LOCATION, LOCATION - More and more of our clients ask us if we can bring their swimming pools closer to their homes. There are many visual and practical reasons for this but the most obvious is that the amount of “flat land” available on most of our hillside home lots is minimal, and creating a separate destination on the property is not always feasible.  

In having the pool border your bedroom, you may enjoy rolling out of bed and into the water.  A pool adjacent to the Great Room provides an opportunity to monitor the children whilst enjoying day- and nighttime usage.  A pool in close proximity to the house encourages a lot of dipping – it saves on the ‘trek’ – and before long the dipping becomes a part of the daily routine.  Swimming is still considered a very healthy exercise.

From an architectural point of view, bodies of water have many other visual purposes.  For example, the visual separation of buildings; or in some instances a site may include a reflecting pond to achieve an ever-changing image.   However the pool is incorporated, the swimming and playing environment can greatly enhance the overall visual impact of the home. Not only can a view be created where there is none, but you can also hide undesirable items and create the illusion of expansiveness.  And, by placing the pool’s water level at a particular elevation, you could enhance a great sight yet further by pulling the reflection into view.   The movements and reflection of water are pleasantly unpredictable.  Finally, water features such as ponds, spas, fountains or water walls add a white noise that may mask the noises from a nearby road or can be tuned to create soothing sounds.

Our climate lends itself extremely well to moving our life outside, blurring the distinction between indoors and out.  Taking the kitchen and bar outside is considered common sense in the Caribbean. Many a meal can be prepared and enjoyed poolside, aided with implements from a fully equipped outdoor kitchen awash with grills, fridges, icemakers and more.  And all this great stainless steel outdoor equipment has increased the popularity of the swim-up bar. These days people of all ages can be seen playing games or eating meals at the edge of the pool after a tough day at the beach.

Alternatively, forget the beach and create a shallow lounging area – it’s the perfect way to catch some rays while keeping cool, and at the same time provides a perfect spot to set your sunbrella. It’s quite safe for (supervised) little ones, too.

With today’s water filtration and sanitation equipment you can spend the entire day in and or near the pool and feeling great at the end of the day.  Really, you may not want to leave for the beach.  Swimming in the sea is an experience we can’t truly replicate with a swimming pool, but ask yourself what you’d miss the most – the sand, the salt or the jellyfish?