MATERIAL SELECTION PART 1

       When designing a swimming pool, there are more things to think about then you realize.  One of the most important factors visually is material selection.  Lets face it, We all want a pool as a place to cool off on those 105 degree days but we also want it to be as visually appealing as possible.  Many times, in an effort too cut cost, the material selection is the first item to be downplayed.  Often times, when trying to work within a budget this is unavoidable but as a designer I really push my clients to think about the aesthetics of the pool.  You want a pool that functions well and is as efficient as possible but you also want to make sure you are getting something that is also visually appealing.  Over the next few blog posts I am going to attempt to break down some key elements of swimming pool material selection.

       Today we talk tile.  Tile is probably the most under appreciated part of the swimming pool as far as trim go's.  Most people want to make the tile either match the interior finish or the coping selection on the swimming pool.  To me, I hear this as " I want the tile line to dissappear".  I believe this to be flawed logic.  There are so many different types of tiles to choose from these days and I believe that there is no reason to shy away from a bold tile.  One of my favorites is a glass tile preferrably in 1".  A popular selection amongst the glass tiles is a gloss black.  This tile lends a very clean look and is a very versatile tile.  It is often used not only as tile line tile but also as spa veneer, ledge veneer, negative edge weir walls as well as veneering entire pool bottoms ($$$$$$).  I have found a number of translusent glass tiles that really pop in the sunlight as well.  These tiles can not even be assigned a color because depending on where you are standing you will get a different color response.  One of my FAVORITE tiles that I have used to date however is a  horizontal bar travertine/glass mix.  This tile was picked up by the client on clearance at a builder surplus store in fort worth.  (learning point..  listen to your clients..  sometimes they can pull you into another realm of possibility that you may not have thought of.. lots of creative people out there and there's always more than one way to skin a cat)  upon first glance I thought that the tile would not look good with what she was trying to do.  Boy was I wrong.  Looked great!  Lesson learned.

There are lots of options when it comes to tile selections so dont let youself get pinched into a " ceramic tile" corner. Be bold, be creative, be original..  Tile can sometimes be the difference between your pool "standing out" or just "blending in"..

Part 2 coming soon.  In the next blog I will delve into some of the design options that are out there for swimming pool coping.. 

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