More homeowners are building
resort-style pools with sunken living rooms and platforms surrounded
with water; take a dip without getting wet
By Alina DizikOriginally published on May 17, 2018|The Wall Street Journal|
A
sunken living room created by Ryan Hughes, a Tampa-based outdoor-living
designer. Costs for installing areas in the pool start at about $25,000
for a simple platform, he estimates.
Joe Traina
More homeowners want to get into their pools without getting wet.
New designs mimic sprawling resort-style pools with “islands” that
are accessible via bridges and footpaths. Plush seating, dining tables,
fire pits and sunbathing platforms are serenely surrounded by water.
“In some cases we’re designing pools where people don’t even swim in
them,” says Kurt Kraisinger, founder of Lorax Design Group, a landscape
architecture firm in Overland Park, Kan. “It’s more about engaging with
the pool itself.”
Sunken living rooms with fire pits are a popular feature because
homeowners can be at eye level with the water. Others are opting for
large platforms in the middle of the pool with enough space for al
fresco dining. “It’s a fun feature that becomes a destination” within
the home, says Ryan Hughes, a Tampa-based outdoor living designer.
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A two-story ‘island’ is connected to an outdoor terrace in a Jamaica home.
PHOTO: NIGEL LORD
Homeowners are interested in creating pool islands to get a “feel of
multiple rooms in the backyard,” says Rick Chafey, a Mesa, Ariz.-based
pool designer. Mr. Chafey recently built a deck that’s attached on one
side and extends out over pool, so people can swim underneath. When
designing larger pools, the goal is to encourage multiple gathering
areas “by creating islands” that can make the area feel more spread out,
he says. Increasingly that means freeform pool edges or lazy river type
shapes rather than a paired down rectangular shape, says Mr. Chafey.
Others are using the island-type pool amenities to better integrate
the pool’s design with that of the home. Last year, Michael Nantz, a
Dallas-based pool and landscape designer, created a two-story island
that’s connected by a walking path to the outdoor terrace in a Jamaica
vacation home. The upstairs level is surrounded by glass, so visitors
get a glimpse of both the pool and the ocean, he says. The two-story
island is seen from throughout the home and “brings the pool more inline
with the [overall] architecture,” he says.
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Be prepared to pay for the amenity. A sunken living room feature can
be especially costly to install and maintain because there are
electrical hazards if high-voltage power is too close to the water’s
edge. Others are prone to flooding and require drainage pump systems
along with additional waterproofing. Built-in lighting is essential
because there’s no way to hang lights overhead. Costs for installing
areas in the pool start at about $25,000 for a simple platform, Mr.
Hughes estimates.
An elevated pool path in a Los Angeles home listed for $38 million.
PHOTO: SIMON BERLYN
In 2016 U.S. homeowners spent $2.7 billion on in-ground pools, up
from $1.8 billion in 2011, according to market research firm Pkdata.
The effort can pay off. Pools with opulent island-style entertaining
areas are increasingly a deciding factor for buyers, says Rayni
Williams, Los Angeles-based real-estate agent. In Los Angeles, homes
above $20 million can get a $5 million to $10 million premium based on
the pool and lounging areas that speak to the “California lifestyle,”
says Ms. Williams. Buyers prefer pool areas that are easily visible from
the main indoor living areas rather than on a lower level or hidden
from view. The “money shot” view of a resort-like pool from the home’s
entryway can sell a home instantly, says Ms. Williams.
Earlier this year, Ms. Williams sold a luxury property with a
12,000-pound rock with a fire pit center that was placed in the water
and allowed for additional seating inside the pool. Some Midcentury
Modern homes often have booths within the pool for entertaining, she
adds. Homes with sunken living areas and fire features can create buzz
around the property; a “famous” pool draws in luxury buyers, she says.
“Even if you use that pool once a year, [an elaborate pool] gives you a feeling that you’re going to enjoy your life,” she says.
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