Southern Style - Luxury Pool Designers

Southern Poolscapes is one of the leading builders of luxury pools on the Gulf Coast. They’ve got their fingers on the pulse of what high-end homeowners want.

BY MARCUS PACKER

Photos: Southern Poolscapes

When discussing the world of luxury pools and pool designs, one can’t go very far in the conversation without bringing up gunite pools. Unquestionably, concrete inground pools offer the most versatility in terms of customization. Homeowners go all out tricking out their backyards with the latest outdoor living amenities to take their backyards to the next level. Consequently, they want their pool designs to have the latest state-of-theart technology. Builders are constantly being asked to push the envelope and incorporate pool features that complement the aesthetics of the home.

Cameron Rhodes, the lead designer and co-owner of Southern Poolscapes has been designing high-end outdoor living

If you listen to the customer they will tell you exactly what they are dreaming of.

environments for the better part of a decade. When it comes to selecting a pool design, Rhodes said “It’s important to meet with a pool builder that understands your vision for the space. Many times, it takes a while to help homeowners articulate that into a design plan that accurately represents what their dream is.”

As one of the leading luxury pool builders in the South, Rhodes has his fingers on the pulse of what pool design features homeowners want in their inground pool. “Moving water is extremely popular,” said Rhodes, “There is something truly serene about coming into the backyard and hearing the sound of a waterfall or sheer descent running. That ambient sound is very peaceful and adds to the overall atmosphere and ambiance in a high-end custom pool.”

In terms of what luxury homeowners are adding to their pool, Rhodes replied, “We’ve seen more and more homeowners requesting massive tanning ledges. Many of these folks have a family with small children and these ledges provide a larger shallow area to enjoy time in the pool with younger more inexperienced swimmers. Plus when coupled with a set of ledge loungers, the effect is pretty impressive,” said Rhodes.

“We are also seeing more homeowners looking for a cleaner more refined look to their inground pool,” said Rhodes, “We’re doing a lot of perimeter overflow projects where you get that seamless sheet of glass look when the waterline is flush with the coping.”

As far as outdoor living amenities go, Rhodes says that homeowners are going all out on high-end materials, despite the rising costs that we’ve seen across the board this season.

“By and large people want a beautiful outdoor living environment,” said Rhodes, “We’re seeing more customers add on pavilions, outdoor kitchens, firepits, and go all out on their landscaping. It goes to show their mindset; that if they’re stuck at home, they are going to make sure that their backyard is definitely some place that they want to be.”

Read the entire article on Pool Magazine