I almost forgot. The reason I logged on was to get some feedback about the pool surface.
Fairly sure that we'll upgrade from plaster to either Pebble Fina or Pebble Sheen. Weirdly enough, there's not much of a price difference between the two for us. I like the smoothness of PF, but it may be worth it to go with PS for the durability.
I really like some of the medium blue colors that are available in PS, but we will probably go lighter because (1) lighter colors generally mean cooler pools, (2) the water line tile is light and I think there might be too much contrast between the tile and the surface if we go dark (thoughts on this???), and (3) the City of Houston may or may not allow a medium colored surface (it's a somewhat subjective process).
Ideally, I'd like a light or medium blue that goes well with light travertine. Want to avoid colors that look too green, as we have shade on the back of the pool in the summer. Would probably prefer less intense shades, though some pools with those colors are quite beautiful. Have a spa, a couple of shelves and a relatively shallow pool (no more than 6'). Not entirely sure if I like shades that look really different depending on depth.
It seems like most pools skew darker nowadays, so if anyone happens to have feedback on or pics of their lighter PF or PS surface, I'd love to hear about/see it.
And if any Houston peeps know of pools or showrooms with the following colors, please let me know, as I'd feel much better about seeing them in person before deciding:
PF: Classico, Cielo Blue, Bella Blue
PS: Artic White, Cool Blue, Aqua Blue, Irish Mist, Slate Blue
And if you're in Houston and managed to go with a darker shade you love, I'd like to know that, too!