Must-Haves To Keep Your Pool Interesting And Exciting, According To Christina Hall

Designing and buying a pool for your yard is a great way to enhance your home, but it's not for the faint of budget. An average inground pool can cost around $35,000, and prices can easily soar to over $65,000, depending on your pool features and materials (via Forbes). Of course, that installation cost doesn't include routine maintenance — about another $180 to $350 per month (via Homelight). With such a high initial investment, it's crucial that you carefully plan out your pool's design. After all, building an inground pool is an awfully expensive undertaking if your family rarely uses it.

Which features are worth the splurge to keep your pool feeling fresh and exciting? In a recent episode of her hit HGTV show, "Christina on the Coast," Christina Hall revealed that she'd had a fondness for home pools that started when she was a child, and she still thinks they can be great for entertaining kids all day and creating an elegant outdoor space (via Realtor). Hall offered some helpful inspiration for prospective pool builders, as well as some things to keep in mind while you're designing and executing your new pool.

A uniquely curved, shapely pool will generate more interest from the family than a standard rectangular pool, but even a simple pool design can be made much more exciting with varying depths. In the episode "More of the Warm Hug Home," Christina Hall designs the homeowners' pool with their whole family in mind (via Realtor). She creates a shallow end ideal for adults who want to wade and lounge and a deep end perfect for kids to jump, dive, and play. If you want your pool to have versatile functions, Poolonomics recommends starting at a 4 feet depth and gradually sloping to at least 8 feet, the minimum depth needed for safe jumping and diving.

In addition to making your pool more accessible to all age groups, a deep end also has some practical benefits, especially if you live in a very hot, sunny climate. Water at the deep end of the pool is less likely to become heated in the hot summer sun, maintaining your cool, refreshing escape during the months when you need it and use it most.

There's no need to stick to one flat surface material throughout your pool area. In fact, mixing and matching textures is a great way to add interest and make your pool feel more inviting. In the episode, Christina Hall said, "When designing a pool, tile in the water and outside of the water can look totally different." She later emphasized, "We have the waterfall, we have the coping, we have the pebble, and then we have the waterline tile that's going to be similar, and another tile for the spa" (via Realtor).

However, when choosing pool and patio surfaces, it is important to look for textures and shades that will complement each other. If you're going for a neutral theme to elevate a standard concrete inground pool, opt for unique materials like slate, hand-painted tile, or travertine around the edges of your pool. Special features like a waterfall or spray fountains are another great way to enhance the overall vibe of your pool space, create textural interest, and add a relaxing auditory element.

One of the best ways to get any design inspiration is to look at the homes the stars themselves live in. Christina Hall and her family recently moved into a gorgeous $12 million home, complete with a dreamy pool and yard (via Insider). The new space caters to Hall's modern family lifestyle, with an emphasis on indoor-outdoor living. Hall expressed her excitement for the home's design in an Instagram post, stating, "Our new home is our long-term family home. Coming from a restless soul my soul is ready to rest. At 38 I'm exactly where I want to be and can't wait to make the next house our home."

All too often, the pool can feel detached from the rest of the home, but it's important to create a flow that encourages your family and guests to move comfortably throughout. A perfectly designed pool should feel like an extension of the home. Pool and landscaping contractors at Neave Group recommend pulling décor and design elements from indoors to your outdoor patio. For example, look for similar flooring materials and incorporate "indoor" pieces like lamps, couches, and outdoor kitchens.