When it comes to designing your own outdoor space, it is comforting to know just how versatile pool design can be in today’s market. There are no shapes and sizes too difficult or obscure to design and install. All it takes is meticulous planning and you can transform your backyard into a tropical oasis. From freeform to angular pools, it is incredibly freeing to know you have full range over the design and development of a pool that utilises the available space beautifully. Willing to bend every angle and cater to your needs, Tim Sprague, the co-owner of Kiama Pools sits down with Aoife Butler from Melbourne Pool + Outdoor Design to discuss the creativity and innovation in the pool industry today.
Kiama Pools designs and installs stunning custom-built concrete swimming pools and outdoor living spaces for households throughout Melbourne and the Mornington Peninsula. Sprague and his team pride themselves in creating exceptional quality swimming pools and landscape projects. This custom service that Sprague offers is tremendously important with regards to the experimentation of shapes and sizes. Specialising in custom built concrete swimming pools in particular, the company strives to ensure that their swimming pools and outdoor living spaces exceed clients’ expectations. The structure and design of the company’s pools are an important feature when it comes to the customisation of a client’s pool. At Kiama Pools, customers build their dream swimming pool and landscape, however big or small, and Sprague and his team ensure that these visions are brought to life.
BREAKING BOUNDARIES
Experimenting with various pool shapes and sizes is a creative way to liven up your outdoor area and make ample use of the space. When we think of a swimming pool, usually the image that comes to mind is your average rectangular structure. It is simplistic yet functional. However, today’s pools are pushing past these moderate designs and fully integrating themselves into backyards across the globe. Swimming pools come in a wide range of different sizes, styles, and designs. Lap pools are designed for health and fitness purposes, whereas infinity pools may be created. To make an architectural statement. Some pools are even integrated into homeowner’s backyards to create harmony amongst the landscape.
Many things dictate the shape of a pool: the available space, budget, sun exposure, how you want to use your pool, and the lay of the land. Sprague is aware of these factors and carries out a thorough analyses of the landscape before fitting any pool. Recent years has seen pool design and construction companies become far more creative, with many clients today opting for alternative shaped pools. Sprague states that “for some clients it’s a preference to a particular shape, or to match their style of garden/home. Sometimes we contour the pool to the shape of the property, i.e., angled block”, he says.
From circular, freeform, oval, tapered or angled, Sprague states that “the options are endless”. As well as the standard rectangular or ‘L’- shaped pool, homeowners have the option to revitalise their landscape by adopting a Roman-shaped or figure-8 pool. Think the glamour of Sunset Boulevard! While these too may be classic pool shapes and are in ways a variation of rectangular pools, these designs offer both functionality and elegance to your garden space. A figure-8 pool for example, is shaped like an hourglass and usually one end of the pool is larger and deeper than the other. The shallow end is perfect for children who wish to splash by the water’s edge, while the actual shape of the pool is a refreshing contrast to the standard rectangle.
TAKE THE LEAP
Sprague and the team at Kiama Pools are aware of the ever-changing styles in pool shapes over recent years. Sprague expands on this topic, stating that “styles are always changing, elevated circular spas have been a favourite in the past few years, above ground pools with infinity edge and overspill, straight lines are always popular and some people love the curves of a free form pool”. Creating that ‘wow’ factor is important for Sprague and so nothing is off the table when it comes to experimenting with shapes and sizes.
A uniquely shaped pool will get everyone talking about your outdoor space. With various pool shapes and sizes comes an array of different uses and benefits. After deciding that you want to accentuate your backyard with a fabulous pool by Kiama Pools, step one involves deciding its function. If you are looking to swim laps, an angular shaped pool may be more beneficial than a freeform shape. However, if you’re all about making a statement, a custom-built novelty shaped pool will utterly rejuvenate your outdoor space. Standout features include “a raised lap pool” and “elevated circular, square or rectangular spas [which] always add that extra ‘wow’ to a swimming pool”, says Sprague.
INFINITY AND BEYOND
A major trend that has influenced numerous pool companies over the past few years, is the beautiful and infamous infinity pool. Becoming a symbol of luxury and finesse, many of these pools are designed for properties with beachfront views. As a central focus of the landscape, these pools optimise the property’s magnificent views and beautifully utilises the available space. Sprague delves deeper into unique designs like the infinity pool and states how Kiama Pools “designs the swimming pool to be the central focal point of the outdoor space”. By optimising the available space, Sprague ensures that “the size of pool accommodates the client’s requirements, style, their home and block of land”.
Getting the aesthetic right is key when designing your dream garden escape. Ensuring that your pool is functional and “proportionate to your home and lifestyle”, as stated by Sprague, means you can then get creative with its structure and size. Sprague’s company takes a holistic approach when creating outdoor landscapes, setting it apart from other design and pool construction companies on the market, so get creative and do not be afraid to challenge and push the boundaries of pool design today.
Images courtesy of Kiama Pools
