Twisting by the pool
Summer is almost here, so maybe it’s time to jazz up that poolscape, writes Colleen Hawkes.
In a couple of weeks it will officially be summer, which is pool time for many lucky homeowners.
By now, you may have spruced up your pool area in preparation, but if it’s looking a little worse for wear or dated, there are ways to fix it.
The trend for poolscapes today is simple, clean and minimal – from the paving to the planting and pool furniture, which is quite different from the preferred look 20 to 30 years ago. And let’s face it, who has time to weed between old bricks and small pavers?
Terri Maguire of NZ Pools in Wellington says the company is often called on to modernise pool surroundings. “Pools today are more like oases, rather than caged areas for swimming,” she says. “We will often lay one large concrete slab, and cut and scribe it to resemble large pavers or flagstones. Actual pavers can lift, and children running may stub their toes. The paving can be cantilevered over the pool to form the coping.”
Pool fencing can also be changed to enhance the poolscape. “A lot of people are now wanting glass fencing between the house and the pool, so they get an uninterrupted view,” says Maguire. “The other three sides of the pool are likely to be powdercoated aluminium.”
Resurfacing your pool is another option provided by many companies. “For a concrete pool we take the pool surface right back to the original to see what we are working with, and take it from there,” says Brent Dowie of NZ Pools. “A concrete pool may require replastering and repainting.”
Some firms also provide a resurfacing treatment for fibreglass pools.
Dowie says if the pool’s chemistry is monitored, surfaces are far less likely to deteriorate. “With the latest pool automation technology and cleaning robots, a pool can virtually look after itself. These systems can be retrofitted.
“If someone says, ‘We had a pool and it was really hard work,’ then it wasn’t set up right. Having a pool is meant to be enjoyable – a pool should be easy to look after.”
Another way to enliven a tired pool is to replace the waterline tiles. Steve Blackburn of The Pool Guys in Christchurch says many pool owners want to add these to existing pools that may not have had such tiles.
“Waterline tiles make pool maintenance easier,” he says. “Currently, we are seeing a big demand for glass tiles, but we are also installing ceramic tiles. Popular shades are plain glass, and white, green or blue tiles, or a mix of these shades.”
Blackburn agrees that resurfacing an old pool can make it look like new again, “so long as nobody cuts corners”.
Other aesthetic changes can include introducing LED lighting technology. “It’s possible to have coloured lights that change to the beat of music,” says Maguire. “And these can be controlled by an app on your phone, as can many of the other pool systems.”
Maguire also recommends a liquid pool cover, which helps to maintain a pool’s temperature and stops evaporation, without hiding the pool. “A liquid pool cover is like a seal on top of the water. It is undetectable to a swimmer – you can’t see it, taste it or smell it.”
Other things to consider include poolside seating areas. Shade is essential, and umbrellas are the preferred option.
Michael Pearce of Shade7 says the minimalist design trend also applies to outdoor furniture and umbrellas. “There has been a surge of demand for charcoal and grey colours. Often outdoor areas feature a lot of whites and greys, and also blacks, maybe using some smaller cushions to bring in a bit of bright colour.”
Bright accents are also seen in floating beanbags and other poolside accessories. In fact, the modern poolscape is anything but dull – it’s just a lot more sophisticated.