How to plan and design a home swimming pool
Anticipating balmy summer days spent outside, Elizabeth Metcalfe turns her attention to outdoor swimming pools and pool houses that will enhance their surroundings, rather than being turquoise blots in the garden
CHRIS EVERARD
There's nothing we like better than a little outdoor swimming, and while it's lovely to head to the countryside for a spot of wild swimming, there are few things more luxurious than having a swimming pool at home.
If you're thinking of designing your own swimming pool at home, take a look at this expert advice from Jack Harding, director of Guncast Swimming Pools, and then scroll down for our favourite swimming pool ideas from the archive. And don't forget to check out our outdoor furniture shopping guide for an array of stylish loungers and parasols.
Six tips to help you plan your project
- Even if you don't live in a Conservation Area or a listed house, you will probably need to get planning permission for your swimming pool.
- If you want a pool for the summer, you need to start thinking about it the autumn before and be constructing it by spring. A complicated design takes about 16 to 20 weeks to build.
- A cover is vital in retaining heat in your pool. I would recommend an automatic cover that will work at the push of a button, because manual ones are cumbersome and take two or three people to fit.
- There's a misconception that deeper is better. Flat-bottomed pools usually suit the whole family, but if you do want a diving end, the minimum depth is 2.2 metres.
- Natural stones like limestone dissolve in the pool's chemicals, but porcelain tiles are almost indestructible and can be indiscernible from natural stone.
- Chlorine is aggressive and gives the pool a chemical smell. Other primary disinfection systems, such as ozone, cut down on the use of chlorine. It kills bacteria and chlorine-resistant microorganisms, and also reduces pool chemical costs.

















