Make A Splash

Hamptons real estate agents will tell you one of the most necessary features of a home to ensure friends, kids, and grandkids will visit is a pool. It’s a luxury feature that adds to waterfront properties or defines those set more inland. What pool designers will tell you is that it’s more than just having a pool, it’s about understanding how it will be used and fit into the overall landscape. As poolside season approaches, industry pros share what defines this element of Hamptons outdoor living.

Today’s most popular material used to construct a pool is the concrete-like mixture known as gunite. Strength, durability, and even adding a degree of value or status, gunite is the preferred material among nearly all of Greg Darvin’s, owner of Pristine Pools in East Hampton, clients. With the best return on investment, this material also offers pool designers more artistic freedom as every detail can be customized. With homeowners looking to integrate pools into the bigger picture, he shares the modern aesthetic lends well to becoming part of the overall landscape.

“It’s not just the pool,” Darvin shares, adding the rectangular shape has replaced the once-popular freeform design. “It’s the outdoor kitchen and seating, and about creating an overall outdoor experience where typically by sheer size alone, the pool often becomes the centerpiece.”

While scale and balance are important, Darvin finds understanding the client’s lifestyle and how they will use the pool is important. It’s not just about the landscape, it’s an investment in lifestyle and health. In-depth conversations with clients can reveal things a homeowner didn’t know they wanted or needed, changing plans from the original vision for the better.

Water features are a common factor in pool design for builder Frank DeVito, who recently launched PoolWorks Hamptons as part of his eponymous construction company’s offerings. He finds people are enjoying resort-style pools, creating an outdoor living experience in new construction or adding this to older traditional homes in Hamptons real estate. 

“People are trying to design the entire backyard,” DeVito shares, noting the value of various industries coming together to create this exterior space. “We collaborate with other trades like stone masons, landscapers, landscape architects, and furniture companies to create this whole outdoor living experience.” 

There are plenty of engineering and calculations that come with a pool that homeowners may not be aware of, according to DeVito. His concept is to bring all of the various components and his knowledge from years as a home builder together with a strong team to meet the clients’ needs. 

A common element for pools is inside lighting. Something that is often overlooked however are the encompassing areas. Just as lighting is essential within the home, it is crucial on the exterior. Hamptons Landscape Lighting’s Scott Armusewicz, Jr. shares pool illumination should not be confined to the areas where you dip your feet.

“Decks, gardens, trellises and decorative features around the pool can create an ambiance of tranquility or entertainment when illuminated,” Armusewicz says. “Many of our clients use their pool area at night for different reasons and at Hamptons Landscape Lighting it is important we understand our clients’ preferences. Sometimes a mix of tranquility and entertainment can be designed through separating color temperatures at different areas around the pool or even through color changing lamps or fixtures.” 

Various classic and modern lighting fixtures blend seamlessly into the landscape, adding to the overall atmosphere. With pools being the centerpiece of outdoor living, offering all experiences from entertaining to a relaxing vacation vibe, how all of these elements work together define modern outdoor living trends.

“In my tenure, the words modern, simple, and clean are words that are often used,” Darvin says. “Definition and application has to change with some degrees of the times.”