• Home Tours
    • Dwell Exclusives
    • Before & After
    • Budget Breakdown
    • Renovations
    • Prefab
    • Video Tours
    • Travel
    • Real Estate
    • Vacation Rentals
  • Photos
    • Editor’s Picks
    • Bathrooms
    • Kitchens
    • Staircases
    • Outdoor
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • All Issues
  • Shop
    • Shopping Guides
    • Furniture
    • Lighting & Fans
    • Decor & More
    • Kitchen & Dining
    • Bath & Bed
  • Projects
    • Editor’s Picks
    • Modern
    • Midcentury
    • Industrial
    • Farmhouses
    • Scandinavian
    • Find a Pro
    • Sourcebook
  • Collections
    • Editor’s Picks
    • Shopping
    • Recently Saved
    • Planning
SubscribeSign In
  • FILTER

    • All Photos
    • Editor’s Picks
    • outdoor
  • Locations

    • Back Yard(76)
    • Front Yard(7)
    • Rooftop(2)
    • Side Yard(19)
    • Garden(10)
    • Slope(3)
    • Field
    • Woodland(3)
    • Desert(3)
  • Landscapes

    • Trees(65)
    • Shrubs(36)
    • Grass(29)
    • Hardscapes(27)
    • Gardens(10)
    • Flowers(6)
    • Vegetables
    • Boulders(1)
    • Raised Planters(15)
    • Walkways(17)
  • Pools, Tubs, Showers

    • Large(5)
    • Small(109)
    • Plunge(14)
    • Swimming(27)
    • Lap(9)
    • Infinity(13)
    • Salt Water(4)
    • Concrete(9)
    • Prefab Container
    • Standard Construction(3)
    • Hot Tub(3)
    • Shower
  • Patio, Porch, Deck

    • Large(109)
    • Small(6)
    • Wood(26)
    • Concrete(32)
    • Metal(3)
    • Stone(18)
    • Decomposed Granite(5)
    • Pavers(7)
    • Tile(7)
    • Decking(11)
    • Planters(2)
  • Fences, Walls

    • Horizontal(11)
    • Vertical(10)
    • Wood(10)
    • Metal(6)
    • Wire(2)
    • Concrete(8)
    • Stone(10)
    • Retaining(4)
  • Lighting

    • Hanging(12)
    • Landscape(10)
    • Post
All Photos/outdoor/pools, tubs, showers : small/patio, porch, deck : large

Outdoor Small Pools, Tubs, Showers Large Patio, Porch, Deck Design Photos and Ideas

The hot tub is a highlight of the home. “It was worth the investment,” says Kara. “Especially late at night when you can see the stars.”
FMT Estudio renovated the pool deck with sanded red bricks manufactured in central Mexico.
Extension & Courtyard Facing Study
It goes without saying that one of the greatest masters of color was famed Mexican architect Luis Barragán, who used pink to dazzling effect in several projects, including Cuadra San Cristóbal.
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 central north-facing courtyard allows natural light and sun to penetrate the home’s core. As the site is relatively small, the more expansive outdoor space is found on the roof terrace.
Troy and Dianna Shurtz used the doors of the shipping container to create a screen that offers privacy for the hot tub.
Designed by Foundation Landscape Design, the concrete pool surround also features built-in seating that wraps around a fire pit.
Outside, an entertainer's paradise awaits. The backyard includes multiple lounging areas, a salt-water pool, as well as a detached guest house.
The clients had a very clear brief for the outdoor areas. The courtyard was to have at least one large palm tree, which would be clearly visible from the living space, and it was important that the space could be viewed from above and also below from the street entry.
The outdoor spaces—including a courtyard with a small pool—were formed by simply removing the original roof toward the end of the construction, allowing dry working conditions for the majority of the construction period.
A monolithic opening in the facade provides an entrance from the exterior into the courtyard. The property's extensive landscaping was completed by George Girvin, with outdoor lighting by designer Pamela Burton.
A pool cage with a retractable awing makes the pool deck feel like a natural extension of the home's interior, while the terraced construction lifts the building up above the level of floods and storm surges.
Situated amid the forest in Rhinebeck, New York, the geometric, eco-friendly Ex of In House by architect Steven Holl stars a large window capable of heating the living space with sunlight during the winter months. In the summer, a shade ensures it keeps cool. In accordance with the home’s sustainable mission, the interiors are finished with natural oiled wood and plywood, and all light fixtures were 3D-printed in PLA cornstarch-based plastic.
The reflecting pool/cistern serves many functions. It collects more than 50% of roof run-off to be reused for garden irrigation, acts as a cooling element in the summer as breezes run over the surface, and also "does the whole Richard Neutra effect," says Edwards Anker, in that the water, alongside the glass facade, mirrors the house and landscape.
A shimmering “glass house” sits at the center of the property. Inside is the “drawing room,” an inviting spot for drinks, dining, or planning the day’s activities. Beyond it is the hotel’s grass dune garden, designed by Madison Cox Associates.
The back patio was in a sorry state. The pool was crawling with algae, the concrete pavers were cracked, and most distressing of all, the slender wood posts supporting the roof had been clad in chunky 1980s tile. Jessy and Steve were anxious about what they might find once they were removed. “You never know what’s underneath,” Jessy says. Fortunately, the tiles came off easily and had actually protected the wood from the elements. French windows, added some years ago when the garage was illegally converted into a rental, were also discarded. “They had no business being there,” says Jessy, with a laugh.
The opposite side of the kitchen opens up onto an outdoor dining terrace. Above, grass grows along the roof at each end of the barrel-vaulted formations.
Three terraces surround and connect each structure with the outdoors.  This shady area provides a relaxing space to enjoy the quiet location.
Long Island Sound House's pool and hot tub connect gracefully to an ipe terrace. Sellars Lathrop Architects designed the outdoor and indoor spaces with hurricane concerns in mind.
The home has a DIY stock tank pool in the backyard where the kids can splash around in summer.
Mass Studio completed the renovation of a 1960s house in Brentwood, California, that came complete with a classic midcentury kidney pool. During the renovation, the patio and area around the pool was refreshed with a lounge area, fire pit, and plants.
Complete with multiple fire pits, terraced landscaping, and built-in seating, the yard is ideal for  entertaining.
The multi-slide doors on the lower level connect the house to the pool with functional decks and terraces, achieving a modern look and reinforcing the indoor/outdoor lifestyle.
The new pool was raised six feet above the ground and was designed for entertaining—and to better match the home’s new modern style.
Stone stairs on the perimeter of a main courtyard ascend to a rooftop garden. Large windows on the other side of the living area overlook an enclosed water feature with a statue of a monk.
Palm Canyon Motor Club is home to 100 plots dedicated to modern tiny homes. The mobile park setting eases permitting woes and offers community amenities such as a dog park, socials, and "one of the nicest pools in town," according to realtor Paul Kaplan.
The backyard has a zero-edge swimming pool and a spacious lounge area with a fire pit. There's also a high privacy wall topped by a perfectly manicured privacy hedge.
Honnold & Rex Architectural Research House
A sunny, California aesthetic shines brightly in the outdoor patio.
Located just two miles from the beach, Casa Pueblo Tulum is positioned as a welcoming hub for locals and travelers.
240 signature spots cover each of the columns that frame the jacuzzi.
The glass and wood walls of the bathhouse, like other retractable panels on the house, 

offer shade with a view.
Cuadra San Cristóbal by Luis Barragán
Cuadra San Cristóbal by Luis Barragán
Cuadra San Cristóbal by Luis Barragán
Cuadra San Cristóbal by Luis Barragán
The pool area.
From the library, users can look down at the pond through the clear panels. "The setting of the patio looks like it is waiting for a certain time—for the sun to cast in a beautiful shadow, for the rain to drip ripples, or for the breeze to blow in," says lead architect Liu Dongying.
The area under the raised level is a sheltered, public space.
La Vinya, PGA Golf Resort | Studio RHE
This net-zero residence by CitiZen Design Studio features Western Window Systems chosen for energy efficiency. The Series 600 Multi-Slide 90-Degree Door is architecturally eye-catching, meeting at a right angle in the home’s great room, and features dual-paned low-E glass.
The home is elegantly set into its surroundings and overlooks a serene garden patio with a koi pond.
inside out - living outdoors
The Ex of In House exterior
A huge rock that Liebermann picked out himself as as a diving board into the pool. Liebermann was very proud to design the house in a way that it reflects in the pool when you first walk in through the front gate. The reflection doubles the size of the house.
The new construction relates with the land in a very spontaneous way, taking advantage of its steep slope, the small stream, and the extraordinary view of the landscape.
Resysta decking surrounds the pool. A second charcoal-colored structure houses equipment, storage, a kitchenette, as well as a covered seating area.
Energy efficiency was a guiding design principle behind the project. The house is powered by thirteen large solar panels as well as deep geothermal wells. All the mechanical systems can be monitored and controlled remotely.
A terrace and pool at the back of the house allow the homeowners to enjoy the clement weather.
In homage to the traditions of Richard Neutra and Gregory Ain who built extensively in the area, the form of the 2,600-square-foot house, which includes an outdoor pool, emerged from the concept of building incrementally upward in steps along the slope.
12Next

About

  • About
  • Contact Us
  • FAQ
  • Editorial Standards
  • Careers
  • Advertise
  • Media Kit

Subscriptions

  • Subscribe to Dwell
  • Gift Dwell Magazine
  • Dwell+ Subscription Help
  • Magazine Subscription Help

Professionals

  • Sell Your Products
  • Contribute to Dwell
  • Promote Your Work

Follow

  • @dwellmagazine on Instagram
  • @dwellmagazine on Pinterest
  • @dwell on Facebook
  • @dwell on Twitter
  • @dwell on Flipboard
  • Dwell RSS

© 2026 Recurrent Ventures Inc. All rights reserved.

  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • DMCA
  • Sitemap
  • Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information