opt to create shelves and ledges in these areas of an inground pool. This particular pool design does exactly that with a tanning ledge running along the entrance of the pool as well as along the perimeter.

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Caddy Corner Spillover Spa

A popular design feature that looks spectacular on geometric-shaped pools is caddy cornered spillover spas. Positioning them smartly so that the water flow goes directly into the pool creates the sound of peacefully moving water. This is something you’ll appreciate the moment you enter the pool area.

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Location, Location, Location

Having a beautiful backdrop to build a pool against creates the ultimate canvas for luxury outdoor living designs. The pool designers were inspired to create a backyard design that would handsomely complement the sprawling outdoor space and blend seamlessly with the exterior of the home.

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Classic Outdoor Living

It isn’t very hard to see that this homeowner was going for a classic outdoor living environment with this pool design. This roman shaped pool design is popular with more traditional homes. The plants and landscaping the homeowner chose beautifully accent the perimeter of the pool area throughout. A pavilion towards the back of the property line provides a smartly appointed entertainment area.

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Pool Design For Your Outdoor Living Environment

Cameron Rhodes, the lead designer and co-owner of Southern Poolscapes has been designing high-end outdoor living environments for the better part of a decade. When it comes to selecting a pool design, Rhodes said “It’s important to meet with a pool builder that understands your vision for the space. Many times, it takes a while to help homeowners articulate that into a design plan that accurately represents what their dream is.”

As one of the leading luxury pool builders in the South, Rhodes has his fingers on the pulse of what pool design features homeowners want in their inground pool. “Moving water is extremely popular,” said Rhodes, “There is something truly serene about coming into the backyard and hearing the sound of a waterfall or sheer descent running. That ambient sound is very peaceful and adds to the overall atmosphere and ambiance in a high-end custom pool.”

In terms of what luxury homeowners are adding to their pools, Rhodes replied, “We’ve seen more and more homeowners requesting massive tanning ledges. Many of these folks have a family with small children and these ledges provide a larger shallow area to enjoy time in the pool with younger more inexperienced swimmers. Plus when coupled with a set of ledge loungers, the effect is pretty impressive,” said Rhodes. 

“We are also seeing more homeowners looking for a cleaner more refined look to their inground pool,” said Rhodes, “We’re doing a lot of perimeter overflow projects where you get that seamless sheet of glass look when the waterline is flush with the coping.” 

As far as outdoor living amenities go, Rhodes says that homeowners are going all out on high-end materials, despite the rising costs that we’ve seen across the board this season.

“By and large people want a beautiful outdoor living environment,” said Rhodes, “we’re seeing more customers add on Pavilions, outdoor kitchens, firepits, and go all out on their landscaping. It goes to show their mindset; that if they’re stuck at home, they are going to make sure that their home is definitely someplace that they want to be.”

Photo Credit: Southern Poolscapes