Pool House Designs: How To Create Your Dream Pool House

Pool house designs can be as simple as a timber structure that's suitable for storage and a small changing area, right up to a grand design that has floor to ceiling windows, a wet bar and kitchen area. When coming up with ideas for your pool house, it really does depend on your budget and what you plan on using your pool house for.

Don't forget, that once you've invested your hard earned cash in a pool, adding a pool house can be the finishing touch to your new outside relaxation zone. It should be the centrepoint for all your backyard and summer entertaining, so it's important to really think about how you're going to create your perfect pool house that's practical, stylish and on budget.

This article will give you plenty of fresh ideas for pool house designs, both inside and out, to create your perfect pool house:

Pool House Purpose

So here's one of the first questions you need to answer when planning your pool house design. What do you want to use your pool house for? Here are some of the things you need to consider:

• Showering and changing: do you want to add plumbing to your pool house so that you can shower off after a swim? Or perhaps you might want to put a shower outside, on the garden fence or on one of the exterior walls of the pool house? Some people in hindsight wish they had put plumbing into their pool house, to save having to trudge up to the house everytime they need the toilet or want to wash off. But do bear in mind that it can be quite expensive to plumb your pool house.
• Storage: will your pool house have a separate storage room? Or if you've only got a small budget, the majority of your pool house may be taken up with storage. There's a lot of equipment that comes with owning a pool – chemicals and cleaning equipment as well as pool toys. Yet if you make careful use of your space, you may also be able to create a small changing area. Use overhead shelves, loft storage, hooks and towel rails to create extra floor space and room for changing after your swim.
• Entertaining: if you love outdoor entertaining, creating a bar area, either inside or outside your pool house, would be an excellent feature. Some people create a wet bar, which is a tiled area inside the pool house with seating, bar and refrigerator. The really great thing about a wet bar is that you don't need to get dried before you enter. A kitchen can also be a great idea if your pool is further away from your home, preventing you from having to go back to the house if you want to make a snack or prepare a fruity cocktail.
• Luxuries: the sky really is the limit when it comes to pool houses. If you've got the cash to splash, you could add a Jacuzzi, sauna or steam room. Or you could create a stylish lounge area, with recliners to chill out on and a sleek bar area for entertaining. Some people also use a pool house as a guest annex, with a spare bedroom off to the side.

Style and Design

Pool house designs come in so many different styles. You could go for a beach house theme, with white shutters, white soft linen and a light blue exterior. Or you may opt for Asian style elegance, with dark wood furniture, deep coloured curtains, floor cushions and an open plan design. It's really up to you how you finish your pool house, but decide whether you want to make a unique statement or match it to the style of your home.

Interior Finishing Touches

When budgeting for your pool house design, don't forget to set something aside for interior finishing touches. There's so much you can do with furniture, soft furnishings and paint colour schem. It's s important to make sure you set aside enough money to finish your pool house exactly as you want it. There would be nothing worse than spending all your money on the exterior, with only a few dollars left for a couple of run down chairs and some old towels. If you budget for your interior right from the start, you won't be left disappointed.