Pool Landscaping Ideas For Small Backyards - BackyardAdvice.net (2023)

Double Up A Pool As Decoration

Small Backyard Pool Ideas – Pool landscaping Ideas and Designs

In a small backyard, a pool needs to work hard. You’re going to be able to see it from all angles so it needs to be decorative as well as functional. By avoiding the blue tiles that are usually synonymous with swimming pools, this tiny pool almost looks like a water feature, with its still waters reflecting the garden that surrounds it. It actually makes this small garden seem bigger as it doesn’t break up the patio and bounces more light around the space.

Our Backyard Swimming Pool Landscaping Designs & Ideas

We offer thoughtful backyard swimming pool designs and professional landscaping services to help enhance the overall aesthetics of your property. Our team can recommend unique ideas and features to complement your pool, enhance its beauty and functionality, making your leisure time more fun.

To make your pool time more exciting, we will make use of the following backyard pool landscaping ideas and features:

Fire Features: Using fire and water can add flair to your pool area and create the perfect ambiance to spend time with your friends and family. We use fire pits, bowls, and fireplace to enhance aesthetic appeal.

Plants & Vibrant Colors: Planting trees, shrubs, and flowers are an incredible way to make you feel closer to nature. In addition to enhancing the appeal of the pool, they are also eco-friendly. The spectacular blue of water when coupled with fresh green and vivid colours of the flowers, creates a picturesque view.

Lighting Fixtures: Incorporating unique light fixtures is an excellent way to illuminate the pool area. It is both practical and decorative. Moreover, it also proves to be economical as far as pool landscaping is concerned.Adding Kitchens, Pergolas & Other Features: Whether you want an outdoor kitchen by the pool, pergola, or any other feature, we will make it possible. We have an exceptional team of pool experts to help you with the desired landscaping aspects.

Make It Moody With Dark Tiles

Ditch the traditional blue and opt for dramatic dark tiles. This is ideal for smaller pools as much like in small rooms, using a dark color can expand the space and make it look bigger and deeper. And isn’t there just something so glamorous about a black pool? It looks wonderful contrasted with the pale sandstone patio of this fabulous Australian home design by CplusC architects .

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String Lighting To Make The Place Shine

Image Source:veranda

When discussing outside landscaping for a backyard pool, lighting is something that comes to mind first. Have you ever explored your city during Christmas and were amazed by the trees lighting decors?

You can give the same touch to your yard with a small pool. Not only for the matter of adding aesthetics, but strig lights are of other great uses too. True, the sun is the ultimate light source, but it is not feasible for the whole time.

In the evenings and nights, you need to take the help of artificial lights, which you can do with string lights.

Compared to larger bulbs, LED lighting is the most efficient option for lighting, and this is because it is more affordable and less of a hassle to use.

However, make sure that the connection of these LED string lights is at a safe distance from the water. It is safer to use them on walls which is much safer and reduces the risk of any unanticipated dangers. Unless, of course, you choose unique LED lights created expressly for use underwater.

Cost For Small Backyard Landscaping

On average, homeowners with lawn space that is .25 acres can expect to spend $10,000 on landscaping that involves a professional design and mixed materials. When youre working with a smaller space than that, there are two ways to approach landscaping a small backyard.

First, with less space to fill, it can be easier to keep your landscaping budget in check. Especially if you maximize a combination of perennial flowers, long-lasting xeriscaping elements and DIY projects, you can really transform a small yard landscape without a significant investment.

The other way to approach a small backyard is by allowing yourself to splurge more on hardscaping elements. Because space is limited, high-quality landscaping can truly be the focal point and make a big impression. Whether your priority is to save money or create an amazing backyard, there are some great small yard landscaping projects that are sure to inspire.

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Where Should I Put My Pool In My Backyard

When deciding where to put your pool, go back to how you want to use it. Will you need a lot of space surrounding the pool, or are you looking to tuck it into a hidden corner? If youve already spent significant time and energy on landscaping your backyard, choose a location that complements the work youve already put in.

You also want to consider your budget. If you have a more conservative budget and need to streamline your décor ideas, you may want to place your pool closer to your home so it doesnt look awkwardly stranded in the middle of your yard. If your budget is more substantial and youre looking to splurge, you can allow more space around the pool for lavish landscaping or tiling.

How Much Does It Cost To Build An Outdoor Pool

In the UK, Householdquotes.co.uk says inground pool costs can start at £15,000 for a simple liner, whilst a mosaic-tiled design can start at £25,000. For the US, Homeadvisor.com says inground designs can cost anywhere from $20,000 to $100,000 or more, with evacuation taking up 50% of the overall price.

Natural pools can be more expensive to install, however, the costs of maintenance are lower. For a design with stone step entry, timber jetty, and jumping rock with a set of stepping stones, look for around £115,000 for up to 100sqm, as estimates the team at Gartenart. However, more formal designs can cost higher, due to the blockwork wall, coping work, and more intensive liner-installation process. For the US, Homeadvisor estimates a typical cost of $70,000, assuming an average size of 600 square feet.

If you’re wondering whether you can introduce a pool to your cheap garden ideas, above-ground designs are definitely the more affordable option. According to Householdquotes.co.uk, they can start at around £2,500 for a 12ft by 24ft product. In the US, Homeadvisor estimates a cost of $700 to $5,000 for this sort of design. Plus, they’re fairly simple to assemble. However, rather than a landscaped pool, they have the look of a large paddling pool. They’re great for a quick dip, but if you’re after a high-end look, they might not live up to your expectations.

A luxurious poolside setup, featuring furniture from OKA UK

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To Deal With Sunny Days Add A Canopy For Shade

Image Source:sonomabackyard

With summer comes the intense sun rays. A sunny day is great to enjoy in the pool, but access exposure to sunlight can spoil the mood. To deal with that, you can add a canopy over your pool for some shade. It will protect you from tanning and add an aesthetic appeal to your pool space.

Build A Pool House Nearby

Small Backyard Pool Design Ideas: Phoenix Spool | California Pools & Landscape

This garden building is practical as well as pretty

This streamlined waterfall is a great choice for a luxurious look. Its elegance is only enhanced by the ornate pool house nearby with its complementary curved roof and eye-catching finials.

Having a garden building like this doesn’t just up the aesthetics of the scene, it’s also super practical, providing a place to change, store towels, and take a post-swim nap in the shade.

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How Well Do Your Pool Design Ideas Suit Your Property

Your pool design has to fit with the overall appearance of your property. It must blend seamlessly into the space of your backyard, so it looks like part of your home and becomes a beautiful design feature in your yard.

This means you need to look at the architectural style of your house when choosing your pool. Would a contemporary or traditional pool coordinate better with your house? Should the edges be straight and streamlined, or would a softer, more rounded look suit your property? Many pool manufacturers enable their pools to be styled in different ways, with either straight-edged or rounded-edged paving around them. This can completely transform the look of your pool and enable it to blend in better with the rest of your property.

Another element to consider here is the right pool colour to choose. If you are having a concrete pool built, you can choose from any number of different tiles. Fibreglass pools, on the other hand, come with gelcoat surfaces, which are easier to keep clean, but they are only available in as many colours as the manufacturer provides. Take a look at your home and yard, and consider which colour would coordinate best with the surroundings. Choosing the right colour can make all the difference when it comes to fitting your pool with the landscape and helping it to stand out as a feature.

Some Greenery Would Be A Better Touch

Image Source:bobvila

If you are a profound plant lover and want greenery in every inch of your place, this is the best landscaping plan for you. Since plants do not only have a green aesthetic to the place but are eco-friendly and make the environment around healthy.

To work more eco-friendly, you can use outdated stuff using recycling. For instance, you can turn your old truck tires into flower planters by recycling them if they are old and rugged, you can paint them in vivid colors to give a more colorful look to your backyard with a pool, or you can recycle old wine bottles to make hanging planting.

If you are perplexed about where to start landscaping your backyard with a pool, we say that the best way to start is to begin sweeping, mowing the lawn, plucking weeds, and taking out any dead plants.

Another crucial step is to declutter and remove anything superfluous. It will not only help in cleaning your backyard but will be great care for plants too.

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Combine Planting With Paving

Olive trees will bring a touch of the Mediterranean to your yard, and theyre hardier than you think. Perfect for small spaces, mature olive tress with gnarled trunks will allow to eye to see beyond the immediate space.

‘The key to creating a successful garden of this type is to choose the two main elements planting and paving carefully,’ says designer . ‘This space makes use of natural materials to create a calming oasis in a big city.’

Plant these drought-tolerant plants along a paved pathway to create a welcoming archway inspired by Mediterranean gardens, as Fiorella has done here. Then pour yourself a glass of wine, sit beside your olive trees, and bask in the sun while imagining that youre holidaying on the shore of the Med.

Pool Landscaping Ideas For Small Backyards

Small yards can benefit from pools just as much as larger ones. In fact, they can be easier to maintain and more wallet-friendly, so you may consider implementing some small backyard landscaping ideas regardless of the size of your yard.

A simple rectangular pool with minimal surrounding deck space is a reliable option for homeowners with small backyards. Play up the simplicity of the landscape with elaborate tiling inside the pool, and stick to simple foliage like flowering herbs that wont overwhelm your space.

You can also get creative with deck space. Teak slats, stone blocks in a whimsical pattern, or tasteful earthen clay tiles in clean, straight lines will draw the eye to your pool, not the lack of space in your backyard. You may also want to consider low-maintenance wood alternatives like Trex composite decking.

Small yards are also great for plunge pools. Embrace the ancient antiquities with copper accents and Grecian-inspired tiles, all framed by gently swaying fronds.

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Tweak Your Pool’s Shape For A Refined Look

A prefab pool by Latham Pool

While a straightforward rectangular pool might seem a little too boring for some homeowners, you can always modify the shape of your pool ever so slightly to add some interest.

In this prefab pool, two semicircular additions one is a staircase, one is swim-up seating provide just enough visual interest to elevate the rectangular form without being too over-the-top.

Match Your Pool’s Style To The Exterior Of Your Home

A sleek scheme by Joshua Smith

Want to create a cohesive pool design that oozes elegance? Match your inground pool ideas to the exterior of your home whether that’s by opting for the same hue of materials or by following similar shapes and forms.

Plenty of bright white, sleek finishes and straight lines tie this scene together, for instance. The result is a smart and contemporary backyard that’s perfect for entertaining in style, especially with the addition of a fire pit.

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Enclose Your Pool In A Sturdy Structure

Enclose your pool and make the most of it all year-round

In regions where the weather is cold and temperamental, going for an outdoor dip calls for a dose of determination and let’s face it, a bit of bravery. However, if you opt for pool enclosure ideas, then it can be a relaxing experience all year-round.

Sure, you’ll need a higher budget for a structure like this, but the amount of use you’ll get out of it will make it totally worth it. What’s more, ‘it doesn’t require quite as much maintenance as an outdoor pool, as it is far less likely to become home to algae, leaves, and other debris,’ adds the experts at SPATA .

‘If the thought of an indoor pool appeals, but you would also like the outdoor feeling for the warmer months of the year, your pool building could include large bi-fold or sliding doors on one or two sides,’ the team adds. That way, when the weather does perk up, you can bring plenty of fresh air in. Exposed brickwork and beams will add to the laid-back yet stylish charm.

Make Use Of Vertical Space

Small Backyard Landscaping Ideas With Hot Tub see description

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With ground space at a premium, look upward. With some basic carpentry skills, its possible to DIY tiered garden beds that can give you much more gardening space without biting into your walkway. Not the DIY type? Vertical garden beds available for purchase mean you only need to provide the green thumb.

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Create An Entertainment Area

A pool design by Blu Sol Pools

Your backyard pool ideas don’t necessarily need to be the star of the show in your space your pool can simply be one element in an entire group of spaces primed for entertaining.

Take this pool, for instance, which shares a backyard with a covered lounge area, outdoor dining zone, and grilling area. If you love playing the role of host, this kind of pool patio is for you.

Design An Inviting Entertaining Space

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The best backyards expand your homes living space by offering an additional area where you want to spend time. Even with a pint-sized space, its completely possible to design a go-to hangout area. The essentials include a level seating area, lounge chairs and lighting. For even more impact, consider getting a professionally built fire pit or hiring an electrician to install an outdoor television.

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Make A Small Pool A Water Feature

Be inspired by this small backyard pool idea and double up your pool as a subtle water feature. ‘The best gardens all start with an internal and external simple focus. This is what creates the ease and the elegance of a design layout. I love adding a water feature in the pool something to draw your attention and make the space inviting and relaxing.’ says Janice Parker.

Add Slopes To Your Pool Landscaping

Natural bodies of water, like lakes and rivers, often have natural slopes down to the waters edge. You can mimic this natural look in your pool landscaping by building a slope down the pool, planting native shrubs and adding rockery around the area. And if you want to go one step further, consider adding a waterfall that cascades over rocks into the pool. Now thats dreamy.

To create a slope or to move large rocks into place, youll need equipment such as a mini loader or a skid steer . Both of these handy helpers are brilliant when it comes to earth-moving landscaping, digging trenches and levelling the ground and you can operate them yourself without any special training. Check out the video to find out how to use a skid steer.

Remember, before operating a skid steer, it is imperative that you lodge a Before You Dig enquiry, to ensure you are not going to hit any underground pipes, scaffolding or powerlines.

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Pool Landscaping Ideas Create The Perfect Backyard Oasis

In this post we have collected the most inspiring pool landscape designs that we could find to help you visualize and plan the backyard oasis that youve always dreamed of. The photos in this collection cover a variety of styles, sizes and price levels of pools and backyards and are best used as a starting point for further research. The right choice of hardscaping, garden decorations and plants can make the difference between a cold, uninviting area and a warm, welcoming outdoor atmosphere. Create a backyard getaway like one of the ones below and all your friends, family will jump at the chance to visit your private summer retreat.

You can choose to design the landscape yourself or enlist the help of a professional such as a landscape architect. Water fountains, planters, garden furniture, colorful flowers as well as stone retaining walls and pathways all add to the relaxing feel of the landscape. There is nothing quite like enjoying a cold drink and soaking up the suns rays beside a clear, refreshing pool on a hot summer day. Enjoy the photos below and let us know if you found the ideas useful by leaving a comment.