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a waterfall flowing into a swimming pool
Years ago, a backyard pool was a rarity in St. Louis. But for those who had one? Instant popularity--at least from June through August. Of course, in those days, pools came in one standard variety: cement rectangles with brick edging. Who cared? That oasis offered the only opportunity to spend any length of time outside in the sizzling heat of St. Louis' summers.
While the weather hasn't turned any more hospitable, pools have hit new levels of chic. Today's poolscapes incorporate the whole backyard, with terraces, spas, waterfalls and even outdoor kitchens. Those mini-Olympic swim lanes of yesteryear have been replaced by man-made works of water art.
Mirroring nationwide trends, St. Louis' premier pool companies all say the majority of the pools they build are naturalistic--more like ponds than pools. To get the look takes lots of landscaping and an undulating perimeter to the water.
"Ninety percent of the pools we build are free-form," say Dave White of Westport Pools. "We still put in some traditional rectangular pools but with different twists."
Among the most beautiful--and expensive--of these twists is the vanishing edge. Suitable only for yards with steep drop-offs, vanishing-edge pools have a side where the water "looks like it's disappearing," says Vince Sansone of Pool Tron. "If you're sitting in the pool, it looks like it goes off into nowhere." What actually happens is the water goes down into a tank and then recirculates.
Fascinating to watch, soothing to hear, the vanishing edge first appeared on the West Coast, where it can be lined up with the ocean to create a rather dramatic vista.
Waterfalls also enhance naturalism. Water flows constantly over boulders and stones as if in a woodland pool. Westport Pools boasts of an award-winning pool it built that included a several-level waterfall and a man-made creek connected to a spa on the upper level with the pool below.
Fountains also keep the water circulating. Pat McCormick of Baker Pool & Spa advises adding them because "they don't just look cool but make a very subtle movement of the water. It's not just shot at you. Everything is made with the idea of relaxation." Fountains not only look elegant but also aerate the water and thus cool it when the sun blisters.
As to other modern features, Westport's Shea praises the so-called zero entry--where the pool entry slopes gently from the deck as if it were a beach.
Even steps can take on a contemporary feel with the addition of a tanning shelf. McCormick explains that Baker has built pools where the design extends the second step to make a shallow area large enough for several adults and children.
"The idea is to sunbathe there in the shallow water," he says. "It can also be used as a baby pool. When people see them, they like them."
Some of Westport's pools also feature swim-out benches--"underwater benches set in the middle of the pool. Perched 14 inches from the surface of the water, it's like you're sitting on a bench up to your chest," White says. "It's real casual."
Materials have taken a modern turn as well. One ever-so-popular choice is Pebble Tec, a pebbled surface that far outlasts cement and gives a more natural look. It comes in more than a dozen colors, including almost black and dark blue for the look of a bottomless lagoon. Not only cement but brick borders have also faded into the sunset. Today's fashion-forward edgings are made of natural rock--or boulders that look real but are actually composed of concrete.
The genius gizmos for pools never cease. Pool Tron offers a great safety feature for young families-- the automatic cover. While it keeps the kids from falling in year-round, it can also help retain heat during the cooler months. Only for rectangular pools, a push button closes the cover quickly and easily.
Speaking of buttons that do miraculous things, both Pool Tron and Westport offer in-house control panels that operate the spa, heater, lights, fountains and cover. It doesn't get more convenient than that.
And, of course, it's certainly a far cry from the watering hole of yesteryear.
Dive in. The water's great.
