General
Who needs to travel to a resort?
31 May 2011
Who needs to travel to a resort? International pool trends For those of us who can’t afford the jet set lifestyle, recreating a holiday feel at home – rather than travelling overseas – has become ever more popular in the US, Europe and Australia. Today, international pool renovation trends are all about transforming older […]
Who needs to travel to a resort?
International pool trends
For those of us who can’t afford the jet set lifestyle, recreating a holiday feel at home – rather than travelling overseas – has become ever more popular in the US, Europe and Australia. Today, international pool renovation trends are all about transforming older backyard pools into resort-style entertaining environments.
In the last 12 months, the Association of Pool and Spa Professionals in the US has been busy meeting the demand for resort-style design elements such as smoother pool surfaces, the latest fibre optics and LED light systems, original fountains, sprays and other water and fire features for both large and small renovation projects.
Water woks are also becoming popular, as pool owners take inspiration from dramatic poolside water wok installations at resorts such as the Andalusia-inspired InterContinental Montelucia Resort & Spa in Arizona.
“These pots, available in many shapes, colours, sizes and prices can be stacked to form a cascading waterfall or planted and incorporated with a water feature,” says Steve Ast, Shasta Pools & Spas in the US.
In Europe, new pool coping incorporating precious materials is also adding a touch of lagoon luxury to domestic pool renovations. Italian company Carobbio, for example, has created a ‘Platinum’ range of coping and paving which mixes high quality Italian stone with mother of pearl from the Caribbean.
“We’ve created three styles in the collection – Madreperla, Thahiti and Oceanic – for a truly unique and magnificent jewel effect,” says Carobbio’s sales manager, Lorenzo Maida.
Not surprisingly, automation has also become a key trend, with pool owners wanting to spend more time enjoying, rather than maintaining, their pool. The latest automatic sanitising and cleaning systems make pool ownership a pleasure rather than a chore. And there’s now an abundance of excellent pool automation equipment available at your local Swimart store.
“Having a pool that looks after itself as much as possible makes owning and operating a pool a breeze,” says Chris Fitzmaurice, national manager Swimart.