A well-designed outdoor living space transforms a swimming pool from a single feature into a genuinely complete private retreat. The pool house, terrace, paving, planting, lighting and any associated leisure structures all contribute to the quality of the overall space and the enjoyment of the pool over time.

A pool house provides the practical infrastructure that makes a pool more enjoyable and more usable. At its most basic, it provides changing facilities and a WC close to the pool — avoiding the constant traffic through the main house. At its most ambitious, it can be a fully equipped leisure space with a sitting room, kitchenette, shower room and changing area that makes the pool setting self-contained for extended periods of outdoor living.

The terrace surrounding the pool is the social space of the outdoor pool setting — where people sit, sunbathe, eat and entertain. Its size, material and relationship to the pool all affect how the space works in use. Premium natural stone, porcelain and other quality paving materials provide a surface that is both beautiful and practical around water. The terrace should be generous — a pool with a mean or narrow surround always looks and feels inadequate.

Outdoor kitchens and sheltered dining areas adjacent to the pool have become increasingly popular with homeowners who use their pools primarily for entertaining. A quality outdoor kitchen — whether a simple built-in barbecue and preparation area or a fully equipped outdoor cooking space — transforms the usability of the pool setting for summer entertaining.

Good lighting extends the enjoyment of the pool into the evening and is often overlooked in favour of other budget priorities. Underwater pool lighting, terrace step lighting, ambient garden lighting and lighting within a pool house or pergola structure all contribute to a pool setting that is inviting and atmospheric after dark.

We approach pool house and surround projects as part of the overall pool design, not as separate afterthoughts. The pool, the terrace, the pool house and any associated structures should be conceived together to create a cohesive, properly considered outdoor space.