Janet Butler
Whether you love sun or shade, swimming laps or bubbling in a spa, infinite edges or a “pond” feel, this sample gallery by Geremia Pools of Sacramento, California, will give you plenty to dream about. You might pick a serene pool and spa in purple brick and white stone — with a gazebo full of plants and greenery. Or, if you want your own “blue lagoon,” select a pool built of native stone, complete with its own waterfall, and have an “instant vacation” right on the premises. Go for extravagant luxury — a lavish rectangular pool with neon-lighted waterspouts and uplit landscaping — or choose a more modest wedge shape, nestled in a stone patio with twin waterfalls and a water slide at one end: it’s up to you and your budget.
And pools are workable, even if your property is average-sized. Although a multi-acre estate helps when you’re putting together the magnificent Greek-inspired numbers with columns and porticos, a scaled-down version of that same item can grace a smaller property, too. Enjoy a compact lap pool and mini-spa, just the right size for an afternoon’s fun, with a handy table, chairs, and umbrella close by. Your pool can add panache to an ordinary suburban yard — multicolored stone steps, water slides, matching spas, and all — as much as it enhances a golf-course property or adds a fun “extra” to living in a lakefront community. Blue mosaic or limestone, with palm trees or bougainvillea, waterfalls, spouts, or fountains — these pools are a great idea-starter for planning your own special backyard water spot.
