One important decision to make when designing a pool is what color to choose for the pool’s floor and walls. Inside our homes, color can have a tremendous effect on the atmosphere we want to create, on our perception of space and light and on our mood. Similarly, the color of a pool is a key element in the visual effect the pool area will create. Light blue colors can make the water look cool and inviting. Darker blues can make the water look deeper like the ocean. Navy or dark-bottomed pools have their own appeal, appearing elegant and understated to some people and bottomless and mysterious to others. Perhaps you want to recreate the colors of a favorite location like the aquamarines of a mountain pool or the blue of the Caribbean. Or maybe you want the color to match the color scheme of your home. Whatever vision you have for your pool, here are some things to consider when thinking about color.
Dimensions
How big will the pool be? The pool’s dimensions will affect how the color looks. In particular, the deeper the pool, the more refraction of light and the deeper the color will appear. This is why the ocean looks a deeper color in the distance.
Surroundings
The colors of your pool’s surroundings will affect how it looks. A deck made out of the natural brown hues of wood and one made out of the light color of concrete not only give a completely different look to your pool, they can also affect how you perceive the pool’s color. Whites and lighter hues in a pool’s surroundings tend to highlight the blue of a pool’s color, while earth tones pull out more of the green. A lot of green trees around a blue pool can give it a greenish hue.
Lighting
How will the colors you choose reflect light, be it sunshine, the moon or artificial lighting? Sunlight brings out the intensity of a color which can look quite different in fading, evening light.
Color is a vital part of pool design and there are more colors available today to choose from than ever. With some planning and imagination, you can use color to create the unique pool you’ve been dreaming of. For more information on pool design and colors, please contact us at Alan Jackson Pools.