Poolside Showcase No. 30

When I was growing up, autumn would mark the beginning of the end for the swimming season. It was a time when pool owners would throw in extra chemicals before hiding the pool away with an obnoxious plastic pool cover. This was because the water would be far too cold to swim in and the effort to keep the pool clean and healthy over winter didn’t seem worth it. Nowadays most pools are made to be enjoyed year-round, regardless of the weather. Heating is more efficient than ever before, with many pools having two systems, gas and solar, to utilise free energy from the sun, with gas as a back-up or booster. Pool cleaning has also improved significantly, with automatic in-floor cleaning becoming more mainstream, and pool covers are far more…

Leyla Mosaic undertook extensive analysis of the shortcomings of swimming pool tiling systems that use the traditional paper face, clear film face, mesh backing and dot-mounting mosaic tile systems. The company’s silicon spacing system is the result of three years of research and development. This innovation is now available in 27 beautiful colours, making the decision of which pool mosaic to use an easy one. The hard choice will be choosing your colour! Find out more at leylamosaic.com or phone (02) 9905 8887. Lifestyle BBQs has more than 40 years in the business and is still manufacturing its state-of-the-art barbecues and outdoor kitchens in Australia. The company’s designer-series barbecues, such as the one pictured, allows you to customise a barbecue to suit your needs, including barbecue frame size, depth, grill and…

How did you get your start? I began as a horticulturist and segued into designing and creating landscapes. I always thought it was a shame that we lost a great deal of the effect and atmosphere at night by not having suitable light fittings. At the time, only decorative fittings, like coach lights, were available, as well as bollards and flood lights. I heard about a company in the USA that produced 12-volt fittings especially for the outdoors, so I went there to investigate. That was the start of my search for fittings that could provide the lighting I wanted. What is your approach to design? My design philosophy is that I am “painting with light” and my aim is to recognise the best features, including architectural elements of both the house and…

Built on a sloping coastal property in Portsea, this stunning outdoor design is uniquely formed by the undulating sand dunes on which it sits. Mimicking the understated elegance of the seaside location, a natural stone wall shelters the space from prying eyes. Most of the land on this flat, rectangular block in Bulleen, Melbourne, was taken up by the house, with just a small rectangular space left in the rear corner. The design concept was formulated by Wayne Gibson of Pool Installations Australia. It solved the challenge of this small space and met the client’s aim of maximising the existing area with a decent-sized pool without taking over the entire space. In order to ensure the area would be a private spot for the owners to enjoy, fence extensions were placed…

Iridescent, pearl-white tiles adorn the inside of this elevated spa and spill over the edge, covering the exterior and turning it into a sparkling feature wall. Cantilevered floating steps allow for easy access into the spa from the paved pool level and add a contemporary, sophisticated look to the project, without taking attention away from the 20mm glass feature tiles. This classic pool’s unique shape, glass mosaic-tiled spa and the design of the surrounds and pergola have combined in elegant harmony to create a standout outdoor space. The family now has a beautifully unique backyard and pool, with years of priceless family memories ahead. The pool is finished in white tiles from Coulson Tiles and the spa in Swimple glass mosaic tiles. This converted location, with its sweeping views of the Georges…

A pool is a huge investment and it’s not something you want to get wrong. Even if you have the best designer and builder working on your project, there is still the possibility that your vision and their ideas aren’t aligned, and you could ultimately end up with a pool and outdoor space that isn’t what you imagined. Ideas can get lost in translation and 2D renderings can be misinterpreted, only to be realised when the pool is finished and it’s far too late to make changes. Fortunately, 3D design software has come a long way and is now commonly used with reputable designers and architects. With some 3D concepts it’s difficult to differentiate between a photograph of an existing project and a computer-generated 3D design. With 3D design software and a…