Take a break from the sun in style.
Elevate your outdoor soirees and backyard parties with a well-designed pool house. Incorporating stylish pool house ideas can transform your outdoor space into a chic private oasis, perfect for resting after a swim or escaping the hot sun. Plus, a dedicated pool house prevents soaked floors when you’re ready to hang up your swimsuit for the day.
Take this opportunity to experiment with different pool house ideas, creating an outdoor jewel box. To inspire you, we’ve gathered 20 designer-approved pool house ideas that simplify the decorating process. Whether your structure is small or as large as a backyard guest house, these ideas will help you look forward to creating your private oasis. Keep scrolling to explore these vacation-worthy pool house ideas.
Make your pool house idea stand out by choosing a bright and bold color palette to decorate it. Designer Amanda Lindroth went with a vibrant orange accent for this bright white pool house exterior, giving the building a “showstopping personality.”
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Matching the exterior of your pool house to the main house creates a truly cohesive look, as seen on designer Ashley Gilbreath's property. She redid the roof on both structures, changing the existing shingles out for cedar ones and creating a uniform look.
Inside this pool house, designer Benjamin Dhong added a beautiful, serene painting of clouds over a meadow by Wade Hoefer to optimize an otherworldly, calm interior. The light-colored furniture and wallcoverings add to this chill vibe he wanted.
Add some coverage to your lounging area by putting up a pergola against your pool house. This allows prime sun coverage from the moment you step outside to when you recline on your lounger. While designer Javier Burkle of Burkle Creative chose a pergola with open slats at the top, it still creates an interesting feature in his whole yard.
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When designing your pool house idea, choose amenities, color palettes, and features that make you feel like you're on vacation without leaving your yard. Designer Chloe Warner's clients had this in mind when they asked her to design their home. “Our client had a vision of her family being able to feel like they were on vacation,” she explains, even putting a moody tropical leaf print wallpaper on the inside of the pool house to embrace the feeling more.
Choose an exterior for your pool house that's a bit more low-key when it comes to design if you want the actual pool to be the focus. Rather than add a bunch of bright, Palm Beach–esque colors to this structure, designer Gillian Segal went with simple, clean white and neutral furniture.
When designer Gregory Shano decided to redo his 1920s home, he left in the mature trees and used hedges to give the pool house area structure and privacy. Not only does it add dimension to the space, but the shaded spots are perfect for those super hot days. They also help keep the pool house cooler.
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From the gallery wall to the beadboard walls and the rattan furniture, Gregory Shano did not skimp out when designing the cozy interior of the garage-turned-pool-house either. The different textures and warm accents of this pool house idea make the space feel more homey.
When decorating your pool house idea, using materials that can easily get damaged or ruined by chlorinated water isn't the best idea, so choose performance fabrics in the early stages. Jeff Lincoln covered the sofa and chairs in such material and kept the original terracotta tile floors for a more indoor/outdoor vibe.
For those times you start your day in the pool and don't get out until the chilly evening, do yourself a favor and set up a backyard fire pit outside your pool house. The team at Kate Anne Design added this chic black one that brings sophistication into the space.
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Beautify the yard around your pool house idea by putting in concrete pavers that add interesting texture and dimension to the space. This stunning, Palm Beach backyard by Kemble Interiors was given an extra layer of elegance with this chic paver design.
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Use your pool house as a way to experiment with a chic indoor/outdoor style. Designer Lindsey Lane chose rattan details, billowy linen curtains, and large French doors to decorate this living area, giving it a dreamy and bright feel.
Lindsey Lane turned this garage into the pool house of her clients' dreams, using chic and durable materials while also ensuring the space was multifunctional in so many ways. Not only is this pool house idea a shady refuge for the kids when they're done with the pool, but it's a great spot for the adults to come in for a cocktail as well. Plus, Lane made sure to put furnishings in there that allow it to double as a guest room too, if needed.
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The only thing better than having your own private pool is having a stylish dining and living area right next to it. Whether your pool house allows for a covered outdoor area or it's large enough inside, make sure you create a separate spot for family time or entertaining, as in this outdoor area by Maggie Cruz. It'll be handy to have, yes, but it'll also elevate your space immensely.
“I wanted it to be, you know, not as grand as Versailles, but this ornamental body of water surrounded by old tables and benches,” Hadas Dembo says of her pool house. These older furnishings and touches give the place a more lived-in feel that so many of us desire. Plus, she also put in an outdoor shower—a necessity for a pool house—surrounded by the trellis and the trees.
Your pool house idea doesn't have to be large and layered to still be functional and elevated. Peter Moor from Moor, Baker & Associates Architects explains that this cabana area at the end of the pool features a shower, a bathroom, and a changing room. It's a small space but the bright white against the blue of the water and the sky feels so European.
“We honored the California ranch style by keeping the open beam ceilings and elevated the design with rich mahogany windows and vintage hardwood floors,” designer Raili Clasen explains of this pool house. It was a completely new addition, but the warmth of the exterior fits in beautifully with the surrounding trees and combats the cool tones of the pool, giving the entire area a cozy, welcoming energy.
In the same pool house as above by Raili Clasen, the designer added a bathroom to the space. While this could easily be overlooked, especially since you and your swimming companions could easily just go into the house to wash up, a pool house bathroom is one of those luxuries you wouldn't be able to imagine not having once you'd gotten a taste of the sweet life. You don't want pool water soaking the floors inside your main home—instead, have a place for people to go that you don't mind getting a bit wet.
Use your pool house as a second kitchen that makes outdoor entertaining a breeze. Designer Roger Higgins set this one up with a simple lounging area right outside and a few barstools against the structure for easy snacking.
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Not only is this pool house idea (complete with tiled jacuzzi!) from designer Tom Callaway completely beautiful, but the way that he incorporated flowering vines in his design makes the area all the more magical. The climbing bougainvillea up the front makes it feel like a secret, poolside oasis.
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