Pool lighting ideas – ways to illuminate a swimming pool and make it the centerpiece of your backyard
FOR OUTDOOR SWIMMING POOLS, 8 POOL LIGHTING IDEAS
Lighting an indoor pool differs slightly from lighting an outdoor pool. Your lighting plan might need to be a little more adaptable for indoor pools. Since indoor pool areas are frequently used for multiple purposes, Luke says, "the lighting may need to be suitable for everything from a gym to a home theatre or an entertaining area." "Consider how you can illuminate your interior features to make them stand out at night." When illuminated from above, such as with an LED strip or several uplights, textured walls seem especially gorgeous. Or, use low-level lights, such that from floor washers, to produce a tranquil, spa-like atmosphere.
1. PRESENT THE ENVIRONMENT
Gonçalo and Patricia Pessoa, a husband and wife duo, built the boutique hotel Sublime Comporta an hour's drive from Lisbon on Portugal's southwest coast with the goal of "fusing the breathtaking natural environment with an elegant and contemporary retreat."
The couple hired architect Alberto Charrua to create a serene, eco-friendly getaway with a stunning above-ground pool surrounded by a pine forest. The swimming pool's surface is illuminated by strong underwater lights, and the surrounding landscape is highlighted by gentler floodlights that are pointed upward into the trees and provide a warm glow. This enchanted outdoor area is completed by a fire pit area lit by lanterns.
2. THINK ABOUT FLOATABLE POOL LIGHTS
The 'Acquaglobo' floating light by Italian company Slide is perfect for ponds, fountains, and swimming pools and gives your outdoor space a whimsical, otherworldly feel. According to Silvia Rangoni, founder of Italian design consultants Luxx Design in London, "the design is simple and linear but at the same time creates a dramatic effect, particularly when combined with other sizes in the range."
Use this portable, waterproof floating lamp in or near the pool to set the mood for summertime gatherings and outdoor dining as part of your overall garden lighting design.
3. UPLIGHTERS TO FRAME YOUR POOL
We adore this magnificent swimming pool, which dominates the Singaporean Art Deco house's courtyard garden. The living room, which is open to the swimming pool and has a row of stepping stones leading to the cooking area, was created by the architecture firm ONG&ONG. The lighting, which highlights the spectacular building, is another eye-catching aspect.
According to the architects, "sleek aluminium cladding lines the walls to act as a reflective surface." This cladding reflects sunlight throughout the area during the day, and at night, spotlights mounted on the wall cast upward-pointing beams of light that frame the pool and accentuate the area's strong linear quality.
4. USE DIMMER LIGHTS TO CHANGE THE MOOD
Director of Go Modern Tina Mahony describes the outdoor lamps by Tribù called "Monsieur Tricot" as "one of our prettiest lights." The lights were developed by Belgian designer Ilia Eckardt utilising cutting-edge knitting and crocheting techniques. They are made of high-performance, weather-resistant polyolefin rope.
The end product is an interesting design with a dimmer switch to alter the atmosphere as the light fades, casting a lovely glow and fascinating shadows across your pool's landscape. This free-standing version, which runs on rechargeable batteries, also comes with a hanging hook in case you'd rather install it on a wall or pergola.
5. OVERHEAD STRING FESTOON LIGHTS
Festoons are a fantastic way to illuminate your pool area, according to Lucy Kirk, creative manager at Lights4Fun. Swagging warm white connectable festoons aloft, which will produce a soft and subtle glow that you can enjoy each night as dusk falls, is what we advise for the ideal show.
For a hassle-free setup, Lucy advises merging many sets using a single power source. She also recommended choosing white festoons as a softer option to dark wires. In this case, they go perfectly with the small backyard pool's light-colored stone surround and white-painted backdrop.
6. USE BOTH HIGH AND LOW LIGHTING
This Mediterranean home's pool area, which incorporates two lighting designs from the Barcelona-based Vibia brand, is the ideal illustration of how to put outdoor lighting. Josep Llus Xuclà created the tall, angular "Palo Alto" lamp, which has a double-armed, tree-like design and illuminates the pool and patio from above.
Low-lying floor lamps by Jordi Vilardell & Meritxell Vidal that are on the floor illuminate the area between the lounge chairs and the ground. The Meridiano outdoor lights, according to the Vibia team, "integrate seamlessly into gardens, courtyards, and swimming pool terraces" in addition to serving as a light source.
7. DRAWN TO THE EXTERIOR
"To light up the perimeter landscaping and trees around this swimming pool, which is located in a sizable yard, we used a combination of our spiky 'Hampton' floodlights and 'Kew' spotlights. According to Luke Thomas, John Cullen Lighting's design director.
Along with this, there was illumination underneath the home and inside the pool. The latter not only adds to the pool area's illumination but also gives the house a floating, ethereal appearance. According to Luke, good outside lighting is a crucial element for homes with large amounts of glazing since it helps bring the eye outside and prevents the sense of being within a fishbowl.
8. REPLACE A STARLIT WITH A SIMILAR ONE
The laid-back Bill & Coo Suites and Lounge is located in Mykonos and is surrounded by beautiful gardens with lavender, olive trees, and prickly pears. The architects of its enviable design, which features an infinity pool with a view of the Aegean Sea, claim that it "focuses on natural local stone and shades of white, allowing the colours of the island to stand out."
Don't worry if you won't be taking a summer vacation to the Greek islands; we've found a pool lighting idea to copy from one of Myokonos' "most Instagrammable spots for sundowners." This pool at Bill & Coo is filled with a show of fibre optic lights that imitates a starlit reflection as the sun sets. Fibre optic cables are a great option for underwater use because they conduct light, not electricity, and they can also be used for illumination that changes colour. Consider the view from your deck or pool house at night as well.
