Dazzling Pool Features
Water is a transformative element. After all, it’s associated with emotion and imagination. While water is powerful enough to break apart and move earth, it is also soothing in nature, capable of relaxing the mind and rejuvenating the soul. No wonder people gravitate toward pools.
 
An outdoor pool is a gorgeous focal point that adds value, both to your life and your home’s value. Whether you keep it simple or go all out, there are features that can take your pool to the next level of style and extravagance. Some of these pool features lean toward the practical, while others are purely dazzling.
 
Our outdoor pool designers are experts in helping you select pool features to complement your home’s and outdoor pool’s architectural style, and scaling each to fit your outdoor square footage and budget.
 
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Types of Pool Features
 
When selecting which pool features you want, keep in mind most any pool feature is in the realm of possibility. All it takes is scaling a pool feature to the correct proportion so that it isn’t too big or small for the size and shape of your pool and environment.
 
Water Features
  • Water Fountains for Pools: Fountains can fit any-sized pool, and they are available in a wide range of styles, from spillovers to floating.
  • Waterfall Features for Pools: One of the most popular features, waterfalls are often created using rocks or boulders (real and faux) to bring a natural aesthetic to your pool design.
  • Water Walls for Pools: Taking its name from the way water falls from a horizontal spout, water walls are usually installed on a tiled or decorative wall near the pool. These are usually lower than rain curtains.
  • Rain Curtains for Pools: Usually installed on a wall, pergola roof, or overhang higher than water walls, rain curtains let water fall into your pool in a narrow and wide sheet, creating a curtain effect.
  • Sconces for Pools: Sconces are decorative elements installed on pool walls from which narrow streams of water flow into the pool in chute, trough or sheet styles. Sconces can be shapes, architectural pieces, urns, vessels, or characters, like animals.
  • Scuppers for Pools: Similar to sconces, scuppers are slots or spouts that are attached to a wall or pedestal.
  • Bubblers for Pools: Bubblers, also called gushers, are small jets installed on the floor in the pool’s shallow depth area. The jets shoot water up from the surface, creating a bubbling effect. How high the water shoots can be adjusted to above or just below the water’s surface.
  • Pool Deck Jets: This dramatic water feature is installed on the pool decking to shoot a narrow, arching stream of water into the pool.
  • Mist System for Pools: A misting system sprays a curtain of mist over an area of your pool. A light misting can reduce temperatures in your outdoor living area, making it much more comfortable on sweltering summer days.
  • Spillover Spa for Pools: Spillover spas are called such because they are integrated with your pool, but installed at a higher elevation so that water from the spa spills over into the pool.
Lighting Features
 
Lighting features involve inground pool lighting and pool landscaping lighting. Pool lighting serves safety purposes, as well as adding dramatic flair.
  • Pool Deck Lighting: When sunk into the pool decking, these lights help friends and family navigate the pool area safely. If they are installed in concrete pool decking, it’s easier to install them along with the pool construction. They can be added to existing pools, but use an expert pool company, like Gold Medal Pools, to install them.
  • Above Lighting for Pools: Light fixtures can be added to nearby trees, gables, soffits and such to create dramatic shadows and moonlight-type effects to the pool area.
  • Spotlights for Pool Features: Light fixtures can and do illuminate any of the water features listed above, either subtly or as a highlight. Undercap light fixtures provide a subtle glow, while direct lighting can act as a spotlight.
  • Pool Stairs Lighting: Since outdoor pool areas usually involve stairs, it’s important to light them for safety.
  • LEDs for Pool Areas: Using LED lighting in your pool area opens the door to so many gorgeous options, from color-changing light shows to energy-efficiency. Since LEDs are long-lasting, they are a very low-maintenance.
  • Light Automation for Pool Areas: The more automated your pool’s lighting system, the less time you spend on controlling it and more time enjoying your pool. Automation can be set up to automate on and off times, light shows and zones—and controlled from a smart device.
Fire Features for Pools
 
Including one or several fire features in your pool area is a mesmerizing way to take your pool to the next level. Like water and lighting features, fire elements are available in a wide range of exotic or cozy styles, and they are scalable to meet any pool size, style, and budget.
  • Fireplaces: For outdoor pool areas with a kitchen or entertaining area, a fireplace serves as a year-round focal point.
  • Fire Pits: Fire pits are versatile in installation location and budget, yet always provide ambiance whether enjoying a glass of wine with family and friends or making s’mores with the kids. Fire pits come in many sizes, shapes, and fuel types, or they can be custom-built to your needs.
  • Fire Walls: As their name suggests, firewalls create a wall of fire that can be used as a design element to separate sections of the pool area. Depending on where it’s installed, a firewall can be enclosed behind glass, providing a super sleek, modern look.
  • Fire Bowls: Fire bowls have an innate exotic look, often installed at luxury resorts. They can be placed near a water feature and make an elegant “entrance.”
 
LEARN MORE ABOUT FINANCING YOUR POOL
 
All of the pool features described above are really just the beginning of what’s possible. However, they give you a starting point for creating a pool environment uniquely your own.
Consult with our pool design professionals who will work with you throughout the process from logistics to installation. With decades of history designing and installing pools for discriminating homeowners and resorts, we can find a way to combine all the elements for a next-level pool environment.
 
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