No longer limited to lavish swimming pools at resort hotels and homes of the ultra-wealthy, waterfall grottos are now common in backyards across America and can be the perfect complement to a lagoon-type pool.

A grotto typically is defined as a large rock waterfall with a nook or cavern-like space beneath it that’s large enough to swim into. Depending on the size, style, and configuration, a grotto can contain features like seating areas, lighting, or a therapy spa. They provide privacy and shade for swimmers, and kids can use them for imaginative play scenarios.

Large, elaborate installations are similar to actual sea caves from which swimmers can fully exit the water to lounge, have cocktails at the grotto bar, or get snacks from a built-in kitchen!

While that kind of ultra-deluxe grotto requires an ultra-deluxe budget, there are plenty of dramatic, beautiful grotto designs that an upper-end—yet realistic—pool budget can accommodate.

How conventional custom pools provide a practical alternative to natural swimming pools

Part 2 of 2

Natural swimming pools are a kind of pool-pond hybrid that use a dedicated zone of aquatic plants to maintain the water and they provide distinctive, organic beauty to backyards and pleasant, chemical-free swimming environments for families. Unfortunately, natural pools come with prerequisites and limitations that keep them from being a realistic option for many homeowners, as outlined in part 1 of this blog topic.

Factors such as construction costs, needed yard space, design challenges, and style and functionality preferences make these pools a boutique project. Couple these factors with the scarcity of pool builders who are skilled in this particular specialty installation, and it is understandable why a natural pool is currently out of reach for most Americans dreaming of one.

Determining if a Natural Swimming Pool is Right For You

Part 1 of 2

Natural swimming pools are the true realization of a healthy, environmentally friendly backyard resort. Not only does a natural pool look beautiful and seamlessly blend into its surroundings, it boasts special design, materials, and equipment that maintain the water

How to shield yourself from the sun: 5 Pool Shade Features Explained in Photos

When it’s hot outside, a swimming pool is the perfect way for you and the family to cool off.  However, since staying in the water the whole day is not practical—nor is getting sunburned—you want to block or minimize the sun’s rays outside the pool and in the nearby patio.

Part 2 of 2: Is a beach entry right for your pool?

—From style options to functionality considerations, is this popular feature right for you?

—Updated August 2, 2020

Interest in beach entry swimming pools continues to grow among pool buyers, so let’s look at the great reasons why—and examine if this design feature makes sense for your new concrete (gunite/shotcrete) pool.

—Include hardscape, an island grill, and an outdoor kitchen when building an aquatic retreat

When putting in a new pool, don’t miss out on the opportunity it affords to improve your entire backyard.