A tired pool in Kew was in desperate need of a transformation. The owners of this property reached out to the experts for a completely new landscape design and pool refresh. Ian Barker Landscapes was engaged to design a completely new landscape and they contracted Natural Pools & Landscaping to convert the pool from a dated ‘80s style into something a little more current. The shell was structurally sound so the shape of the pool was retained, but it was updated with new tiling, equipment, lights and all new surrounds. This was a relatively inexpensive way to completely change the look of the pool and backyard.
All of the lights were changed to Spa Electrics’ multicoloured retrofit lights, and new return and suction fittings were added to the pool wall. All-new pool equipment was installed, including an electric heat pump and filtration system from Insnrg. “We also relocated all of the pool equipment to another area of the backyard to fit with the landscape design plan,” says Gavan Dowden, general manager of Natural Pools & Landscaping.
For this project, Natural Pools & Landscaping worked closely with Ian Barker Landscapes, who did the landscaping, paving and pool fence. “We regularly work together and were really impressed at how their team modernised this backyard,” explains Gavan.
The original pool was finished with Quartzon and Natural Pools & Landscaping converted this into a fully tiled pool. “We recommend that the homeowners change their pool interiors to fully tiled when feasible,” advises Gavan. “Fully tiled pools last longer, retain the heat of the water better and offer far more colour choices.”
Natural Pools & Landscaping presented the homeowner with a selection of tile options, based on the look and style of the brief. “We used this tile on another pool recently and showed them photos — the water colour was just what they were looking for, particularly as it tied in nicely with the colour of the paving,” says Gavan. “One thing we always stress to our clients is that the colour of the water is determined by the choice of tile and the sample tiles can look quite different to the finished pool that is all tiled and full of water. We always show them photos or real examples of a finished pool with all tile choices.”
Natural Pools & Landscaping renovates a number of pools across Melbourne, along with building new pools. “We enjoy doing pool renovations as it’s rewarding to transform something that’s daggy into something really beautiful and contemporary,” says Gavan.
“The clients are often really happy with these transformations, particularly as they’re a more budget-friendly option than building a new pool. We also update all of the equipment so the pool ends up being far more energy efficient and needing less maintenance, which of course our clients are thrilled about.”
The renovation has given this pool a new lease on life — one that will see the homeowners’ three children using the pool from kinder through to high school and beyond.
Natural Pools & Landscaping is a Melbourne-based boutique pool builder specialising in luxury residential and commercial pools, including hotel pools, apartment pools and public swimming pools. Started in 1975, the company has built more than 5000 pools during this time. Natural Pools & Landscaping is a member of SPASA and has won over 60 industry awards.
After an initial phone discussion, the Natural Pools & Landscaping team arrange a site meeting with their clients to discuss ideas and to gain an insight into how the clients would like to use their pool.
“Our clients are remarkably diverse and we tailor our designs to suit their particular needs and desires,” explains Huw Blethyn, project manager at Natural Pools & Landscaping. “In some circumstances, where the client has a clear set of goals, we move directly into planning, whereas with many other clients we bring our landscape architect on-board to flesh out all the potential options for their project. This consultative approach can take anywhere up to six weeks, but when our clients do settle on the final design, they are a lot more excited with the project and feel connected with the design.”
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