Décor by Pamela Hope Designs
You know it’s the middle of summer when the temperature outside is blazing and the humidity in Houston is at a high. When just walking outside, I break out into a sweat and it makes me think: “Why did I even take a shower this morning?” That’s the city life, but we Houstonians are resilient and have ways to adapt and make our lives more comfortable. Enter: pool house trends!
According to Hunker, “in real-estate terms, a pool house can be defined as an outbuilding designed to enhance the poolside experience by minimizing the need to enter the actual house during pool time.” The pool house is usually a free-standing building, not attached to the main house or garage. You may also have heard them referred to as cabanas.
Whether it’s large or small, the pool house is a great way to not only serve as storage for your pool accessories or that extra bathroom so you avoid entering the main house in a wet bathing suit, it can also serve as an office, game room or any other get-away you desire. The options and styles are endless. The size of a pool house depends on space, budget and the amenities preferred, but average sizes run from 100 square feet to 800 square feet or larger. They can even be large enough to serve as a guest house with a small kitchen or bar area.
How to Decide on a Type of Pool House
Décor by Pamela Hope Designs
A pool house, though considered a luxury, is often a more functional space. But how do you know if you need a pool house and which type should you have built? Here are a few questions to think about:
- Do you want to run utilities in your pool house?
- Do you want your pool house to be insulated?
- What size pool house can you fit on your property?
- Who will need to use the space – children, only adults and/or visitors from out of town?
- Which style pool house do you envision?
- Do you have the budget for a custom or prefab pool house?
Décor by Pamela Hope Designs
Let’s Tour a Couple of Pool Houses that We’ve Designed.
One of our favorite clients for whom we’ve done some extensive design work has a beautiful pool house. The house is traditional in style and is located in the historic River Oaks area. Of special note, we’re fortunate to have won several design awards with this project. We completely renovated the home, taking this house down to the studs to update and improve the flow. We renovated the interior, and then the client tackled the pool house to create a restful getaway. As shown above, the chosen color palette consisted of soft blues and off whites for that peaceful, serene feeling. Furnishings for the space were transitional in style with a little bit of a modern flair. The sofa and chairs have a black iron base with sky blue seat cushions with an off-white contrast welt. The ottoman was kept clean and simple with a neutral cushion and basket weave base to add texture. A marble top accent end table and a console under the TV with washed wood accents add another layer of texture in the space. A pub table and chairs offer additional seating for guests. A fun aqua-and-white striped rug completes the space and adds visual interest. We love their renovated pool house, and our clients love it too!
For another of our clients in the Richmond area, we had the opportunity to design another pool house. They are a wonderful young family and we assisted them in the build of their beautiful home. Each family member has a recreational space in the home to enjoy. The children have a large playroom for all their games and toys. Plus, they have a fantastic theater where they can not only watch movies on a big drop-down screen, they can also hold dances and costume parties on the built-in stage! Mom has her own retreat and spa, where she can exercise and relax in the sauna.
Décor by Pamela Hope Designs
That brings us to the space for dad, a fantastic pool house that we named The Manplex, shown above. This pool house has a covered sitting area with a fireplace and waterfall feature overhead. It also features an outdoor grill/kitchen. Inside is a sports lover’s dream! The interior of The Manplex has five big screen TVs so guests are able to watch a different sport on each TV. It is also equipped with a digital board with live updates on scores nationwide. There is plenty of space to watch favorite games, sit at the bar while enjoying a cold beverage or watching the exotic fish in the custom fish tank.
Décor by Pamela Hope Designs
The Manplex was also built for work. Up the spiral staircase is the office for the man of the house. It’s complete with a full-size desk, bookshelves and a hidden storage area. The upstairs balcony has enough space for a DJ when pool parties are under way and the guests can use the downstairs shower and full-size bath. We had a great deal of fun helping this client with this beautiful home and are happy to know that the family is enjoying every room in the house!
So, when you consider adding a great pool house to your home, remember that the options are endless. You can turn your pool house into a quaint get-away or a game room to watch the latest sports event, after a dip in the pool. As always, keep Pamela Hope Designs in mind. We would love to help you bring your pool house ideas to fruition!
