To be successful amid the outdoor living boom, it's critical for retailers and builders to stay abreast of rapidly changing consumer tastes in backyard products. To help keep your product lines up to date, AQUA has partnered with design megasite Houzz to bring you more content about outdoor living, from pools and spas to outdoor kitchens and patio furniture. Here, a Houzz expert explores recent trends in pool design.
As I browsed through the recent most-popular pool photos on a hot Atlanta day, it was easy to see why they are so attractive to Houzzers — they are pure fantasy and make you want to dive right in. And there are plenty of features to note if you are considering installing a pool. While not so long ago your choices were basically rectangle or kidney with a Tiffany blue bottom, now there are many options, such as Baja shelves, submerged seating and infinity edges, as well as extensive lighting, shape and color choices. Here are the 6 most popular pool photos uploaded to Houzz from April to June this year, as measured by the number of people who have saved them to their ideabooks.
Photo by HSH Interiors
1. A dry spot in the middle. Well, the reigning pool photo right now on Houzz has a dry conversation pit in the middle of it, which I have never seen before. I imagine the folks who sit in it receive playful splashes from those in the water. While the inviting conversation pit is the biggest attention grabber, note the variety of seating around this pool: bar and TV seating, fire pit seating, lounge chair seating and Acapulco chairs sitting in the water seating.
Photo by Domiteaux + Baggett Architects PLLC
2. Surrounded by a grid. It doesn’t get any more modern than the grid, and here the design allows for green to grow up between the pavers. The bright primary colors on the umbrellas and the house give this pool area Eames-ian appeal.
Photo by Cantoni
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3. The modern moat. Infinity edges continue to rage in popularity. And the opposite edge of this pool goes right up to the home’s facade, which is all glass. I really must insist that you check out the rest of the views of this pool, as this house is remarkable.
Photo by Wadia Associates
4. Prize pavilion. This fabulous pool pavilion must have been a big factor in this photo’s popularity with its large fireplace, stone arches and slate roof.
Photo by Artful Design Interiors
RELATED: 6 Pool Shapes That Complement Their Surroundings
5. The Baja shelf. It’s funny where you pick up new terms. The only pool I’ve ever had was an above-ground model when I was a kid. I never heard “Baja shelf” until I was enjoying one of my guiltiest pleasures, listening to a podcast about "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills." (Poor Ken Todd took quite a scary spill off the one at Villa Blanca.) But that’s what you call one of these perfect sunbathing spots.
Photo by TASOS KOKORIS AIA LEED AP
6. Resort appeal. Is the pool this nice at a Four Seasons? I wouldn’t know since I’ve never had the pleasure of staying in one, but I’d wager this one would give a luxury resort’s pool a run for its money. The deep color of the tiles is what gives the water its magical hue.
