Ahead of the official season in Europe, we have been looking around the world at the new trends and innovations within the swimming pool industry. For some years there has been a focus generally on healthy, outdoor living but now it needs to include family time as well. Within the swimming pool industry that means creating swimming pool environments that can offer something for all the family in terms of sport and activities but also a place of peace and an area to entertain. These new trends reflect that.

Not all trends are new but some of the favourite ones have had a makeover and update since the original invention. Nowhere is this truer than with the infinity edge which has been around for more than 20 years but just keeps on being redefined. It remains top of most wish lists and trends for its obvious appeal of the sky meeting the water’s edge and creating a stunning vista. As outdoor living continues to be on everyone’s radar, this is the one trend that keeps on going. It still looks modern and even sharper and cleaner with the new knife edge development. This trend makes thee swimming pool looks even more stylish, streamlined and virtually borderless.

In the warmer climates and the summer months, the trend for family time to be encompassed in outdoor living has led to gardens and terraces becoming an extension of the indoor living space. Movable floors in swimming pools are a fantastic way to have both a safe outdoor entertaining space and a swimming pool when space is limited.

Not so long ago TwinScapes’ projects consisted of designing Hydrofloors movable floors for mainly for city properties in basements and indoor rooms but in the last 2 years, we have seen them on appearing more and more in outdoor environments on bijoux balconies, terraces with sea views and other areas within the garden. A Hydrofloors movable floor also means that swimming pool can be set at different levels to reflect the needs of all the family, whether that is shallow for the toddlers or half depth for water aerobics or deep diving depth for the teens to show off their skills and most importantly it can be locked away and provide room for that evening party when the sun sets.

The next trend we wanted to highlight was the introduction of LED lights to set the mood alongside the swimming pool. From simple colour changes in the pool to the more extravagant water shows which feature rainbow arcs of water being shot across pools as the hues change, with fading and dazzling lights, many are now using LED lighting to enhance their swimming pool.

This moves us nicely onto water features – a huge new trend which sees the swimming pool becoming a 21 st century equivalent of an ornamental water fountain. From centralized fountains rising up from under the pool in a hazy mist (www.twinscape.com) to soothing rain wall backdrops, the sound of water falling has always been desirable for a relaxing environment. However, water features come into a whole new territory when used in conjunction with the LED lighting mentioned above. In some instances the swimming pool has become the entertainment and companies such as WET (www.WET.com) who designed such high profile water shows as the famous Bellagio hotel in Las Vegas are been used for private residences to bring the spectacular into the back garden. We have seen water shows so impressive as to leave the audience speechless!

Incorporating windows into pool walls or even entire walls made of glass or similar is another growing trend (http://www.underwaterwindows.eu). This can not only look visually stunning but also offer the chance to spectate the underwater swimming area and, in some designs, allow light to flood through into previously darkened areas. Many architects are choosing to design new swimming pools with totally transparent walls which looks ultra-modern and exclusive.

Our next trend is the sun shelf also known as the lounging ledge. These are in-built shallow ledges where you can lie partially submerged in the pool water to cool off or place sun loungers on it. Some even have umbrella holes built into the design so you can also make them shaded when the sun is too fierce. These ledges are a simple and useful addition to any outdoor pool in a warm climate. The shallow water and possibility of making it shaded make it the ideal place to either lounge as the name suggests or let the toddlers cool off and play safely in a few inches of water.

The combination of the elements of water and fire has always been an exciting concept. The heat and movement of the flames against the soothing, flow of water is a stunning focal point for any poolscape.

From fire water bowls positioned around the pool to the more complex fire features, they add a touch of drama as well as some practical warmth to the surroundings. These can be very individual and fueled with wood or lit with LED lighting and they create a mesmerizing focal point within the garden or swimming pool area. Companies such as The FirePit Company (www.thefirepitcompany.co.uk) create unique hand crafted designs for an utterly individual look.

Our final trend in this article is the invisible glass wall (www.twinscape.com) This is a safety feature for any garden swimming pool which makes the pool inaccessible without ruining the view. Barely visible, it means you can enjoy your garden and view of the pool without worrying about children accidently falling into the pool. In some European countries, it is illegal not to have a wall around your swimming pool and this is the solution to complying without compromising the beauty of pool or surroundings. At the touch of a button, the glass wall rises from below the terrace to prevent access to the swimming pool and then when not needed it retracts neatly back under the terrace out of sight.

*Please send us pictures of the trends you incorporated into your swimming pool if you would like to feature on our blog.