11 OVER-THE-TOP POOLS THAT WILL MAKE YOU LONG FOR SUMMER

From Elle Decor

We are firmly into the depths of Winter, which means dreary, short, chillly days for most of the Country.  Some folks may want to find solace by looking at pictures that harken them back to what seems like an eternity ago:  Summer.  This post from Elle Decor has just the prescription for one's Winter blues:  This post consisting of fabulous, custom swimming pools.  Remember, Summer is just a few short months away!

 

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6 Things to Look for Before Hiring a Company to Install Your Pool 

From Pool FYI

Let's face it, you are most likely very knowledgeable in your chosen field.  You spent years learning your field of expertise, and probably are quite confident that you know enough to be considered an expert.  You have reached a certain level of success, and you have decided to reward your family with a new inground swimming pool.  It is also probably safe to say that you are most certainly not an expert in the inground swimming pool design and construction field. Swimming pools are complicated projects, involving many different construction trades and disciplines.  How to you approach the process of choosing an expert to not only deliver the finished product, but to hold your hand and ensure you that you are with the most professional, quality designer and builder possible?  This post from Pool FYI gives you six things to use when you are vetting your swimming pool company, to give you the confidence that you will be in good hands through this potentially confusing process.

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11 Essential Landscape Tasks for Fall

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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7 Luxury Swimming Pools That Have To Be Seen To Be Believed (PHOTOS)

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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Designing for Fireside Warmth: Tips for Outdoor Furnishings

From Garden Design

Once one has been through a landscape construction or outdoor living construction project, the first reaction is usually to want to utilize the space.  After all, the reason that the homeowner undertook the project in the first place was to have friends and family around in a comfortable, warm environment.  The final touch, and one that sometimes gets overlooked is providing proper furnishings to outfit the space.  This seemingly innocuous detail can make the difference between just having a space and making the space useful and spectacular.  This post from Garden Design gives some great tips to wrap up the final stage of design and construction correctly for the homeowner, and to outfit the space for maximum enjoyment.

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POOL LANDSCAPING: MORE THAN JUST PLANTS

From Swimmingpool.com

Skilled outdoor living and swimming pool designers know what many people don't immediately realize:  There is way more to designing an outdoor living space that includes an inground swimming pool than just planting a few bushes and plants around the pool.  Thoughtfully planned space allocation, colors, features, traffic patterns, entertaining spaces, etc. all are considerations that make one's outdoor living space with a pool ideal.  This post from Swimmingpool.com gives some great advice on how to plan the ideal environment around a swimming pool, considering all of the aforementioned considerations.

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MY POOL WATER IS NOT ALL THE SAME COLOR?

From SwimmingPool.com

Of all the myriad questions that are presented to swimming pool designers and builders, the most common question is "What color is my pool going to be?"  This is a very complex and complicated question to answer, and frankly, the real answer is a moving target.  Pool color can be affected by a number of factors, and can change dynamically depending on the environment.  This post from Swimmingpool.com gives a very good explanation of these factors, as well as what a consumer can expect from the final product.  

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Luxury Outdoor Fountains with Dramatic Flair

From Luxury Pools

Landscape designers are always looking for proper space allocation, rhythm, repetition, and focus.  There are many ways to create a focal point in a landcape design, or funnel the eye towards a specific feature or set of features.  Even with an inground swimming pool in the design, the focal point can be something elsewhere in the space.  This post from Luxury Pools shows that a fountain feature can be that very crowning jewel on any landscape design, and shows some elegant examples of the state of the art.

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THE HISTORIC RISE OF SWIMMING POOLS

From Hayward

Hvae you ever wondered when the first swimming pool was constructed?  When did ancient man decide to create an alternative to natural bodies of water and create a swimming pool or hot tub specifically for recreation and therapy?  Why did man make this leap?  These and other questions are answered in this brief history of swimming pools by Hayward Pool Products.  

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