Idea Book: Swimming Pools Make A Splash

March 31, 2019 Tex Appeal staff central texas pool and patio, idea book, pools, ramirez pools, swimming pools

By STACY MOSER

No time to schedule a beach vacation? Bring the serenity of the water’s edge to your back yard this spring. Adding a tantalizing splash to your environment can create an exciting space to enjoy family time and a soothing ambiance for relaxation.

Paul Ramirez of Temple’s Ramirez Swimming Pools and Chris and Jeniece Perry of Belton’s Central Texas Pool & Patio talked to us about how to make the most of a pool’s design to create a beautiful and functional water feature in your yard.

Just because it’s kid-friendly doesn’t mean it can’t look sophisticated. Here, a curved stone retaining wall offers easy-access steps to a waterslide and creates the perfect spot for a hot tub. Waterfalls provide the soothing sound of rushing water both for the patio and via the windows into the house. Photo courtesy of CENTRAL TEXAS POOL & PATIO

Safe for the Seasons

In Texas, the swimming season is practically year-round. “You don’t need to winterize your pool, like in the old days,” pool designer Jeniece Perry explains. “We install freeze-protection systems that turn on when the temperature gets to a certain point. Pumps with variable speeds really help, as they allow the system to run at a very low speed to save electricity. Pools also can get really warm during the summer’s heat, so we recommend pool features that will lower the water temperature.”

Here, Chris Perry took the swim-up concept over the top with an in-pool dining table surrounded by “barstools” and bench seating. Built-in receptacles hold beach umbrellas for shade over the table and, in the kids’ section of the pool, where low bubblers add fun for play time. Photo by JUSTIN BORJA

Match the pool to the people

Paul Ramirez points out that pool features should match owners’ lifestyles. “For instance, a large pool makes sense for a family with teenagers—don’t forget about opportunities to host team events and parties!” He says mid-size pools are suitable for young families with children or for grandparents who want to entice the grandkids to visit. Smaller pools are perfect for seniors who use it to exercise or for busy professionals who want to lounge pool-side or pop in for a midnight swim. “And handicap entry ramps are in high demand for special-needs individuals.”

This freeform raised pool features a swim-up bar, pergola with twinkle lights and a fire pit. Don’t forget to consider your pool’s nighttime use—dynamic LED pool lighting dazzles under the stars.
Photo courtesy of JASON LOCKLIN PHOTOGRAPHY & CENTRAL TEXAS POOL & PATIO

Hot Tub Happiness

Short of booking a trip to a tropical island, soaking in a hot tub can be one of the best ways to relax and unwind physically and mentally. Did you know many studies show that even a short dip in the warm water can lower your blood sugar level and blood pressure, relieve aches and pains, reduce joint inflammation, increase muscle flexibility and combat the effects of aging by improving circulation? Scientific research proves that proximity to a water source (real or virtual) promotes good health and calms the mind.

A water feature should be appealing not just to people who use it, but also to those who view it from afar. Surrounding this pool, boulders were arranged to create pockets for plants and to give the space a natural, meadow-like look.
Photo courtesy of CENTRAL TEXAS POOL & PATIO

Plants Add Value

Adding playful features, like this Japanese bridge, provides an opportunity to connect the yard and garden to the pool’s hardscape. Photo courtesy of CENTRAL TEXAS POOL & PATIO

Plants around a pool serve several purposes:
Privacy—consider where you put your pool and think about who could see what you’re up to while you soak. Consider taller plants to create “walls” to block others’ views.
Beauty—invite Mother Nature to the party by choosing plants that will enhance the look of your pool. But select plants that don’t flower, lose their leaves in winter or attract bugs (Mother Nature’s side effects can be a bit messy). Avoid plants that have spreading, invasive roots near a water feature.
Safety—the stroll from the house to your pool can be slippery—use groundcover plants to provide traction between pavers.

This elegant, ultra-modern vanishing-edge pool and hot tub design features a path across the pool with steps that seem to float across the surface of the water.
Photo by RALPH RAMIREZ, Courtesy of Ramirez Swimming Pools

Positioning the Pool

Just because your yard is situated on a steep slope doesn’t mean you don’t have design options for a pool. Consider a smaller pool in a side yard or creating retaining walls to hold back a slope and create terraces for shrubs. “We love a challenge and build pools on slopes all the time,” says Chris Perry. “The key is to utilize the natural aspects of your yard and make the pool look like it’s always been there. We work on some very small, garden-style lots where we put the pool right up next to the back porch so it looks like it’s actually part of the house.”
Things to consider:
Do you want access from all sides?
How far will you have to walk from the house to reach the pool?
Where will the pool equipment be located? A noisy motor under a bedroom window, for instance, is a bummer. Ask for a high-end pool pump with variable speeds—they’re extremely efficient and quiet.

Central Texas Pool & Patio, LLC
CentralTexasPoolAndPatio.com | 254-251-1193

Ramirez Swimming Pools
RamirezPools.com | 254-773-0765

Safe for the Seasons

Match the pool to the people

Hot Tub Happiness

Plants Add Value

Positioning the Pool

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