5 Interesting and Unique Pool Features
November 28, 2016 at 08:01 PM
From unique water features to custom hot tubs, here are some of the more “unique” swimming pool add-ons.*
Slide connecting an upstairs bedroom window into the outdoor swimming pool. Rise out of bed, open the window, sit at the top of the slide and let it spit you into the pool below. This is every kid’s dream come true, and possibly every parent’s nightmare. Except, of course, when the slide comes out of the master bedroom, which is another feature that’s been installed in pools. Then again, swimming pools often bring out the kid in all of us. In some slightly more reasonable installations, a slide begins at the top of a wide second-floor balcony (which sits on a hill) and flushes into the pool on the first level. There’s also an alternate route down to the pool: the stairs.
Lazy river around the house. Not for the faint of wallet, but once installed, it’s a soothing journey that circulates you around and around your mansion. These have appeared among some more luxury properties and often take on a more high-end, landscaped look than what’s usually seen at the local waterpark. Sometimes the lazy river circles around a separate pool house or pavilion, with a waterfront stop at the main house, connected by a walking bridge. In many homes, a lazy river will be designed to resemble a natural pond or grotto, complete with rock work and lush plantings. For those looking for exercise, swimming against the current makes for a great workout.
Clear glass pool walls. A little like an aquarium or fish tank, some modern swimming pools are built partially above-ground, finished with a glass wall or two on the sides. In most cases, the water cantilevers over the edge. As long as the water and the glass are clean and clear, the effect looks as if there’s no wall at all. People outside the pool can see swimmers inside, and swimmers can look out the clear wall at what’s happening on the pool deck.
Custom pools and hot tubs. Want to take a dip in a martini-shaped hot tub? How about swim laps across a guitar fretboard? Yes, there are swimming pools that are shaped in such ways. Shapes include hearts, stars, pianos, cats, violins (complete with a hot-tub chin-rest), feet (with five hot-tub toes), even the state of Texas. They all certainly makes regular swimming pools seem extra rectangular. ‘
Pools inside homes as water features. Not to be confused with the indoor swimming pool or a covered swimming pool, indoor water features are the size of pools and can serve as a pool. Except that they’re placed right in the middle of people’s living spaces and not as an extension to the backyard. These pools serve more as a modern indoor pond designed for admiring than swimming. They exist right inside living rooms, kitchens, dens, or outdoor spaces. Particularly popular in warm climates, where homes have an open-air feel and pools can remain operational year-round, these pools/water features are inviting to swim in or to gaze upon from the living room sofa. Slabs or bridges create walkways for people to walk across them in the home, and some may have several pools throughout the home, or a single one separated by walkways. Watch your step: many can (and have) slip into a pool by accident.
Want a cat-shaped pool, or a second-story waterslide? If you’ve got the budget and the imagination, chances are your builder* can point you in the right direction.
*Safety is paramount, consider who will be spending time around your pool and make sure that all applicable codes and safety regulations are adhered to.