dream pool

Green and Tan Walls + Wood Accents If you’ve got minimal furnishings and a water view to celebrate, you can’t go wrong with colors that complement that body of blue: green and brown. Try a super-pale green for an accent wall, then look to light tan walls and any opportunity to introduce wood. The floor and ceiling are good bets, but wood furniture will also get the job done.

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In-deck pool. This 10- by 25-foot pool is mostly aboveground but has the look of an inground pool, thanks to the sleek deck surround.

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Lap pool. A long, narrow lot is ideally suited for a lap pool — a great choice for avid swimmers. This one is surrounded by budget-friendly pea gravel and an extra-long wooden deck.

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Urban mod pool. Get the best of both worlds in your small lot by pairing a slender pool with an equally wide patch of grass and a small patio. The crisp linear design makes the most out of the available space here.

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A rectangular inground pool is the backyard classic. This one is a modest 12 by 30 feet, providing ample room for playing or doing laps without overtaking the backyard.

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Courtyard pool. This 9- by 18-foot pool is nestled into an antique French limestone patio.

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Pinch me. Let me give you a minute to pick your jaw up off the floor — better? OK, the second floor of this terraced house forms the roof of an outdoor patio and pool area that feels like it’s indoors. The infinity-edge pool blurs the lines between the human-made water feature and the Pacific Ocean, while the fire feature complements the fiery sunset.

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. A pool so close to a house looks dreamy from inside or outside. Walls of windows give this home a special connection to the water. The coordination of the pool surround and home exterior colors, and of the wood pool decking and exterior siding, creates a sense of harmony in the outdoor space.

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Gardens surround this 82-foot lap pool perched midslope on a multiterrace estate in Austin, Texas.

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A traditional lap pool is a minimum of 8 feet wide, 30 to 40 feet long and 4 to 6 feet deep.

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