When we shared the levels of our pool feature on Instagram, I knew that I would quickly reach them all. But in four years I have it a lot of emotions about all the decisions we made about our backyard pool (some of them tough), and a quick reel didn’t do them justice.
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So consider this director’s cut: every feature, honestly calculated, with full thought behind each number. If you’re somewhere in the throes of planning your pool, I hope it helps you skip over a few things that I would skip – and break down the ones that I would play on a regular basis.
Interior color — 10/10
I’ve done a different reel on choosing a pool color, and my No. 1 tip is to choose something that matches your living space. Ours is a color called “Sharkskin” – this deep blue – and I love it every time I look at it. There are no notes.
Mini-pebble plaster finish — 5/10
We have a hybrid quartz/mini-pebble plaster gun pool from “Sharkskin” by Quality Pools Group. The texture is designed to be non-slip, and it does that job well. But like a lot of mixed-use finishes, it can feel squishy if you drag your foot down just to the right. To be clear: you won’t hurt yourself by jumping or swimming. But the texture can wipe it out – we’ve had a few people end up needing a Band-Aid. With children always riding out, it’s one thing we don’t think about anymore.
Here’s what we learned: Texture is design and a way of life, so it’s worth understanding your options before signing anything. The biggest name in composite finishing is PebbleTec. They are so popular that manufacturers often say “PebbleTec” the way we say “Kleenex” or “Q-Tip,” even when citing a different product (which is exactly how our encounter happened). PebbleTec offers 8 finish styles, from natural and textured to smooth and polished – their PebbleFina and PebbleBreeze finishes provide a smooth, soft-underfoot finish. And since finishes from different manufacturers can look almost identical, it’s a good idea to check out PebbleTec.com to make sure you’re getting the exact product you think it is. Something to think about when planning your pool!
Tanning line – 6/10
I think we made it too big for us. It was all the way back when the kids were little. And it can be heard where he is, near the hot tub, so they walk across. But now that they’re older, it’s getting into the usable pool more than I’d like. I think that a few lounge chairs in place might enhance this effect. TBD.
Color changing LED lights — 6/10
Ask our kids, and this is 10 out of 10 – there are like 14 different colors, and they love to cycle through them all. My one gripe: if I want a specific color, the light has to scroll through every single color in the list before it settles on the one I want. Little, really. But it is something 2026… surely we can touch color right now?
Water fountains – 6.5/10
I actually like these. We have four of them, two on each side, and they go up and out of the deck. They are beautiful, and do a great job of canceling noise. The only reason this wasn’t more: they were aggressive. Sometimes one won’t shoot as much as the others, and lately a few of them… haven’t worked. Once they’re all open, they’re some of my favorite details here.
Integrated spa – 7/10
I love the simplicity of having a hot tub built in. The best part is that we can open the automatic cover. just enough to use the spa without exposing the entire pool – and the cover still covers everything seamlessly. The thing that keeps it from a higher number is the sharp edge around it, which always makes me a little nervous. It works and it’s beautiful, but I can see those edges.
Depth – 9/10
Here is a decision I almost made wrong. At first we planned for six feet, then at eleven o’clock, when they were already digging the hole, we hit it at seven. I’m so glad we did. If anything, I wish the shallow end was shallower, but I like that the deep end doesn’t go under seven feet. For us, seven turns into a sweet spot.
Salt water system – 10/10
This is easy. Salt water is very gentle on your skin, and it has been low maintenance. We have a pool guy who comes once a week to check the levels, but other than that, it just works. If you’re on the fence about it, here’s what I’ll tell you to do.
Default cover — 10/10
If I could only keep one thing on the whole list, it would be this. Our Coverstar cover covers the entire pool area again It’s a hot tub, and you can actually walk in it. That last part is my whole story: it closes whenever the pool isn’t in use, and the peace of mind it gives me is worth every penny. Fact 10.
Deep-end ledges – 11/10
Yes, eleven. These broad edges are not built into our deep end, one on each side. Children play in them, you can sit in them, and – most importantly – they make it very easy to get out at the end without a ladder. It’s a safety feature I never even asked for, and now I’m going to include it in every pool I build. A sleeper hit for every project.
Outdoor shower – 1/10
Okay, this one surprised people. On looks alone, it’s 10. It’s a beautiful copper shower (the same one), and I love going through it. But would I spend money on it again? No. We have used it maybe two or three times in four years. It even broke once (it got really cold in the winter), and we replaced it… to go back a lot to keeping our inner tubes in it. If you’re looking at your budget, this is the easiest thing on the list to cut. (Although some say that if we ever turn it off, we can use it more.)
If you’re in the middle of planning your pool, my biggest takeaway after four years is: the no frills the decisions – the cover, the salt water, those deep places – are what I’m most grateful for every day. Nice extras are nice, but it’s the functional stuff that quietly earns top marks.
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