A great pool is rarely just a pool. It anchors the landscape, shapes the way outdoor space is used, and often becomes the defining feature of a lawn. Whether framed by sculptural plantings, tucked into a hillside, or designed as an extension of the home itself, the most memorable pools are as much about thoughtful design as they are about cooling off in the summer heat. These inspiring spaces, culled from the FREDERIC archives, offer timeless lessons in making the most of your pool this summer.
Go Natural
At a summer home with a compact yard in Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina, designer Allison Abney used the lawn as the pool deck, picking up its verdant hue in the adjacent cottages’ shutters and doors. She rescued vintage Brown Jordan chaises and had them rewoven.
Embrace Glamour
Pools are a perfect place to experiment with your wildest design dreams. At this storied Bel Air home, the prince of stripes Mark D. Sikes evoked Old Hollywood glamour with a custom cabana, chic furniture by Janus et Cie upholstered in a Thomas Lavin fabric with crisp piping, and fringed umbrellas from Business and Pleasure.
Think Architecturally
At this modern Florida house in Alys Beach by Jeffrey Dungan and Beth Webb, the swimming pool was an integral part of the home’s distinctive design from the start. It is accessed from the second floor, with an infinity edge that flows into a lap pool tucked beneath the stairs on the ground level. A collection of sculptural outdoor furniture from Sublime Original makes a quiet but strong statement.
Follow the Sun
“Gardens have different personalities at different times of day,” says decorator Martyn Lawrence Bullard. As the sun moves across the sky, the shade shifts with it, so consider creating multiple seating areas around your pool to ensure there’s always a comfortable spot to relax. At his Los Angeles home, Bullard arranged inviting lounges and conversation areas to enjoy the outdoors from morning to evening.
Bring the Indoors Out
Pools also offer an opportunity to expand indoor living spaces outside. At Johanna Ortiz’s home in Cali, Colombia, her dining room opens directly onto the pool, for the ideal entertaining setup.
Define the Edges
Every “room” needs walls. Considered landscaping can create the effect of walls without actual physical barriers. At the Sugar Cube House in Southampton designed by Quinn Pofahl, soaring yew topiaries frame the lap pool, creating a separate world in the backyard.
Add a Signature Detail
Veere Grenney called on Italian architect Cosimo Sesti and his neighbor Umberto Pasti to design and create his pool in Tangier. “The pool is very Hollywood with those bronze serpents,” Grenney says with a laugh. “The only thing missing is Elizabeth Taylor stepping out of the water.”
Take in the View
The most beautiful pools don’t fight the landscape, they become part of it. French architect Jacques Couëlle embraced this philosophy at his extraordinary Sculpture House above Cannes, designing a freeform pool overlooking the bay which follows the site’s natural curves.
Know Your Audience
Think about who your pool is for: Is it a socializing spot for ladies who lunch? Or is it a playground for summering kids? At this Palm Beach home by Tom Scheerer, the decorator called on Keith Williams, co-principal of the lauded Palm Beach firm Nievera Williams, to install a pool within steps of the house for this young bunch.
Create a Verdant Border
Tucked within an eco-friendly garden designed by Fernando Martos in Marbella, Spain, this limestone pool is surrounded by bushes of trailing rosemary and orange jasmine, which blooms in the autumn; in the spring, the lollipop orange trees come to life, ensuring that the garden remains fragrant year-round.
