Make A Splash: Pools That Inspire

On a hot summer day, there is no better place to be than poolside. You have to admit, whether you’re planning on taking a dip or seeking a perfect reading spot, you would be hard pressed to find a more satisfying setting in which to spend a few hours than the above scene, designed by Howard Design Studio in Atlanta. (It would also rank highly on our list of potential places to sip a cocktail or sneak in a siesta.)

A welcoming pool situated in an environment every bit as relaxing and refreshing as the water itself is the ultimate summertime destination. This McAlpine Tankersley-designed scene fits that description to a tee.

The Cory Spencer Partners-designed space (top) is beautifully symmetrical and pool party-ready, thanks to a seating area under a pergola and a neat row of chaises. Dallas’s Lambert’s Landscape Company’s carefully placed topiaries, trees, hedges, and other outdoor elements create the perfect poolside retreat. With its charming pool house, rows of cabanas, and soft green stretch of grass, the pool area by Phoenix-based Christy & Company offers a variety of options for potential loungers.

There is something so luxurious about sitting by a pool with a natural body of water as your backdrop, as illustrated by the above examples by Napa’s Roche + Roche (top) and Knoxville’s Stephen W. Hackney Landscape Architecture (above).

The juxtaposition of the rectangular lap pool, which is all business with its sharp lines and angles, and the round, rock-bottomed lily pond; sculptural chaises; and surrounding gardens make the pool scene found in the portfolio of Greenwich’s Devore Associates Landscape Architecture one of our favorites.

The pools shown in the photo of the house by Christy & Company architects (top) and in images from the portfolio of San Francisco-based landscape architects Strata (above, both left and right) are modern, serene, and oh so stylish.

Simple and stunning, this pool by Augusta Aquatics is situated perfectly among the gorgeous Virginia mountains. The sleek design and lack of a constraining front edge make it the perfect place to take in the hilly terrain.

With its clean lines and bright blue tiles, this pool perfectly inhabits its Herlong & Associates-designed surroundings.

Austin-based Design Ecology‘s pools are to die for. We are ready to dive into this infinity stunner for the rest of the summer.