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By Lauren Busser, The House Designers Contributing Writer
While the addition of a pool may be a significant consideration given your available space and budget, splashing around in your very own pool can really add to your outdoor enjoyment, and the low-impact nature of swimming makes it a great addition to anyone's fitness routine. If you decide to integrate a pool into your new home design there are plenty of ways to enhance the areas surrounding your pool in order to make it even more inviting. From plush furniture to adding water features such as fountains and waterfalls, well-chosen decorative additions to your pool area can really spice up your outdoor space.
When designing around your pool, you'll want to make it as attractive as your home and also make sure it blends seamlessly into the landscape. This can be done with the creative application of plantings and creative lighting in and around your pool. Adding built-in lighting to your pool gives you the ability to use it at night. You will be able to go out after dinner or anytime in the evening and take a refreshing swim in complete safety. Lighting options for your pool vary. Fiber optic and LED lights are popular for their soft, even glow and minimal energy draw. Some even offer the ability to change color, which may compliment a pool with different colored tiles or underwater mosaic designs. Adding greenery and landscaping will not only benefit your pool area but your landscape overall. Grasses and other well-placed plantings will make the pool the highlight of your landscape and create a welcoming and beautiful environment for yourself and your guests.
Another design element to consider is your outdoor furniture. You'll want at least a couple of recliners, plush chairs, end tables and maybe a dinette set. Selecting quality furniture which will withstand the test of time and the elements will be money well spent a few seasons down the road. Another cozy, comfy piece to consider is a net hammock. Net hammocks add a resort-like touch to your poolside and can provide a quiet place to relax and soak up the sun.
If you want to add water features to your pool, you could simply look to things like jets or power streams. To really step it up you could even add fountains and waterfalls. Fountains and waterfalls add life to your pool with the sound and motion of their flowing water. These features may even take the form of sculptures. Water features and sculptures go hand in hand because it allows the sculpture to blend harmoniously with your pool. You can even have custom sculptures designed and built if you desire a truly unique, on-of-a-kind look and feel.
Among the other resort-like features you might add to your pool are bridges and other fixed structures. Bridges add drama to your pool, kids love to play games and hang out under them, and of course they provide a handy shortcut to the far side of the pool. Structures such as a gazebo, pergola or floating terrace also add interest and help to make your pool a focal point of the home.
These are just a few of the many of ways to ensure that your pool fits into and compliments your landscape. Whether you go for simple and elegant or fantastic and whimsical, there is one other thing to remember, which is of course to keep the pool clean. A variety of automatic, robotic cleaners go a long way toward lightening the workload and help ensure that the pool is always pristine and ready to entertain you and your guests.