The simple lines and functionality of a rectangular inground swimming pool are appealing, especially for those who desire a lap pool for exercise. However, many homeowners also want a backyard resort with personality. By incorporating features such as sun shelves and spas, a basic rectangular pool can be transformed into an exciting and visually stunning outdoor space.
Enhancing the Rectangle: Functional and Aesthetic Features
Even with its orderly 90-degree corners, the traditional rectangular shape offers a canvas for incorporating both decorative and utilitarian features. With careful planning, an otherwise ordinary rectangle pool can become the focal point of your outdoor living area.
Tanning Ledges: A Focal Point with Functionality
A tanning ledge, also known as a sun shelf, serves as a beautiful focal point within the rectangle shape. Pool builders often enhance this feature with two or three bubbler fountains. Another design trick involves trimming the ledge’s border with colorful accent tiles.
Beyond aesthetics, a tanning ledge offers superb functionality. It allows you to lie partially submerged in the cooling water while enjoying the sun. Regardless of size, young children can safely play in the shallow water of a tanning ledge.
Floating Steps: A Bold Statement
A new swimming pool design trend involves steps that appear to hover in the water. These specialty features are in addition to those in a pool’s standard entry. Built into a very shallow area or raised concrete ledge in the pool floor, floating steps can complement a rectangle configuration.
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Infinity Edge: The Vanishing Edge
An infinity pool creates a stunning impression with water appearing to "vanish" into the skyline. On a rectangle design, the infinity edge will often span the full-length of one side of the pool.
Water Features: Deck Jets and Laminars
Water features offer another solution for avoiding a ho-hum rectangle pool. A deck jet is a more affordable option, and its moving water provides a light, soothing sound. The higher-end laminar produces a tube-like stream. To maximize the allure of your rectangle pool, consider adding a laminar or deck jet on each of the four corners.
Raised Beams and Pedestals: Adding Dimension and Water Elements
A portion of a pool’s wall may extend above the earth, making it taller than the rest of the pool. A pool built on perfectly flat ground can also include a raised bond beam. A twist on this strategy is to build one or several column-type pedestals around the pool. These structures can range from one to several feet tall.
Your pool builder can cover this swathe of exposed wall or pedestal with beautiful, coordinating or contrasting pool tile or natural stone. Raised beams or pedestals can also incorporate water features.
Statues: Adding Character
Statues provide an excellent way to punctuate the simple lines of a rectangle pool and give character to the outdoor setting. During pool construction, your builder can plumb hollow concrete statues to create water features.
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LED Lighting: Dazzling Illumination
LED pool systems offer dazzling, color-changing illumination. With a remote control, you can set the system to remain on a single fixed color. Some light show programs flash hundreds of pulsating colors, while others play a soothing blend of pastels.
Fire and Water Bowls: A Captivating Scene
Fire and water bowls, available in round and square models, add a gorgeous, captivating scene to a rectangle inground pool. The fire and water are a delight for the eyes during both day and night. To incorporate these features, your design can integrate one or more small sections of raised bond beam or one or more pedestals. One approach is to install a bowl on each of two corners on one end of your rectangle.
Umbrellas: Shade and Style
The most common spot for an umbrella is the pool’s tanning ledge. However, even if your rectangle pool has no tanning shelf, you can add an umbrella at a strategic spot such as a bench/loveseat. In these cases, you can have your builder create an umbrella sleeve immediately adjacent to the chosen location on the outside of the pool. Go for a canopy with vibrant colors, stripes, or other patterns that coordinate with your backyard, patio furnishings, and landscape color scheme. Particularly on large pools, some homeowners opt to put two or three umbrellas into their pool.
Spas: Shape, Height, and Placement
When it comes to rectangle inground pools, pool buyers frequently opt for a square spa that echoes the pool’s straight lines. The simplest and most economical approach is to build the spa level with the pool. However, another avenue is a raised spa. During the planning process, you can determine the spa height in six-inch increments. One placement method is building an interior spa-one that is contained entirely within the pool’s perimeter.
Modern Rectangle Pool Features
The Modern Rectangle inground pool is a modern take on the Classic Rectangle pool, with crisp 90° corners. The Modern Rectangle also has vinyl covered steps for a seamless look.
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Pool Sizes
Standard sizes for the MODERN RECTANGLE are: 12x24, 14x28, 15x30, 16x32, 16x36, 16x40, 18x36, 18x40, 20x40. Custom sizes are available in 1’ increments.
Traditional and Resort Depths
Modern Rectangle pools have a 3’ deep shallow end and a 7’ or 8’ deep end but can be upgraded to RESORT DEPTH shallow ends for a deeper shallow end. A growing trend is to have a deeper shallow end and a shallower deep end. Resort depths are typically 4-5 feet in the shallow end. The option wall panel heights are 48”, 54” and 60”. The water heights in the shallow end are 42”, 48” 54” respectively.
Project Examples
Here are some examples of Modern Rectangle pool projects:
- 16’ x 38’ Pool with Deeper Shallow End: Installed a 48” wall panel that was 6” deeper in the shallow end which helped eliminate toe-drag while doing laps. Also included an automatic cover, custom stamped concrete walk-on bricks, a low salt sanitizer, robotic pool cleaner, all-season long filtration, a 200,000 BTU natural gas digital heater, and two large ColorLogic LED lights.
- 16’ x 34’ Pool with Tanning Ledge: Included a tanning ledge for two ledge loungers, a hidden solar blanket roller, 4 deck jets, 6 small return style lights, stamped concrete, saltwater sanitization, robotic pool cleaner, all-season long filtration, and a 140,000 BTU heat pump.
- 16’ x 32’ Pool with Vinyl Covered Steps and Bench: Included vinyl covered steps and bench, a hidden solar blanket roller, and OMNILOGIC automation to control heating and lighting from a smartphone.
- 16’ x 36’ Pool with Full Width Stairs and Automatic Retractable Cover: Features full width stairs across the shallow end, an automatic retractable cover, custom poured concrete bricks, a custom depth to 4 1/2’ in the deep end, two large ColorLogic lights, a 140,000 BTU Summit Heat Pump, and an AquaRite LowSalt Sanitization System.
- 12’ x 24’ Pool with Split Bench/Step Entry and Deck Jets: Included a split bench/step entry, a deep end full width bench, 4 deck jets, stamped concrete, aluminum coping, three small ColorLogic lights, a natural gas 150,000 BTU digital heater, an AquaRite LowSalt Sanitization System, and a TriStar energy efficient pump.
- 16’ x 40’ Pool with Side Step and Sunken Solar Blanket Roller: Features a side step, a sunken solar blanket roller, stamped concrete, a concrete cantilevered pool edge, a natural gas 250,000 BTU digital heater, and full OMNI automation.
Customization: Interior Features and Tanning Ledges
With today’s computer-aided manufacturing, you can add a custom step, an interior bench, and even a large tanning ledge.
Pool Overview Examples
- Pool with Tanning Ledge, Benches, and Water Features: Incorporated 15’ long dual benches on each side, a 6’ x 14’ tanning ledge, and 3 x 3’ sheer LED lighted waterfalls. The whole pool is controlled by the Omni Smartphone App.
- Long Pool with Tanning Ledge, Benches, and Water Features: Similar to the previous example, this pool features a long design with a tanning ledge, benches, LED lighted waterfalls, and Omni Smartphone App control.