Good morning loves!!! Many of you have been asking about our pool and the decisions we made around it such as what our design inspo was, which companies we used, which liner we went with and so on … so, today I’m dishing ALL of the details on our POOL with you!! Let’s start by throwing it back a little bit … when we were house hunting for our “fixer upper” one of the things that attracted us to this house was the fact that it had a huge yard and a pool!! I remember when I was growing up my Auntie Patsy had a pool and I remember we had the BEST memories around that pool so my mind instantly started daydreaming about pool parties with friends and family and teaching Leo how to swim. THEN it went straight to the safety side of things … holy crap … a pool … right in our backyard … and Leo. The thought of that started to worry me like it would any parent and I immediately wanted to fill it in BUT after giving it some more thought and talking it over with Justin I knew that we could still have it, as long as we did it right by taking all of the necessary steps to ensure the pool was safe and that Leo was familiar with the water!!
Before we dig into the nitty gritty details of our pool, I wanted to share a photo of what it looked like BEFORE we refreshed it and also a few of my pool inspo pics with you … I gathered these white Pinterest cruising at all hours of the night!! LOL! Here is what the pool looked like before …
I mean the pool was amazing and probably had a few good years still left in it but it WAS 30 years old and it was starting to fall apart and the liner definitely needed to be replaced and with all of the construction going on around it there was no way it wasn’t going to get more destroyed in the process so I was lucky enough to be able to totally redo it and start from the ground up. I had this idea in my head of exactly what I wanted … I pictured a spa-like, relaxing, but functional space … and also a space where Leo and other kids could be safe and have FUN!! So, below are a few photos that I picked up while Pinterest cruising!!
I knew that summer was quickly approaching and I desperately wanted to get this damn pool refreshed and ready for those hot summer Okanagan days!! We talked to so many pool companies and then we were contacted by Latham!! They were super keen to work with us and were so knowledgeable. I voiced my concerns about the safety of the pool and they were eager to find us a cover that would put our mind to ease! We were so excited to partner with them!!
The hard part about this process was the design aspect of this space … I put so much thought and decision making into the interior of our home and this space wasn’t going to be any different. I knew this was going to be an area where we would be spending most of our time in the warmer months so I wanted it to look amazing!! This meant that I had to choose on which liner and pool cover would look the best with not only our home BUT with the surrounding decor outside.
For the actual bones of the pool, we ended up decreasing the hopper, which is the deep end of the pool and lengthened the shallow end, mostly for the benefit of the kids! We also created this custom designed step with an extended second step and it’s a perfect height for Leo when he is in his wading floatie and it’ll also be great for when he can walk, it’s the perfect depth for him to learn how to swim! Latham can seriously design anything you can imagine!!
After some back and forth I ended up going with the Ultraseam Liner in the reef pattern … and trust me, this was a TOUGH decision because they have so many options of colours and patterns … my eyes were going cross eyed by the time I made up my mind! LOL! We worked really closely with the Latham team on the design of our liner, they custom designed it to fit our steps and our toddler ledge for Leo! I recommend all of you guys to get help from the pool service rancho santa fe if you happen to be having struggles with yours.
And then for the cover, we went with the Autocover in charcoal. We decided on the Autocover as it’s so insanely sturdy, our whole family can actually walk ON TOP of the cover and it holds strong!! More importantly, it’s reassuring knowing that both Leo AND Nacho are safe outside when the cover is on. When it was first installed I started thinking that maybe it was too dark but now that it’s been in for a while, I’ve had a chance to soak it all in (see what I did there?! LOL!) and now I think we nailed the choice! Thank you SO MUCH to CoverStar Canada for installing this for us!!!
After the liner and the cover were picked out we got to get REALLY creative with the jets and lights thanks to the team at Hayward!! We have these fun Deck Jets on both sides of the pool that shoot into the water and are perfect for those hot days when you’re laying on a floatie and need a little “cool down” lol … just float on under one of those bad boys and you’ll be cool in no time!
While the pool is sooo close to being complete it is still a work in progress right now as we still have to finish the landscaping and concrete around it but it’s certainly coming together!! Once everything is complete we will be sharing some more photos with you but that won’t be for a little while yet … consider this a sneak peek for now!! LOL! Oh, and make sure to check out Latham’s recent blog post for more details on our pool! You can find it here!
Do you have a pool at home?? How did you find the design process?? Do you have any pool safety advice for me?
Ps. You can’t have a pool without some ridiculously cute floaties!
xo
Jilly
Awwww, Leo is too cute. My Auntie Patsy has a pool, too! Like you mentioned, lots of great memories, and I’m sure Leo will thank you for it later!
Is Nacho ever allowed in the pool?
We will see … lol!!
No Boxers can’t swim.
Nacho can!!!
We just put a pool in in June. Still have to landscape, including the concrete (so expensive) but we are loving the pool!! My four kiddos have been in it every single day, even when it’s rainy and cold!
One thing we did for safety was instal a chime on our back door. They know the rules are that they can’t go out in the backyard unless we are with them, but we added the chime for our peace of mind!!
Enjoy every second! It’ll only get better as he grows up xo
This is another really great idea!! Thanks for sharing Vanessa!! XOXO
Your pool is gorgeous! My parents had a pool in Vernon and we used the Turtle Saftey watch For our kids.
It’s a watch that you put on your child (it securely locks on using a key) and if the watch gets wet an alarm goes off. Pool accidents can happen so quickly so it was so nice to have that alarm as a back up!
Ps- unrelated to this post but Renee photographed our wedding and I was so excited to see her do your Christmas photo shoot with Leo on your show!
OMG that sounds like such a great idea!! LOVE THAT!
My parents just put their pool in this summer. My son is 5 and my daughter is 8 months and they both love it. My son is turning into a fish. Lol. It’s such a great piece to have in the backyard and I’m enjoying my mat leave by the pool this summer! It has a 3 foot shallow end and then goes to about 8.5 ft at the deep end. There is a beautiful wrought iron gate surrounding the pool and it’s all landscaped. Keeps the kids out when we aren’t around.
I know this is a personal question, but what was the total cost as of now? I think the extra wide step is an amazing idea for young kids.
Hey Jillian!!
We have a pool too! (at my mom’s house) It was put in around 2000 and we do have young kids over from time to time, so to help with keeping them safe, we have a door to the backyard that is always locked, that way if young kids are over, they can’t just walk into the backyard :). It’s an older bungalow, so the only access to the backyard is through that locked side door :). We also have a hot tub! Maybe you and Justin can get one of those put in eventually; you know how fun those are ;).
Hope this helps!
Amanda Panda
Jillian, I LOVE Leo’s black and white ball cap, where is it from???
It’s from George Hats!! https://george-hats.com/
Jillian, I love the look of your pool and it is now one of my inspiration pools. We are in the process of putting in a pool and I really wish I had thought to elongate the middle stair like you did. That was very smart. I also love the way your liner looks in the pictures. We were initially thinking of the black granite, but I keep coming back to your photos of the reef liner. Did you ever consider the black? Can you tell me how you were able to make this decision?
Hi there, I was wondering what colour drain cover you used with your pool liner? Thank you
What size is your pool?
I hope this isn’t asking too much but I was wondering if you has some images of your pool deck from up above and/or up close that you could share? I remember seeing it quickly on one of your insta stories and I LOVED it and it’s exactly what I had in mind for our pool surround. Im having trouble articulating to our concrete guy exactly what I want!! He is thinking patter, I am thinking NOT! I was large, staggered rectangles in a light acid wash!
Loving your pool renovation and your inspiration photos. We are currently undergoing a full renovation of an old vinyl pool also. I can’t seem to find the ‘Reef’ style liner you used… Does it go by another name? Would you mind sharing a close up photo of the liner? It’s hard to tell from the photo but you did no border at the top, right? Lastly, do you have a close up photo of your decking / concrete? Thank you!!
HI Jillian,
All of your photos are great and I have also saved many of the same pins from Pinterest that you have!!
We are in the midst of picking our liner (so stressful!!) but one of my top picks is Reef by Latham. I was wondering if you by chance have any other photos that I could see (without the swan) to see how the water colour is.
Do you find the water a light teal or light blue? I have been also looking at some of the light grey liners.
Any thoughts you have would be greatly appreciated.
Many thanks.
Angela
To me it looks light teal for sure!!! I ALMOST wish I would have went with a lighter liner but I do still love this one!!! GOOD LUCK!!
For homeowners working with a general contractor, they can simplify the process by helping you matching designs with the layout of your property and your home. Most importantly, they’ll help you find a custom deck system that will increase the value of your home – something that’s hard to do when you build a custom pool deck on your own.
What size is your pool?
When will you have finished pictures of the pool and landscaping available?
I’m planning on sharing that info in the next couple of weeks!! XO