Top pick: incredible swimming pools with spectacular vistas From Hello! Daily News In order to elicit a truly emotional response from merely looking at a swimming pool, there is really nothing like an infinity edge pool. These pools have a...
From Landscaping Network
Designing an inground swimming pool or outdoor living space is complicated, involving many moving parts. What most people don't realize is that with all the energy placed into space allocation, traffic patterns, swimming pool placement, plant species, material choices for hardscape, grading, drainage, etc. etc.,;precious little energy is often placed into the nighttime use of the space. Skilled designers realize that after the sun goes down, the fun really begins. Properly designed and installed landcape lighting is crucial to enjoy and accentuate a sublime landscape design after dark. This post from Landscaping Network discusses the finer points of landscape lighting design to ensure that your own backyard paradise doesn't go dark when the sun goes down.
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From Swimmingpool.com
Making a significant investment like the one required to purchase an inground pool is a tough decision to make for some people. Next to one's home, the swimming pool project is usually the second largest capital investment that a homeowner can make. The benefits of having an inground pool in one's own backyard are legion, as this post from swimmingpool.com points out. The post gives 25 reasons to justify inground swimming pool ownership, and talks about how owning a pool can benefit Family and Friends, Health and Wellness, and Home Value.
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From Poolcenter.com
Once your inground pool is complete, it is time to outfit the pool with all the amenities. Floats, towels, toys, etc. are the little finishing touches that your pool designer or builder doesn't necessarily provide, but will make your pool that much more fun and usable for your family. This post from Poolcenter.com presents the latest and greatest gadgets and toys to provide the "cherry on the sundae" that will put the finishing touches on your wonderful inground pool project.
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From Shade FX
One of the key design elements for any backyard landscape design or outdoor living space is the creation of shade. There are many elements that can be utlitized to create shade naturally, but an open air patio is much harder to shelter from the blazing sun. This post from Shade FX gives 5 great ways to accomplish this goal, but utilizing umbrellas, pergolas, trees and canopies.
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From Hometalk
Water has too many amazing qualities to list succinctly. Adding water to any landscape design or outdoor living space can provide the soothing background noise required to soften a space, or can tie disparate elements together naturally. Flowing, bubbling, or cascading water can be the difference between a cookie cutter landscape design and a sublime melding of outdoor living elements. This post from Hometalk gives some great examples of how to incorporate a natural water garden to any outdoor space, and shows the spectacular results that can be achieved with proper planning and design.
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There are many decisions that need to me made when designing an outdoor living space. In the Midwest, or in climate-changing areas, the location of the hot tub is one of the most important. Is winter use of the hot tub going to be something that is desired? Should the tub be used in the colder months, should the tub be surrounded by a radiant-heat deck? Should the tub be near the house, or near a pool house, or inside the swimming pool? This post from Pools, Spas, and Patios gives some great design tips for hot tubs, including some additional amenities that will enhance the ownership of the hot tub and make the experience of ownership worthwhile and fulfilling.
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From Luxury Pools
It's easy to get caught up in the details of the swimming pool when one is designing a waterscape or inground pool project. So much time and energy is spent on picking out the tile, pool finish, coping, pool features like slide, diving board, sunshelf, water features, etc. that one's brain scarcely has room for additional details. This could be a mistake, explains this post from Luxury Pools, as the decking or patio surrounding the pool can arguably be the most important design decision for many reasons. The post also explains the different options with their associated pros and cons, focusing on Natural Stone products.
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From Barn Nursery
Believe it or not, we are on the downside of summer heading into Fall. It's hard to believe that the 4th of July is in the rearview mirror, but in a few short weeks the kids will be back in school and those halcyon days of extra sunlight and hanging out by the swimming pool will be just a loving memory. This post from The Barn Nursery gives you a handy guide to preparing for Fall and Winter by tackling the tasks in your garden and landscape that are necessary for Fall. With proper preparation and care, your outdoor living space will be much healthier and easier to get ready for next years Memorial Day party!
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From Huffington Post
As this article from the Huffington Post states, "a high-end home would just feel incomplete without a swimming pool." We couldn't agree more. While the swimmng pool has become the ultimate luxury item for the high-end custom home, some designers have advanced the artform to a new stratosphere. This post presents seven of these over-the-top designs that are described using terms like "amazing" and "extreme". Check it out for some design inspiration on your own backyard shangri-la.
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