The Emergence of the Artisan Pool

Is it just me, or are swimming pools starting to look more and more like incredible works of art? I know you see it too, and I think there’s a really interesting reason we both feel this way.

I’m an Elder Millennial (or a “Geriatric Millennial” if you want to be rude about it), and the narrative thrust upon us is all about how many industries we’ve “killed.” Everything from diamonds to Harleys, casual dining to golf. It’s all disappearing under our watch. But why isn’t anybody talking about the positive influence we’ve had on the culture of consumption? That’s deeply relevant to all those incredible pools we were just admiring. But before I explain, I first want to go back a generation for some context.

The Baby Boomer Influence

The Baby Boomers came to prominence as global industry and trade reached new heights. They were surrounded by an abundance of cheap goods from overseas. In this era, the pursuit of status was subtly oriented toward how much “stuff” you could acquire. As kids of Boomers, we benefited from this with an endless parade of Tamagotchis, Trolls, G.I. Joes, and Beanie Babies. But as we came of age, the horde of low-cost goods just started to feel like… clutter.

And to be fair, this wasn’t just about people currently in their late 30s to 40s. It was everyone. People everywhere started to realize just how much junk their lives had been overrun with, and a recalibration of values began to happen. We started finding value in simplicity. We bought less. We bought with intention. We wanted fewer things. We wanted higher quality.

Lessons from the Renaissance

I’m so close to getting to my point, I bet you can almost taste it. But humor me with one more flashback. Remember the Renaissance? It brought us legendary artists like Leonardo da Vinci and Raphael Sanzio da Urbino—and all of the other Ninja Turtles we’ve come to know and love. Want me to summarize six whole YouTube documentaries about it in one paragraph? Too bad. I’m doing it:

As both nation-states and independent dreamers alike invested heavily in exploration, research, and technological innovation, the world was filled with excitement and prosperity. Prosperity then led to the pursuit of finer things. And that’s when the artistic Renaissance exploded. Writers, artists, and thinkers all got fashionably reacquainted with earlier Greek and Roman “masters.” They started reflecting on what it meant to “do great work,” how one could achieve it, and why it mattered in the first place. And this inspired several generations to strive for new heights of artistic achievement.

The Swimming Pool as Modern Art

And it’s here, dear friends, that we finally arrive at the core point. Just like those Europeans from the Middle Ages, this newer generation of homeowners and builders is now experiencing a little Renaissance of their own. No, I’m not saying everyone is outside carving an alabaster statue of the perfect male figure in their backyard. I mean that our newfound focus on quality and experience is leading us toward higher-quality investments in our personal spaces.

I want to give credit where credit is due: the swimming pool industry, as we know it, was made popular by our parents and grandparents. And if you’re making a living in this market like I am, you have them to thank. But it wasn’t until recently that swimming pools started to become a higher art form.

Rejecting the Template

On one hand, the industry itself was constantly raising the bar of its own best practices, which meant higher costs and pushed the swimming pool further into exclusivity. But at the same time, consumers everywhere had become obsessed with individuality and superb quality. It was only natural that this would bleed into their swimming pools as well.

It was no longer exciting to have the same templated design that six of your neighbors had down the street. It was no longer acceptable to settle for plain white plaster and bullnose brick coping. Throwing a couple of palm trees next to a boulder-stack waterfall just didn’t feel like the escape it once was. And all the freeform pools in the world started to feel like they lacked any real intention.

Trailblazers Redefining Design

So, what was the response? Would-be pool owners grabbed those templated designs, wadded them up, and tossed them into a wastebasket overflowing with phone books, AOL promotional CDs, and gift cards to Applebee’s. Buyers started demanding unparalleled craftsmanship in their outdoor spaces. And thanks to the innovative trailblazers in our industry, they’re getting it in spades.

Homeowners can ditch that boring pool interior and instead have Ray Corral (Mosaicist, Inc.) install a tile mosaic that would put the ancient Pompeii bathhouses to shame.

Tired of arbitrary pool shapes and sizes? Listen to Kirk Bianchi (Bianchi Design) explain how every pool should feature the esoteric yet pleasing principles of the Golden Ratio, proportion, and root rectangles.

Marvel at designers like Randy Angell (Randy Angell Designs), who channels mid-century masters like Frank Lloyd Wright and incorporates the beauty and grace of timeless architecture into pools and outdoor entertaining structures.

Be amazed by Cipriano Landscape Design’s attention to detail as they build a giant violin you can swim in, or watch them form an ancient Roman-style fountain with real, hand-sculpted animal heads and medallions.

Have the professionals at Elemental Acrylic carefully engineer giant transparent walls and windows along your pool’s perimeter to give your body of water the illusion of defying physics.

Familiarize yourself with manufacturers like Crossville Studios, who continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible as they innovate finishing surface products that convincingly imitate natural woods and gorgeous stones from exotic locations around the globe.

Quality as the New Virtue

Every new project is a vote, and the poll results are in. Quality is the new virtue, and installing personalized outdoor works of art is how we “keep up with the Joneses” now. This is the new world of “less is more,” and as a designer who prioritizes thoughtfulness and attention to detail, I couldn’t be more pleased about it.