There is nothing more refreshing than taking a cool shower outdoors. Unfortunately the only chance we get to do this is at a public shower near a beach which is great but wouldn't it be nice to just cool off quickly in your own backyard without investing in a pool.
You can build your own outdoor shower or check out this list from Maxwell of Apartment Therapy as he's done a roundup of the coolest (literally and figuratively) outdoor showers around.
Make sure you subscribe to his newsletter as he shares great product reviews and house tours on a daily basis.
Dwell shares their favorite pools and we like the above private lap pool but it's definitely cut out for business not pleasure.
Check out more of our favorite pool photo galleries and articles.
We haven't seen many pools outside of the hotels here in Hawai'i but we're sure there are some spectacular home pools that rival these beauties.
It broke 100 degrees in downtown LA a couple days ago and fortunately we live near the coast which was toasty but definitely cooler especially with a breeze. We have the beach at our disposal now but long for a backyard pool of our own.
Check out our swimming pool archives for great info on opening, cleaning, and maintaining your pool.
Unless you live in the Southwest, winter has already hit you hard and this article may have arrived a bit late for you but MonkeySee has some informative home improvement videos and we found this video for winterizing your swimming pool particularly helpful.
Last weekend I visited my folks in Tucson to celebrate my sisters wedding. A good time was had by all and while out there I was able to enjoy our swimming pool. Tucson is still a balmy 100+ degrees so the pool is refreshing and if kept heated could be used year round, but back here in the Northeast most people are considering when they should close their pool for the winter.
We've always been advocates for alternative filtering systems for backyard pools and there are even options for creating natural ponds. But the barriers to going "no chemical" are many and they include, higher-cost of filtration system, finding a company to maintain your pool, overall effectiveness.
Here’s a project that might make your life easier during the summer, especially if you’ve got kids that tend to get dirty while they play. An outdoor shower can complement a pool, of course, or just be used as a way to rinse off so as not to track any dirt into the house after a day in the garden. Plus, in the summer heat it can be fun to shower outside!
If your backyard pool resembles more "concrete pond" than swimming oasis then maybe it's time to rejuvenate it. There are companies now that will evaluate your current pool and work with a designer to build your ideal outdoor entertaining area with the pool as the focus.
With heated pools more people open them up before the official start of summer. If you’re tackling this by yourself, make sure you take all the precautions now so your pool season goes by without a hitch (or at least without too many).
