Backyard space is a precious commodity, especially if you don’t have a lot of space to begin with. However, you may still want a pool, and that requires some very smart landscape planning and design. There are smaller pools you can install in your yard, and there are plenty of ideas to make the space seem bigger than it really is. Turning your backyard pool area into an oasis of comfort and outdoor entertainment only requires a smidge of creativity and a few of the following backyard oasis ideas to get you started.

You can still have a pool with enough room to swim in without having to build an Olympic lap pool. Just opt for a pool of a more unusual shape. Some custom pool builders have created very unique pool shapes to fit smaller yards while still providing homeowners a big enough pool in which to actually swim (and not just wade and splash!). Organic freeform pools are one such example of a pool trend that is very popular right now. It creates a pool space that looks like it was something created by nature rather than manmade and conforms to the available space you have for a pool.

Create a Multi-Level Pool With Stone Stairs

Maybe you are short on ground space but you still want to have a spa/whirlpool and a regular pool. You can elevate the status of a small pool space by building upward. Creating a multi-level pool and jacuzzi space creates a very fun and inviting pool area with its upper stone deck containing the hot tub and its lower space containing a smaller pool. Stone stairs wind up to the upper deck, and the stone deck leaves lots of room for towels, drinks, etc. Usually, there’s a little bit of patio space left near the pool for an outdoor bistro set for entertaining and dining.

What do you think of most when you think of the word oasis? Probably a spot in a desert where green plants and palm trees just sprout up and grow around a water hole, right? You can do the same with your little pool. Landscape around the pool area with some beautiful flowers, ferns, and other greenery to make the pool area look really natural. Your landscaper or pool installer and designer will have a lot of suggestions for the kinds of plants that look nice around a pool.

Some pools have fountains. Others have waterfalls. There are even ways to incorporate falling water with fire or lights that make your pool really stand out from others you have seen. Dozens of ideas are online, but it also depends on what your pool contractor is able to build. Water features that fall to the pool and mix the water with pool chemicals are especially helpful for two reasons; one, they are adding chemicals to the pool to keep it clean, and two, the constant churning of the water makes it impossible for mosquitoes and other water insects to call your pool home.

While wood plank decks around pools are probably the least expensive to build, they are also the most frustrating to maintain. They will rot and fall apart quickly and can leave splinters in bare feet if not adequately maintained. Switch out the wood decking for vinyl decking that looks like wood, or better yet, use natural stone slabs to create a deck that will last indefinitely and only needs an antimicrobial power wash once a year.

An outdoor pool is nice, but it’s even nicer to have a place to sit, relax, eat, drink, and visit with others when you’re not swimming. Extend the decking out as far as your backyard space will allow accommodating a patio dining set or bistro set. Include an umbrella for shade or an awning off the back of your house. Trim with strings of lights to make the area more inviting and festive as needed.

Unfortunately, a lot of smaller backyard pools can’t accommodate a springboard diving board or a pool slide. The safety requirements and space usually don’t work out. That doesn’t mean you can’t have a small pool with depth. A step-down pool that gets very deep after a couple of steps is achieved through deeper digging during pool installation. Just ask your pool installer how you can do this with the space you have.

You can do a small pool one of two ways. The first involves buying a small, pre-fabricated fiberglass pool insert. They are generally pre-molded and shaped to specific shapes and sizes, which typically do not allow for a lot of customization. The second is to build a tiled pool, which offers a lot of customization but takes much longer to construct. With the latter, you can tile the walls and floor of the pool any way you want in any colors you want to create the most unique little pool possible. (There’s even a celebrity that decided to make the tile in her pool blood red so that the pool looks like a murder scene, but you never have to be that extreme with your design!)

You could use a pool insert and paint or tile it as well, but it still limits what you can do with it when compared to custom pool designs with tile. Be sure to explore all decorating and design options before you begin working on your oasis because once the project is half-finished, it is very costly to pull it out and start over. Sit down and plan things out thoroughly with your pool contractor, masonry contractor, and/or landscape contractor.

As you put together your design you can’t overlook pool necessities like handrails and ladders. Our American-made products provide quality construction and a stylish look to make your pool as accessible as it is beautiful! Contact us today to find your nearest dealer.