![Dive in: Aloha Pools pool of the year in 2013.](/web/20160418110603im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/m/y/v/u/p/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gmxjz5.png/1455866861653.jpg)
Dive in: Aloha Pools pool of the year in 2013. Photo: Bill Farr
SIZE COUNTS
Smaller blocks of land aren't deterring homeowners from taking the pool plunge, according to Peita Otterbach, sales manager for Melbourne-based pool manufacturers Albatross Pools. Instead, plunge pools – smaller pools up to five metres long and three metres wide – are all the rage, especially for retirees keen to keep the grandkids amused.
"Small pools that are multi-functional and suitable for year round use are most popular at the moment," Otterbach says, pointing to the trend for customers to equip their pool with a spa blower and jets, turning come winter.
![Albatross lap pool.](/web/20160418110603im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/m/y/v/p/9/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gmxjz5.png/1455866861653.jpg)
Albatross lap pool. Photo: Bill Farr
CURVES ARE BACK
Clear-cut, geometric lines and rectangle-shaped pools remain dominant, but there's also a market for more flowing forms, says Jason Smith, general manager and senior vice president of Leisure Pools.
"Overall there's a shift into beautiful, clear, sharp lines. Freeform pools are becoming a little more popular – not the kidney shape, but flowing lines and round edges. Those people tend to go for the lagoon look."
![The curvy allure of Leisure Pools.](/web/20160418110603im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/m/y/v/q/6/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gmxjz5.png/1455866861653.jpg)
The curvy allure of Leisure Pools. Photo: Bill Farr
Peita Otterbach agrees. "Most people have been opting for clean lines, rectangular shapes, to complement the design of their home."
Then there's the lap pool, a favourite of exercise enthusiasts lucky enough to have a bit of extra space. The trend nowadays is for lap pools tricked out with wide wading areas off to one side, with an L- or P-shape to the design, Otterbach says. That way, grown-ups can swim laps and work on keeping fit, while little ones play safely nearby in the adjacent paddling zone.
INSIDE OUT
![Plunge pool by Albatross Pools.](/web/20160418110603im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/m/y/v/q/0/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gmxjz5.png/1455866861653.jpg)
Plunge pool by Albatross Pools. Photo: Bill Farr
Jaden Tauren, general manager of award-winning company Aloha Pools, has noticed a growing partiality for pools that are integrated within the residence – "swimming pools that are on rooftops, cantilevered over a sloping block or that capitalise on the natural surrounds, for an
example, an infinity edge that overlooks the sea".
Indoor pools tend to be for a more affluent customer base, or used in regional areas where an outdoor pool would be exposed to more extreme elements and water evaporation, Otterbach says.
![The exotic platinum plunge from Leisure Pools.](/web/20160418110603im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/m/y/v/t/h/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gmxjz5.png/1455866861653.jpg)
The exotic platinum plunge from Leisure Pools. Photo: Bill Farr
PLUSH PLAYGROUND
There's always a market for the classic rectangular pool, but increasingly elaborate features are in demand.
"It's just so much more interactive these days," Smith says. Extras include in-built spas, splash decks, fountains and water features, as well as landscaping and surrounds that make the pool the centrepiece of the garden, rather than a stand-alone recreation area.
Hardy native gardens and textures that similarly complement the space are fashionable choices when designing the surrounding area, according to Otterbach.
"People are also incorporating things other than plants, such as sculptures."
When framing the pool with tiles, she recommends natural stones, such as bluestone, and mixing materials as well: "Just using tiling creates a hot and harsh space, so adding timber can cool it down a bit."
Jaden Tauren concurs, noting a preference for "more natural influences in tiles, organic stone interiors and glass mosaics in earthier tones".
LUXE WATER
While salt chlorination is still prevalent, alternative methods of water sanitation are catching on. "Back in the day, people used to look at liquid chlorine, powdered chlorine, or salt,"
Otterbach explains. "We offer a system called an ionic freshwater system – it still uses a low level of chlorine, but so low you don't need to have a shower afterwards and don't smell. It's soft on the skin."
Technology also has its role to play in the evolution of the suburban swimming pool, Smith points out.
Gone are the creepy-crawlies of yonder year, replaced by robotic cleaners that can do the job in 90 minutes, and apps are now available to control settings and clean water remotely.
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