7 Ideas for a Rustic or Countryside Swimming Pool Design

—Superb style tactics beyond the rock waterfall 

If you are building a gunite swimming pool and prefer a woodsy or countryside-style aesthetic, a number of appealing features and elements are available to help achieve that look.

Of course, a rock waterfall is a go-to feature for a rustic theme pool, and you should certainly consider one for this design goal.

However, you have additional options—from basic to upscale—that will help an inground pool evoke the image of a natural body of water.

Let’s review these ideas. Many of these will also work well in a setting for a desert or tropical swimming pool.

Keep in mind that you do not need to tick every one of the options discussed here; in most projects, having several will be enough to inject the desired aesthetic into the poolscape.

1. Pool Shape

First, let’s talk shape.

You can achieve some level of pastoral ambiance with a linear, symmetrical, or geometric pool.

However, even if you include several of the organic elements outlined in this article, these kinds of shapes will fall somewhat short in the quest for rustic beauty.

Lines, perfect circles, and 90-degree corners don’t occur in the woods, a grassy pasture, or a mountainside.

What you do see in the great outdoors are bodies of water with soft curves. For that reason, many pool designers would say a free-flowing shape is fundamental to the goal at hand.

An excellent choice for a rural, organic appearance is a cloudlike form, an abstract circular shape, or an elongated, imperfect oval that mimics the shape of a pond.

When it comes to picking the right spa shape for your rustic pool design, you should also go organic. Say no to a square or to other linear and geometric shapes.

One exception: A round spa can blend fairly well with a curvy, free-form pool. (And a circular shape is often considered the most functional for multiple users to enjoy the spa.)

But even with a circle, ask about a modified one: Make the circle “organic”—asymmetrical with a “melting” border.

2. Dark or Natural Color Interior Finish

A white or light blue plaster finish will produce gorgeous, sparkling pool water. However, this color does little to advance an organic, rustic look.

An ideal choice for your pool’s interior finish—whether it’s marcite, ColorQuartz, or pebble—is a dark blue, deep green, grey, or black. These colors resemble those you might see in a lake, pond, marsh, or bayou.

Now, darker pool finishes do come with serious caveats. Without understanding the risks and how to mitigate them, you may regret choosing a dark bottom for your pool. Be sure to ask your builder.

Another color option that marries well with a rustic or country setting is a blend of tans, browns, and beiges. For a pool interior, these can evoke the image of a riverbed or lakeshore.

Aside from color, texture can also contribute to a natural appearance.

At the minimum, ask to upgrade from plain marcite plaster to ColorQuartz®. The latter contains some small flecks of color and a bit of texture.

If you have the budget, the optimal choice is a pebble pool finish. The tiny polished stones capture the look you often find in bodies of water like a mountain river or lakeshore.

In addition, if you really want a dark interior, using pebble will help avoid potential issues that can arise with deep-color pool finishes.

3. Stone Coping and Decking

A tried-and-true ingredient for a rustic backyard recipe is stone. You can’t go wrong surrounding the pool with coping or decking in this natural material.

Coping is the material that trims a pool perimeter, creating a kind of “picture frame.” (Note: In certain areas of the country, cantilever pool decks are installed and coping is not used.)

On many pool projects with an organic design, flagstone is used for coping and decks. However, other stone varieties will also do the trick—in some cases, even better.

Granite, bluestone, limestone, sandstone, quartzite, and travertine will raise the style quotient for a woodsy, pastoral appearance.

The availability and cost of each variety differs by region. Depending on where you live, an alternative that may be more affordable is pre-cast concrete coping in a neutral earth tone.

As for the pool deck, installing a patio in natural stone will definitely elevate the rustic, country feel.

A water-resistant wood such as rich brown Ipe (Brazilian Walnut) will also fit in with a relaxed, nature-inspired backyard vibe.

Now, in some parts of the U.S., stone and wood decking does come with a bigger price tag.

You can still keep to a rustic appearance with concrete. Simply choose a beige or brown color, and texturize it with a salt or broom finish.

You could also opt for concrete pool deck with a decorative finish or stamped pattern that mimics the shape, texture, and color of natural stone.

Even the right color of concrete paver stone deck can integrate into an organic design—particularly if you already set the design tone with stonework around the pool or features like a rock waterfall.

In some cases, homeowners go “green” with their patio to enhance a rural ambiance. A swathe of natural or faux grass serves to form the pool “deck”.

A play on this approach is a lawn that’s interspersed with stepping stones.

4. Landscape Pockets

A dense landscape plan for the area surrounding your pool and deck will go a long way in cultivating a rustic backyard oasis.

But you can do even better by integrating one or several pockets of greenery directly into the pool perimeter in sections of the deck.

Configured in curvy, irregular shapes, a landscape pocket will tuck nicely into the flowing border of the pool.

These landscape features provide an unexpected visual treat, making it possible to feature greenery right up to the water’s edge.

These pockets also break up the expanse of a large deck with a dash of shrubs, flowers, tall grass, or even small trees.

Another version of a landscape pocket is one that goes vertical.

Elevated masonry boxes serve as planters. These structures are directly integrated into the pool wall, a pool feature, or immediately adjacent to the water’s edge.

5. Stone accents and features

Beyond a rock waterfall, you have a number of clever ways to integrate stone into a pool. Both natural and faux masonry can help set a rustic scene in your backyard.

If your pool includes a rock waterfall, you can extend its presence with accent rocks—strategically placed boulders around the pool and spa perimeter.

Or, if your budget is limited, ask about including a few small boulders in lieu of a waterfall. It’s an affordable way to reinforce an organic design concept on a pool.

This approach involves positioning several stones or a series of them along key points around the pool and spa structure.

Small boulders can go in various locations around the spillway of a spa on its dam wall. Rocks can also be grouped on the spa’s dam wall façade.         

On an infinity pool, an attractive way to go is to position accent stones on each side of the overflowing edge. The same goes for adding a small boulder to a tanning ledge where it will be semi-submerged.

A lesser-known stone feature is a functional amenity to enjoy around a pool: A jumping rock.

Cut from a large piece of stone, this structure is an excellent alternative to a traditional pool diving board.

In sharp contrast to a prefabricated springboard, a jump rock will harmonize much better in a country-like poolscape.

Yet another visually entertaining way to accent the pool with stone is with a newer design trend referred to as floating steps.

While they are formed in linear concrete shapes on sleek, modern pools, the hands-down choice for a rugged aesthetic is natural stones.

6. Stone inside, outside, and above the water

Covering various surfaces of the pool structure and the spa will beautifully compliment a woodsy or bucolic backdrop.

Inside the water, natural stone fascia can cover the surfaces of the pool entry steps, bench/loveseats, and tanning ledges.

If your pool will boast a swim-up table, in-pool barstools, or a swim-up bar, you have other terrific opportunities to integrate stone.

For a high-end project, a distinctive tabletop of an in-pool table can be cut from natural stone. The same goes for the seats of in-pool barstools.

On a swim-up bar, the countertop can be clad in cuts of stone. So can other elements of the bar or poolside kitchen, such as an accent wall or the structure's columns.

Your builder can make decorative stone a centerpiece within a poolscape by including raised bond beam in the pool structure.

Bond beam is a thick section of wall that extends above the surface and pool tile line, typically six inches to several feet—or even higher.

In some cases, the bond beam is engineered to double as a retaining wall, and landscaping is planted behind it.    

A section of beam often serves as a backdrop for one or more cascade waterfalls.

High-end metal scuppers or spout water features can also be used. With age, they develop a patina that’s ideal for a rustic aesthetic.

With all the square footage that raised bond beam affords, you have prime real estate to showcase decorative stonework.

The wall can be clad in flat cuts of stone, or, it can incorporate stacked stone—which delivers a particularly rugged, rustic appearance.

7. Organic Style Spa

A gunite spa represents a tremendous opportunity to imbue more organic style into your poolscape. Several creative design tactics can be used.

A frequent approach is to clad the spa’s exterior wall with stone. Masons can apply fascia, or, front the exterior using a stacked configuration. Both are ideal for fostering a relaxed, quasi, ”shabby-chic” aesthetic.

For a unique strategy, splurge on an intricate stone configuration for the spa façade. Ask your designer about fashioning a spa spillway that forms a waterfall unto itself.

Using faux rockwork, some builders can even make the entire spa look like the structure itself was formed from stone.