Worried about the lack of space in your backyard? Contrary to a common misconception, you can install a high-quality pool in a backyard of virtually any size. Let’s take a closer look at creative pool ideas for a small backyard.
Get Creative: Big Pool Ideas for Small Backyards
Installing a swimming pool in your backyard isn’t just a great way to improve your everyday life. It’s a significant contribution to your health and entertainment options. But what if your backyard is tiny? That’s where creativity comes in.
Creativity is the driving force behind pool design. Even if you have a small backyard, it has enough space for a pool. Don’t give up on your dream to enjoy a poolside evening with a glass of wine or to watch your kids (or grandkids) splash around all weekend long. All you have to do is get creative. Let’s jump in and explore ways to make it happen.
Discover the Spool
Even if you have a small backyard, it still makes sense to explore backyard pool options. One creative pool idea for your small backyard is the spool, a backyard pool that combines the features of a swimming pool with those of a spa or hot tub.
Spools are becoming increasingly popular for homes with limited backyard space. They are also ideal alternatives for those who want the benefits of a water feature without a full-size pool. This creative pool solution also can include features a spa would normally have, such as heaters and jacuzzi jets.
As a hybrid, spools lend themselves to creative interpretation, and a quick web search will show the variety of small backyard pools available on the market. Unique and trendy, spools also allow your creativity to shine through, making them an excellent option for people who want to put their stamp on their outdoor space.
Related: Small Swimming Pools: Get Design Inspiration
Consider a Custom Shape
When you look at your backyard and don’t see enough space, it’s probably because you are thinking about a standard pool shape. Your pool doesn’t have to be oval, kidney-shaped, or square. It can be anything you like.
Irregularly shaped backyards aren’t a rarity. Neither are irregularly-shaped pools. If you take advantage of the available space without looking back at the shape, you can install a highly efficient pool.
The key to irregularly-shaped pools is proper installation and maintenance. Beyond that, they serve exactly the same purpose as perfect rectangles, squares, and ovals do.
Look at Long and Narrow Pools
Who said that pools need to be as close to a square or an oval as possible? If your backyard is small, you can consider a long and narrow pool.
These pools are actually even more fun than perfect squares or kidney shapes. They allow you to swim a longer distance, which is wonderful for your exercise needs.
Remember the Focus
Many homeowners make the mistake of trying to tuck the pool away into a corner of the backyard. They believe that such zoning makes their small backyard look bigger. In reality, placing a pool in the middle of your backyard can be an excellent design decision.
A swimming pool is a centerpiece of your property. There isn’t a reason to hide it. A well-designed pool can transform your backyard into a relaxation oasis and make it easier to arrange the rest of the design around it.
Play Around with the Color
If you want your pool to stand out in your backyard and keep the focus away from its size, you can play around with colors. Instead of traditional blue and white tiles, you can consider going for dark brown or black.
Using a dark color for your pool surroundings can make the pool itself look bigger and deeper. This optical illusion won’t just maximize the visual size of your pool, it can make your entire backyard appear stylish.
Dark-colored pools are exciting, glamorous, unusual, and downright beautiful.
Raise Your Pool
Elevated pools can change your entire backyard and provide additional visual and physical space. Small pools look great on raised decking, allowing you to fit more features into your backyard.
Raised decking can also create more spaces for loungers and swing chairs while making your entire backyard space look unusual and creative.
Move to the Edges
When you consider the perfect spot for your pool, there is no reason to leave any space between the tub and the fence. In fact, leaving a narrow lawn strip there doesn’t do anything for the design. Put your pool as close to the edge as possible and enjoy a larger swimming space.
Add Exciting Pool Features
Just because your pool is small, it doesn’t mean you have to give up on the perks. You can add a variety of features that can transform your pool experience regardless of its size.
Pools create an inviting outdoor space for family time, exercise, or simply relaxation. Spools and other small backyard pools are no different. They can also create value in a small yard, encouraging you to use your imagination as you design within a limited space. With the addition of water, beautiful lighting, and dedicated areas, the outdoor area takes on a new purpose.
Lights, water jets, and more can convert an outdoor space into a perfect space for relaxation, even when the weather turns cooler.
Turn to Entertainment Options
Another name for a small backyard pool is a cocktail pool, and it’s easy to imagine yourself sipping something delicious with friends around the lovely blue depth of a lighted spool.
When it comes to entertainment possibilities, pool size doesn’t matter. If you have the opportunity to buy compact backyard furniture and install it around the pool, you can come up with a large entertainment area with the pool as a centerpiece.
Small pools can even make it feel like your house itself is larger, since you and your guests are no longer limited to just the indoor space. Social events and family gatherings can flow from inside to outside to enjoy the beautiful features and pleasant environment the pool creates.
A renewed, more exciting backyard encourages people to go outdoors more, increasing the amount of livable space.
Consider a Sports Oasis
A small space that may not have offered much room for exercise can transform into a hub of activity after you install a backyard spool.
At-home exercise routines like yoga or stationary biking are easily followed by a post-recovery soak. Even family and social time involves more physical activity when centered around a pool.
A small backyard pool allows you to begin the morning with water aerobics, warm up tired muscles afterward, and then end the evening with a group of friends in the hot tub or enjoying the water poolside.
Although standard pools can also offer these options, the smaller size and spa-like features of a spool can make it more affordable and inviting.
Unexpected Yet Impressive Benefits of a Small Pool
While some homeowners are worried about the lack of space in their yards, this worry can risk missing out on the advantages a small pool has over a large one. Here are just a few benefits to think about when browsing pool ideas for a small backyard.
Cost-Effectiveness During the Off-Season
As both a gathering space and a visual element, a backyard spool continues to offer benefits even in off times, like during months of cold weather.
Relaxing and inviting, they quickly become a central point to any home’s outdoor space. A small pool takes less time and money to heat, so it’s easier to extend its use into colder months. Whether it’s spring or fall, the tranquility of sitting poolside remains the same.
Water features are not only attractive, but they can also contribute to personal wellness since the calming effect of water lowers stress and improves mental health. Add in the social and fitness aspects of the spool, and this new part of the home truly becomes indispensable no matter what the season.
Related: Spools: Ways Small Swimming Pools Can Fit in Limited Backyards
Simple Installation and Maintenance
By design, small backyard pools are compact. This means that installation is generally faster and less expensive than for a standard-size pool because there is less prep and construction.
The increased ease of installation also extends to maintenance. Smaller in size means easier and less expensive to maintain. This includes the amount of chemicals used, the time required to drain and refill, and the need to hire outside assistance for cleaning. Pool covers are also smaller and less cumbersome to remove and replace.
More Opportunities for Add-Ons
Since spools are less expensive than standard pools, many homeowners opt to add amenities that they wouldn’t otherwise afford. Interesting lighting and water features, for example, can be a simple and cost-effective way to turn a small backyard pool into the highlight of the outdoor space.
Higher-end options like special ledges, rock elements, and speaker systems are also much more affordable when included in smaller installations.
You can match your budget to your vision as you design the look and feel of your small backyard pool. With planning and creativity, it can turn into an affordable luxury.
Enjoy a Small Pool with Sizable Benefits
A small backyard shouldn’t limit your options. With the right approach and professional assistance, you can install the pool of your dreams and enjoy all the benefits of having one on your property. Take advantage of top pool ideas for small backyards and bring them to life today! Interested in a small backyard pool? The design experts at California Pools pride themselves on their ability to design a perfect outdoor living area to fit your needs–big or small. Find the nearest California Pools location right here.
