Courtyard Plunge Pool With Bar And Soaking Tub

That is a water blade, a wide slot that pours a thin sheet of water into the pool. It is there as much for sound as for looks, since moving water masks street noise and cools the air in an enclosed yard. The falling sheet also keeps the pool surface gently circulating. It is a simple feature to run, just a pump and a slot, but it changes the whole feel of a small courtyard.

One side of the courtyard has a built-in bar with a stone top and two cane-back stools pulled up to it. It turns the poolside into a spot to sit and serve drinks rather than just a place to swim. A small wall cabinet behind holds glasses and bottles. Building the bar in, rather than wheeling out furniture, means the courtyard is always ready to use and the counter shrugs off splashes and sun.

The freestanding tub sits in the courtyard for an open-air soak, separate from the pool. A tub lets you take a long warm bath under the sky, which is a different pleasure from a quick dip in the plunge pool. Placed against the wall on the patterned paving, it reads as a feature as much as a fixture. In a private courtyard like this the tub can stay out, sheltered by the walls around it.

The paving is a patterned stone floor, laid in an irregular crazy-paving mix of grey and cream pieces. Natural stone underfoot stays cooler than dark tile and grips better when wet, which matters right beside a pool. The pattern hides the odd splash mark and stray leaf. Set against the white courtyard walls, the stone keeps the ground busy and interesting so the space does not feel like a plain wet deck.

Lighting is warm and low. A cluster of Edison bulbs hangs from a wooden beam over the bar, rattan pendants drop nearby, and traditional wall lanterns sit around the courtyard. The mix throws a soft amber glow that suits an evening by the water. Keeping the light warm and at low level, rather than bright and overhead, is what turns the pool courtyard into a place to linger after dark rather than just a daytime spot.

Less than a full pool, but not nothing. The water still needs filtering and balancing, and the water blade pump wants an occasional check. The upside is that a smaller body of water is cheaper to treat and faster to clean. The stone paving needs sweeping and a seasonal wash. Running the pump only when you are using the courtyard, rather than all day, keeps the electricity and chemical costs of a plunge pool sensible.

That is exactly what it is for. A plunge pool suits a compact or enclosed yard where a full pool would swallow the whole space. You can size it to the courtyard and still keep room for seating, as here. In a really tight yard you would drop the bar or the tub and let the pool and a couple of chairs stand alone. The water blade is worth keeping even small, since it adds sound and movement.