Pool
Can you describe your vision for the new design? As a large section of the rear extension opens right up to the [yard], the design of the pool was critical to ensure we didn’t have a traditional pool fence in front of the house, which would have felt closed-in and disjointed. I designed a raised swimming pool with an infinity edge, whereby the pool wall conforms to pool-fence standard. Similarly, the steel planter box and limestone-clad planter box also conform as a pool fence, so the design of the pool alleviates the need for a traditional pool fence. As a result, the pool is essentially a giant water feature for the house, providing a tranquil outlook. Note: Pool barrier requirements vary by locale. Check with your local jurisdiction for fence requirements and other safety provisions.
The owners heat the pool during Toronto’s cold winters so they can use it as a hot tub. They place temporary heating pads on the ground between the pool and the house for winter access. The operating equipment is located in another part of the yard, freeing up the room around the pool for plantings and other landscape elements. (The pool is covered when not in use.)
After: A new 9-by-9-foot pool that is 3 feet deep now anchors the backyard. This petite fiberglass pool gives the homeowners the feature they wanted while still leaving room for dining and relaxing. The design-build team sunk most of the pool into the ground, keeping just 15 inches above grade. They also added locally quarried Eramosa limestone to the edge so it can double as seating.
Above-ground pools are fantastic but aren’t often described as elegant. Leave it to the French, however, to show that they can be. Interior designer Laure Arancio of La Nostra Secrets d’Intérieur tucked this above-ground pool in Marseille, France, into a corner and surrounded it with beautiful decking. And the deck itself is clever — it has integrated lighting, and one side serves as seating.
Pool. After noting an increased interest in large stock tanks and fielding many questions about converting them into pools — including how to keep them clean — supplier Tractor Supply Co. included a DIY guide on its website. Hey Wanderer bloggers Casey Freeman and Savannah McNeill dove head-first into the trend, setting up this stock-tank pool in their backyard and then building a bench around it. You also could dig out soil to create an in-ground version. Read about the Hey Wanderer team’s bohemian live-work home in Tennessee
The raised planter box beside the pool conforms as a pool fence. It also conceals the pool gate that is tucked behind for access up to the pool deck. A spillover planting will eventually cascade down the planter wall to soften it. The planter box is at a height on the pool deck side so it can double as extra seating.
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