SubscribeSign In
All Photos/outdoor/locations : back yard/pools, tubs, showers : swimming

Outdoor Back Yard Swimming Pools, Tubs, Showers Design Photos and Ideas

The retouched meadow between the house and its detached garage/guest room was given a stone walking path.
Another move that reduces the house's environmental impact is the inclusion of photovoltaic panels on the roof. The panels generate enough energy to offset 95% of the house’s consumption.
Danny envisioned the space between the ADU and the house as an informal place to gather. "It creates a sort of courtyard sensibility, which works for our intergenerational family dynamics."
The courtyard brings natural light into the lower level of the home, which has a den/media room, guest suite/workout area, and storage and mechanical.
On the outskirts of Grândola—a small Alentejan town in the Setúbal district of Portugal—a dramatic architectural form sits in the vast, arid landscape amidst cork trees and herds of cows. The whitewashed guesthouse is known as Casa da Volta, which translates as "Home of the Return,
The home's windows are from Fleetwood Windows & Doors, while the sofa is from Teak Warehouse.
Twenty-foot-wide doors from Solar Innovations offer easy access to the deck. “Solar Innovations was the only manufacturer at that time that had a pocket multi-slider with a good ADA threshold,” says architect Erick Mikiten. “They almost look like steel, but are thermally broken aluminum.”
“The pool house was something I always wanted to build,” Robert says. The bar is the main attraction. And next to it, a lime tree is within reach to make fresh gin and tonics.
Guy (holding Pickles the cat) and Mark transformed the backyard, adding a pool and planting sycamore trees and native grasses. A custom dining table by Angel City Lumber is paired with vintage chairs from Amsterdam Modern.
Wood Marsh Architecture brings a sculptural aesthetic to a holiday escape in Melbourne, Australia. It opens up with an internal courtyard and orients to the rear, where an outdoor pool area overlooks the broader landscape. A sweeping deck follows the site’s natural slope to a pool area screened by a curved low masonry wall that nods to the building’s prevailing form.
Just inside the living room’s sliding glass door is a Parentesi lamp by Achille Castiglioni, an object Marc has admired since childhood. Below, the pool deck displays a pair of Eos side chairs, lounge chairs, and a square dining table by Matthew Hilton.
Lettino sun loungers by Claudio Dondoli and Marco Pocci for Ligne Roset are arranged along another side of the pool deck.
Along one side of the home, Chaya relaxes on a Isabbo sofa From La Redoute and enjoys a sunken pool deck.
The Patton New-Century house is designed for indoor-outdoor living, with the great room and bedrooms looking out onto a pool and outdoor courtyard.
Designed by José Guedes Cruz, César Marques, and Marco Marinho of the Portugal-based firm Guedes Cruz Architects, The Wall House is laid out in an open-box plan, and is fitted with plenty of glass windows to enhance the synergy between its interior and exterior spaces.
"The main spaces of the home are flooded with natural light because the homeowners wanted to capture the views of the mountain and have seamless indoor-outdoor living,
Architecture and interior photographer Marc Gerritsen went back to basics when he designed this minimalist concrete house that you can rent through Airbnb.
The expansive, covered patio that extends from the living space features an outdoor kitchen and adjoining pizza oven. “My favorite aspect of the project was that the clients embraced the idea that home can be more than just shelter,” says architect Cavin Costello. “It can be a place that incentivizes you to socialize, think, eat, work, create, and play differently.”
The deck features local wood, and the pool is made of concrete.
Extension & Courtyard Facing Study
Architecture and interior photographer Marc Gerritsen went back to basics when he designed this minimalist concrete house that you can rent through Airbnb.
“The intention of the landscape design was to create a tranquil refuge in a vibrant neighborhood for the family to entertain, play, and spend quality time together outdoors,” says the team at The Green Room Landscape Architecture. “The architecture produced multiple lines of sight that penetrate through the home, connecting the front and back yards with similar plant materials, creating a feeling that the house was planted in a scenic Sonoran meadow.”
People frequently talk about "good bones" when it comes to purchasing a home, but it's not crystal clear what that actually means. Here, we walk you through the process of spotting a diamond in the rough.
Day takes a swim in a new lap pool framed by a lush Southern California garden. The lower wall next to the pool is made from stacked Pennsylvania bluestone, which was used for all exterior stone as well.
"We imagined that the pool could function year-round," says Chevalier. "In winter, [it] creates an interesting contrast with the whiteness of the snow."
The pool was purposefully constructed close to the indoor living spaces in order to contribute to the interior ambiance. The material palette was informed by the color of the surrounding trees—clay brick for the walls, wood for the soffits, and stone for the flooring.
The rigid geometry of the home sits in pleasing contrast to the enveloping natural landscape.
The left side of the pool features a terrace and a large outdoor kitchen, while the right side includes suspended lighting and the changing rooms. The masonry screen—which is inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright’s Usonian period—allows for a dynamic display of light and shadows on the terrace.
Hidden from the dense oceanfront in Malibu, California, this restoration by Brininstool + Lynch promises solitude and garden views.
Creede Fitch and his wife look out on the courtyard of their Austin home, where a heritage pecan tree has pride of place.
“The pitched ceilings and ribbon of clerestory windows make the interior feel more spacious than it is,” notes Gooden.
The pool and fire pit in the courtyard are at the heart of the home. The olive trees and native Ironwood trees planted around these spaces soften the rectilinear architecture.
Before the home was built, the lot was almost entirely grass—however now the landscape is composed of desert and native vegetation. It also includes productive gardens of numerous types, including herb and vegetable plantings and citrus and stone fruit groves. These, in combination with the chicken eggs, provide a healthy, local food source.
The site has uninterrupted views over Rushcutters Bay—even from the lowest level. “The infinity edge on the pool really makes it appear to vanish into the view,” says architect Bronwyn Litera. “We also love how the huge gum tree in the neighbors’ property branches over the site. The main bedroom feels like it’s cocooned up in the canopy, and it provides beautiful shading and dappled light over the pool and windows to the west.”
The rear patio was refreshed with new concrete pavers. A strip of grass accents the perimeter of the pool and hot tub. The boulders by the hedge are all that remain of a previous owner’s rock grotto, which Steve disassembled.
“I designed the pool as a form related to the house, but almost stepping down in scale,” says architect Kirsten Johnstone. “Australia’s strict regulations around pools create challenges to achieve compliance. Here, we have used some timber battens and continuous bluestone paving to connect the pool to the entertaining area.” The garden is planted with drought-tolerant indigenous plants to support local wildlife.
Family of the couple live in a dwelling nearby, but a combination of siting and landscaping means both can enjoy the privacy afforded by the remote property.
Tzalam wood, chosen for its resilience to Valle de Bravo's rainy climate, is used throughout the home to open each room to the outdoors.
Below the patio, a two-bedroom guest bungalow is ready to host the couple's visiting friends and family.
The kitchen and dining area features wraparound pocket sliding doors for easy indoor/outdoor living. The master bedroom's balcony receives extra privacy with the wood feature.
12345...8