When you consider that two thirds of our bodies are composed of water, it is no wonder we are drawn to it, be it lakes, rivers, oceans, bays, ponds, creeks or even (as children), puddles after a spring rain. And when nature doesn’t place water where we can easily access it, we have no problem bringing water to us in the form of luxurious swimming pools and hot tubs.
 As people continue to seek ways to make their limited free time at home more relaxing and enjoyable, aquatic environments naturally top the list. Indeed, home owners aren’t stopping with the bathroom remodel, gourmet kitchens or home theatres.
The biggest change in pools and hot tubs over the years has been in the area of design – especially above the water line. Long gone are the days of cookie – cutter pools, whereby one size was supposed to fit every backyard.
Increasingly, a swimming pool of the new millennium is designed to match the lifestyle of its owner and interiors of the home. In fact, many of today’s pools have very little to do with swimming. They are more about creating a scene of entertainment and relaxation.
Moving water, night time illumination and details that please the eye. From modern, geometric designs to natural looking pools with amazing rock work, contemporary swimming pools are about individual styles.
The resultant swimming pools and hot tubs are as innovative today, as the homes that host them.
Alternative purification methods – such as ozonators, ionisers and mineral purifiers – mean that modern swimming pools can be safely sanitised with fewer harsh chemicals.

Black Magic
Suspend disbelief and you’ll swear the enchanted stains leading to this pool are floating on water. As water wells up over the raised pool and spills down its black sides, the pool resembles a freestanding block of water that mysteriously retains its shape. Also, a magical illusion is created by contrasting the light coloured steps with dark hues of the pool.
Some people, on the other hand, are drawn to clean lines of modern designs. Few people can resist the natural phenomena.
Flag stone decks, aggregate pool surfaces, rock using a palette of natural stones and materials cut from the earth. Outer openings and realistic waterfalls are tricks of the trade that help us imagine being in the midst of nature.
 Why sit on a hot pool deck when you can relax on a cool, wet surface instead? Growing in popularity, wet decks are shallow pool areas covered with just 1 inch of water.
These areas are now being equipped with tables, chairs and umbrellas and used for `refreshing conversation’. Palm trees provide shade to the massive pool. Handcrafted corals around the pool further the natural design.
   The presence of water in motion evokes relaxation. hile some try to replicate nature with pebble lined streams and cascading rock-lined waterfall, others are drawn to more contemporary applications using a vast arsenal of fountain equipment.
   A midnight swim is one of the little luxuries. Proper exterior lighting extends the viewing pleasure into the darkest hours of the night.
   Today, low voltage fixtures and fabric optic cables have reinvented the way we view and use swimming pools at night. Clustered LED lights are growing in popularity for illuminating pools and spas. Outdoor lighting fixtures are used to highlight the undersides of stairs, waterfall, pathways, trees and much more.