Pool houses have come a long way and they can be incredible additions to your property and lifestyle. Your current pool house may be really just a shed to store equipment. Consider making it into something really spectacular.
History
Pool houses were once tiny sheds that people used to change into their bathing suits and hang up their street clothes. The word “cabana”, another word for pool house, actually means “hut” in Spanish. At first they were not fancy or desirable places to be. In the Roman Empire, they practiced naked bathing in public baths. They also used tiny closets to change and to store their clothes. This often resulted in having their clothes stolen and presenting a dilemma about what to wear home.
Pool houses traditionally did not have proper roofing or insulation. If you needed a place to stay and a friend offered their cabana, at least you’d be sheltered, but it certainly wouldn’t be comfortable.
Modest Pool House
Eventually pool houses evolved into small homes. They had bathrooms, a proper changing room, and maybe even a bar. They might also have been crowded by a jumble of pool equipment: nets, vacuums, floats and more.
Practicality was the name of the game. Guests needed a place to change without having to go into the main house and pool tools and toys needed a place to be stored away. A really fancy example might include a shower stall to get off the chlorine. Sometimes the showers were just additions tacked on outside, like the ones at beach houses, that keep sand and salt from being tracked into the house.
Lavish Pool House
As time went on, beach houses in exclusive neighborhoods became more impressive than most people’s primary residences. It was all part of the glamorous entertainment that was common in the old days of Hollywood. Pool hangouts then contained full bars, actual lavish bathrooms and even bedrooms for those who wanted to stay over.
Your Pool
Before designing your fantastic pool house, take a look at your swimming area. Technically, you don’t need a pool to have a pool house in your yard, but then you would have to call it something else. Since a pool is generally the reason for a pool house, first think about whether your relaxation area could use some improvements.
If your pool is on the ordinary side, maybe you should do a search for “pool builders near me” and look at all of the many possibilities in pool upgrades. You could have underwater lights installed or maybe a hot tub or waterfall.
Reasons for a New Pool House
Reasons to improve or build your pool house are numerous. If you entertain a lot, you really need a pool house with bathroom facilities. Unless you want dozens of guests, some of whom you may barely know, tracking wet footprints all over your home and using your own bathroom, you need bathroom facilities closer to the pool.
You probably also don’t want your guests going home in their wet bathing suits with pool bleach in their hair. Install a luxurious shower and supply chlorine-removing shampoo and a blow dryer. Make sure the flooring in your pool house will not be damaged by moisture. Natural slate is an excellent choice for a pool house’s entry and bathroom.
If one of your guests had a few too many gin and tonics poolside, you might want to be sure that your pool house includes at least one bedroom with easy access to the bathroom and a mini fridge stocked with bottled water. After all, you can’t send them home that way and you probably don’t want them in your house’s guest room in that condition.
Pool House Amenities to Consider
Number one on your list of things to add to your pool house should be solar panels. Make sure they are linked to the pool house’s water heater and that you install a storage battery to keep the lights and appliances running at night and on cloudy days. While you’re at it, you can heat the water in your pool with solar panels too.
Insulate your pool house and arrange for a heating system if you live in a cooler climate. Even though the majority of use your pool house may get will be in the warmer months, there are still many reasons to visit the hangout spot in the other seasons. Your own up to date cabana can accommodate the overflow of out-of-town relatives during visits or holidays and you want them to be comfortable out there. For really cool nights, consider a fire pit.
Skylights can be a nice addition. More natural light coming in will reduce the need for electricity during the day. Additionally, they can be opened to let heat escape on the hottest days. Combined with ceiling fans, that could eliminate expensive and polluting air conditioning.
Going All Out for Hobbies
Consider adding a second floor to your pool house. Is there ever enough room in your main living quarters for your family members to pursue their hobbies? That extra floor could become a music studio (don’t forget to add soundproofing), an artist’s studio or a writer’s office.
There is something about getting away from it all that makes people more creative.If games are what your family is all about, turn the upstairs into a game room. If you plan from the beginning and the floors are built to hold it, the extra room can include a pool table and much more. Maybe your thing is movies. If so, this is the perfect opportunity for a home theater. It’s easier to accomplish something like this from the start rather than during a later remodel. Along with the speakers and screen, make sure there is a microwave for popcorn and a mini refrigerator for drinks.
Maybe now you have some ideas about the many possibilities a new or remodeled pool house could have. Make a list of what appeals to you most and get ready to enjoy your new space.
