Colours . . . Will Blue Do? – One of the most frequent questions asked by everyone in the process of either building or renovating a swimming pool is, “How should I finish my pool?” Perhaps you have seen a friend’s pool, or a resort you’ve just visited, that offered you all the inspiration you needed.  You’ve come home and are  wondering, “Will this look right here?” The typical white and blue pool has made way for a plethora of different finishes and choice in tiles.  With such a large variety of finishing colours available, it is easy to feel that you are up against a difficult choice. Let’s review some elements that should play a role in your decision-making process.

It’s likely you experience an array of colours throughout your home and garden that inspire and comfort you. Continue with these colours if your pool is a part of the house and or connected deck; after all, designing any element of your home focuses on your comfort.

On these islands we have an added and special dimension. Elevations provide endless views across an ever-changing palette of grey-blues to turquoises. These magnificent islands meet at the crossroads of the Caribbean Sea and Tropical Atlantic Ocean, and the lush green vegetation and seemingly perfect skies will certainly influence the reflections in your pool.

Let’s realize the blue water in a pool is not much more than an inability of light from the red side of the spectrum to travel far, especially through a medium such as water. The deeper the water, the “deeper” the blue -no matter what colour your finish.

Darker finishes tend to look mysterious, but can also provide a more organic look. The natural look and feel can be achieved well with deep green, grey and even beige finishes. These colours really enhance the reflective properties of the water, something especially enjoyed at sunset and beyond.  Just remember to have your pool and landscape lighting on separate switches.  Darker pools need a lot more light, from both an aesthetic and a safety point of view; something you may want to consider if you want to rent your place or have a lot of night activities.

Lighter coloured pools tend to be a little chillier in this “harsh winter” of ours, especially at elevations above 500 feet. However, for more formal pools it achieves the clean look of clear lines and crisp shadow lines, Public pools are obliged to use such “white” pools.  The good news is that white does not have to be white only; “white background” finishes come with a variety of colour “chips”.   These can be small aggregate pieces in blue, beige, turquoise, teal, black, or ivory, and they will have considerable impact on final colour perception.

Finally, please look at the pool tile you are keen to use and pick up some hues from the tile to incorporate in your final colour selection. The trends today are to blend the tile and the finish as opposed to highlighting the waterline tile.