Hi everyone! So we signed a contract and will be getting a vinyl pool. It will be L shape with the shorter side being a sunshelf. We will have concrete decking and cantilever coping. Not going to lie but I’m jealous of how beautiful people’s pools are on here and on Pinterest. We have a pretty basic design ( we will have heater and swg and automation and lights and a retaining wall) but we can’t afford to do any extra in terms of design, like pavers, nicer landscaping, etc. All that to say, can I see some pictures of some more “simple” pools to help inspire me and get me excited? I’m hoping that adding nice looking furniture could give it the paradise look I was hoping for. I know I shouldn’t complain as we are blessed to even get to put a pool in but feeling a little overwhelmed at how much money we are going to spend and hoping to still have that wow look. I go through our local mls and look at pictures of homes with pools and to be honest, they look pretty plain and not what I was hoping for but more normal of what a homeowners pool looks like. I need inspiration! Thanks!
Not fancy but beautiful pool
- Thread starter ivparker
- Start date
- Jul 16, 2019
- 686
- Pool Size
- 20000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Turbo Cell (T-CELL-5)
Our simple rectangle. Jazzed up a smidge by the double steps.
PS - LOVE the L shape. That extra jut out really adds some great space!
PS - LOVE the L shape. That extra jut out really adds some great space!
I have an above ground pool that I LOVE (Once I found TFP LOL). It is as plain as they get! I turn the pump on by flipping the switch LOL
I would LOVE your L shape! That is my all time favorite shape for a pool!!!
Kim
I would LOVE your L shape! That is my all time favorite shape for a pool!!!
Kim
Can you show us your yard? How about any pool plans? We can offer comments on some ideas..... many times a fresh eye can be very helpful. Keep in mind many of the fanciest pools are in warm climates where the pool is open year 'round, not snowed in like you'll see in Michigan.
Maddie
Maddie
I love the color and the decking! That’s a stone decking? I think my eye is drawn to pavers and stone although I have pointed out some decking I like to my builder and he said that it was concrete. Just seems weird to me as usually concrete has a more pitted look, like in a driveway. I do want a very modern look. We just can’t afford ( or more like don’t want to afford) the pavers.
So the first is towards my house and the second is me standing at my house. This is MI so no pool builders give us a nice mock up picture. ? But imagine the pool wraps around the current patio. Concrete will connect to current patio and all around pool. So sunshelf part near our window. 16’ x 8’ wide. The rectangle part of pool is 16 x 42’. Our lot slopes so we have to lift our lot which means we will be getting a nice block retaining wall around our back property but the stone will not be visible in the pool area. The wall is greatly increasing our pool cost so why we don’t have much money left for nicer finishes.Can you show us your yard? How about any pool plans? We can offer comments on some ideas..... many times a fresh eye can be very helpful. Keep in mind many of the fanciest pools are in warm climates where the pool is open year 'round, not snowed in like you'll see in Michigan.
Maddie
First off, your home looks very nice 
And you have a good yard! How far back do you own? Will anything be built behind you?
If you're up for doing things in stages as the wallet dictates- I can picture a pergola on the decking. I'd suggest taking this summer to note where the strong sun hits during the day and planning where you want some shade in the hottest part of the day. For me, the sun come up and moves right across the pool so I'm only in full sun from 10:30 til 3pm. After that our sitting area is already in the shade. But depending on how your pool sits you might very well need a break from it.
Take your time buying pool furniture. We bought Trex furniture a bit at a time, over 3 years. Look for pre-season and post-season sales also.
Potted plants are a boon to decorating around the pool. Don't do anything singularly if you can help it... small groupings of pots in various sizes look best. No straight lines of planting, you want scenic interest. Drive around your fanciest neighborhoods and borrow ideas that they probably paid landscapers to do. Plan how you'll water them... while building the pool it would be dirt cheap to add power outlets and a water bib out in the pool area (perhaps future pergola area?).
Plan where you'll place your pool equipment pad so as to not be drawing attention to itself by sitting out in open. Plantings and small walls can hide a lot.
Solar or low voltage lights!
See what you can build from Pinterest ideas.
Maddie
And you have a good yard! How far back do you own? Will anything be built behind you?If you're up for doing things in stages as the wallet dictates- I can picture a pergola on the decking. I'd suggest taking this summer to note where the strong sun hits during the day and planning where you want some shade in the hottest part of the day. For me, the sun come up and moves right across the pool so I'm only in full sun from 10:30 til 3pm. After that our sitting area is already in the shade. But depending on how your pool sits you might very well need a break from it.
Take your time buying pool furniture. We bought Trex furniture a bit at a time, over 3 years. Look for pre-season and post-season sales also.
Potted plants are a boon to decorating around the pool. Don't do anything singularly if you can help it... small groupings of pots in various sizes look best. No straight lines of planting, you want scenic interest. Drive around your fanciest neighborhoods and borrow ideas that they probably paid landscapers to do. Plan how you'll water them... while building the pool it would be dirt cheap to add power outlets and a water bib out in the pool area (perhaps future pergola area?).
Plan where you'll place your pool equipment pad so as to not be drawing attention to itself by sitting out in open. Plantings and small walls can hide a lot.
Solar or low voltage lights!
See what you can build from Pinterest ideas.
Maddie
- Jul 16, 2019
- 686
- Pool Size
- 20000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Turbo Cell (T-CELL-5)
Thanks! This is just plain old standard concrete! lol. It is saw cut though instead of having the white plastic expansion joints.
- Jul 16, 2019
- 686
- Pool Size
- 20000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Turbo Cell (T-CELL-5)
It looks like you have a slight downgrad as well. One of the biggest surprises for me was how HUGE our slope was in reality, when it didn't look that much to the eye. We wound up needing a retaining wall (below). That was a decent cost. So def plan for the hardscaping (if you'll need any) from bringing the pool level.
Yes, thanks! That is what is making the cost a lot more so I just can’t justify spending even more on the pool on pretty stuff like pavers. Our retaining wall is going to be $16k and our steepest grade is 3 ft.
- Jul 16, 2019
- 686
- Pool Size
- 20000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Turbo Cell (T-CELL-5)
Wowza! What type of retaining wall?
This wall cost us about 2-2.5k (it wasn't even that long ago and I already forgot, ha!)
This wall cost us about 2-2.5k (it wasn't even that long ago and I already forgot, ha!)
My retaining wall(s) cost $4,000. or so 9 years ago. I can't imagine spending $16,000. for one?!?
It is block but with the stone look on the outside. It’s actually the cheaper route in terms of my choices. We had 5 bids and all came in at the same amount except one was even at $30k! It is going to be about 90 linear feet and goes up to 3 ft at its highest. They have to add drainage and lots of gravel. In looking at the bids, only about $4k is labor, the rest is materials. We thought maybe we can do it ourselves to save money but it didn’t seem worth it after we saw how many loads of gravel etc, they will need. Yes, it was a shock to the budget. The vinyl pool itself will run about $55k but then with the wall, fence, fixing sprinkler... $80k. So all that to say, my stomach is turning to spend this much money so I just want to make sure it looks great. I would hate to spend the money and it looks plain. I mean I know we will still have the fun of the pool but I love design in general, so hoping for a modern wow factor( but at very little added cost).
We had to do a retaining wall as well. I sure didn’t see it coming until after the decking was poured. We went with boulders as it was cheaper vs the block. It provides a natural drain and was less time and labor intensive vs the block retaining wall.
Attachments
- Jul 16, 2012
- 7,211
- Pool Size
- 27000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
I'm gonna throw out a possibility. Our pool was built by a contractor who was a licensed StoneMakers | Welcome to StoneMakers, The Hardscape Artisans installer. Our build was on a good slope and had a retaining wall structure built around the entire thing. It is roughly 200 linear feet. It ranges in height, from the footer up, at 3-6' tall. Above grade it's about 3' tall at the highest. The cost was not broken out clearly to easily determine the total wall cost because they considered the concrete deck to be of the turndown variety. Which means the deck edge on the low side goes down below the frost line -which is essentially a retaining wall as you see below. And the cost for that wall section was included as deck cost. But the whole cost for concrete was ~$32K for close to 2K S.F. of decking and 200 L.F. of wall. So I think this is much more volume of wall for much less cost than you are seeing. It's basically poured concrete with additives that allow it to set vertically without forms. It's carved before it hardens and then is painted.
Last edited:
- Jul 16, 2012
- 7,211
- Pool Size
- 27000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
Well, we are on a waiting list for a July build but depending on how things pan out with the coronavirus, I may be pushed back a month or more. Unless someone before me backs out. I’m in Michigan so we have stay at home ordera. I already was bummed at a July build as not much time after that to swim but I’m going to be happy if we can swim at all this year.
- Jul 16, 2012
- 7,211
- Pool Size
- 27000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
Gotcha. Thanks for the update. Wouldn’t be shocked if there were some cancellations.