Everyone wants a luxury experience from their backyard; who doesn’t want their yard to be a mini, personal oasis? Here at Texas Pool Champions, we believe that every yard should have a touch of luxury with a swimming pool, spa, and/or water feature. But how to make these luxury pool investments of any size feel like a million bucks? That’s why we’ve gathered tips to give you a luxury experience regardless of your budget, your backyard acreage, or your craftiness. 

First, one caveat. Luxury is not defined or restricted to a particular amenity or feature. What one person considers the height of luxury for their dream pool, (i.e. a giant, gilded statue of themselves in the nude) another might consider it the gaudiest piece of crap they’ve ever seen. While some luxurious elements are subjective, finding a fine-tuned eye will make all the difference in building your luxury pool in Houston. Luxury is a perfect combination of design and materials. So we’ve gathed a few simple additions you can make to any backyard pool experience to add a touch more luxury.

Construction Materials

One of the best ways to add luxury is to decide on a few higher-quality materials to use as you build your pool. While using top-of-the-line materials for every aspect of your pool may be unrealistic, adding a few based on your taste and preference can add a world of luxury. For example, consider adding one touch of luxury like picking a natural stone that speaks to you to use in the design or a dark, tasteful wood to create your deck.

Concrete Base

One way we create luxury pools at Texas Pool Champions is creating pools using concrete instead of fiberglass or vinyl. After 30+ years of working with concrete, we have the process down to a science which will save you money on a luxurious base. Compared figerglass or vinyl, concrete has a lower lifetime cost in terms of repairs and initial cost for a custom pool. It can also be transformed into a literal work of art in more designs and sizes than either fiberglass or vinyl. Its a luxury investment that pays off in the long-run.

Different cement mixtures will give your pool surface its character and color.

Photo credit: Garden Guides

 

Plaster Finishes

Plaster pools are hard, smooth, and a single color. Colors range from dark blue to light blue to white. Your pool water will look light blue with a plaster surface. Plaster pool finishes are created from cement and a white marble mixture which causes it to be more porous than other options. This can cause higher maintenance needs but is a great finish for those on a budget. Plaster is very traditional when it comes to structure so you may want to add other touches to get that luxury pool experience.

Photo credit: NPT Pools

Pebble Finishes

Pebble pools are created with a specific type of cement mixture that includes small pebbles and stones. This creates a natural look and texture. Pebble finishes are more expensive and have a rougher texture than plaster,  But you’ll also have more options for color and a longer-lasting, durable pool surface. Pebble surfaces would give you a backyard pool that makes a statement. 

Photo credit: NPT Pools

Quartz Finishes

While technically a hybrid of plaster, quartz, and cement, quartz pool finishes has all the pros of both plaster and pebble surfaces. Quartz finishes are durable, hard, and smooth. You’ll also have multiple color options and low maintenance needs. Having a quartz pool would add a luxury and convenience for your pool.

Photo credit: NPT Pools

Natural Stone

Like we’ve said, we are big fans of creating the pool surface with concrete. But there are other options for surfaces around the pool besides our trusty concrete. Consider using a natural stone on the surfaces around the pool instead of simply concrete. Natural stone is gorgeous for a natural look that’s durable and low maintenance. Natural stone comes in a variety of colors and price points. Natural stone gives pools of any size a luxury look.

Photo credit: Flickr

Another option we’ve seen is using concrete on surfaces around the pool but adding some large stones within the design. These rocks could be used as a place to jump into the pool, a natural seat, or a unique design addition.

Photo credit: Flickr

 Sleek Design

When planning your backyard oasis, great design can make all the difference before breaking ground. Think of how you would use your pool, where you would look at it most often from, and what style esthetic speaks to you.

Shape of Pool

When designing a backyard pool, sometimes less can be more. Simple, sleek designs for a pool are in vogue and give a backyard a luxury feel. Soft curves, squares, and simple shapes are very popular. When designing your luxury pool, you don’t need a complicated design to be on trend.

Photo credit: Flickr

Lighting Design

Lighting is probably the most versatile and important component on this list. Not only used for swimming at night, proper lighting can create an atmosphere of luxury and mood. You should plan to have lighting in the pool itself, but what about lighting around the pool? Tiki torches or a fire pit can give your backyard pool an exotic, adventurous vibe. Solar lights and lamps throughout the yard can create a calm ambience. Spotlights are functional but may not give your pool a luxurious feel.

Photo credit: Pinterest

Another way to add luxury lighting to your dream backyard is to add string lighting over your deck, the pool, or other areas of your yard. String lights give a romantic, resort feel for entertaining and night swimming.

Photo credit: Pinterest

Landscaping Design

At Texas Pool Champions, we suggest looking at your pool experience in a holistic way and that includes planning the landscaping meticulously. Landscaping can take basically any pool and make it feel luxurious. When choosing plants to surround your pool, consider low maintenance, low shedding plants. The less leaves or debris the better to cut down on cleaning the surface of the pool.

Don’t have a lot of space? An easy way to provide some benefits of landscaping in urban areas is installing some privacy screens. These provide some of the natural feel of landscaping and the same privacy benefits.

 Photo credit: Amazon

 Easy luxury amentities

Already have a backyard pool and need some pizzazz or don’t have the budget for some of the other things on this list? Here are some simple add-ons that add convenience and luxury to your backyard pool:

Heated towel rack

Who wouldn’t want a warm, fuzzy towel after a light swim. It’s like being in a spa!

Photo credit: Amazon ($56.99)

Outdoor stereo

Consider adding some music to your luxury pool in Houston. Whether its loud Metallica or soft Enya, make your backyard oasis match your style. There are stereos that are waterproof that can be in your pool or have a system installed near to your pool.

Photo credit: IWasteSoMuchMoney ($79.99)

Poolside cooler/fridge

What’s better than a crisp, refreshing drink near the pool? Consider getting a fridge with some style to make it blend with your incredible pool.

Photo credit: IWasteSoMuchMoney ($154.42)

Luxury pool furniture

While lounging near your pool, make sure your furniture reflects the ambience that you want from your experience. Plastic lawn chairs may be affordable but you sacrifice luxury. Imagine lounging out in the sun in some furniture like this from Wayfair. (below)

Photo credit: Wayfair ($295.99)

Water feature

Even if you can’t build a water feature into your pool design, you can still enjoy the calming effect that a water feature has on an outdoor experience. Adding a simple waterfall will give you a spa-like sound effect and a luxuious feel to your pool.

Photo credit: Amazon ($69.99)

We hope this post gives you some inspiration as to how to create a luxury pool experience in design, construction, and amentities. Ready to get a luxury pool for yourself in Texas? Contact us today for a free consultation!