Your family spends many happy hours in your swimming pool every summer. But how about taking it one step further by turning it into a resort-like setting? It’s easier than you think and it’s done with lighting. You can make your pool area more inviting and create any ambiance you want by using different lighting options. 

Lighting creates moods but it’s also critical in ensuring your pool area is safe for everyone who uses your outdoor living area. In this article, we will talk about some of the beautiful ideas for pool lighting available to you to accomplish both goals: ambiance and safety.

Beautiful Pool Lighting Ideas

Installing lights in your outdoor living area, including the pool, takes the area effortlessly from day to night. It can provide a stunning backdrop for entertaining around the swimming pool or it can allow your family and guests many additional hours safely enjoying the pool itself. Here are some ideas on how to achieve a beautifully lit area:

Light Up the Walkways Alongside Your Pool

Safety is always first, especially at night. Sufficient lighting along pathways to and from the pool is essential. You can achieve this with recessed spotlights along the sides of the decking and any walkways. This lighting brings a sense of order to the entire area while also providing warm pools of light that highlight the decking and other areas around them.

Create Magic by Lighting Up Nearby Trees

One of the most versatile forms of lighting in any area, including your pool area, is using outdoor string lights in the trees. These lights create an enchanting atmosphere from any angle when woven around the trees near the pool. The lights reflect in the pool water, multiplying a magical effect everyone will enjoy.

Install Wall Lights

Outdoor wall lights can enhance the entire area. Any structure near the pool, such as a garden wall, pool house, or your home itself, can be used to add to the swimming pool ambiance after dark. There are many styles and materials that will accomplish this, from ornate to clean and simple. Using these types of lights will also effectively highlight the exterior of your home and your landscaping.

Lanterns Create Romance

Bring a romantic, fairytale-like atmosphere to your outdoor area by using several large lanterns or a bunch of smaller lanterns filled with LED lights around the perimeter of your pool. The soft glow of the lights sets an alluring setting for dining alfresco or an evening pool party.

Highlight Water Features for Dramatic Lighting

Make use of water features like waterfalls if you have them. Even without lights during the day, water features add calmness to your pool area. They block out other noise from neighbors and they do a great job of circulating water. Once the sun sets, though, lighting adds a dramatic flair to these features. You will find yourself entertaining more in the pool area so everyone can enjoy the ambiance you have created.

Add Flickering Flames Around Your Pool

Fire and water provide an earthy contrast around your pool. Those swimming in the pool after dark will be treated to beautiful light cast across the water’s surface by flickering flames. You can choose from large fire bowls placed at intervals around the pool or a bunch of simple lanterns in interesting arrangements throughout the outdoor area.

Don’t Forget Lights in the Pool

Let your pool glow with underwater pool lighting, too! There are many different moods you can create: Futuristic, calming, and magical. Your selection of colors has a great deal to do with these effects. So spend time deciding whether you want an intense look–try purple to achieve this–or a calming vibrance with your choice of green. If you’re going for more than one color, consider which ones clash and which ones complement each other to get the effect you envision. (For example, purple and blue go great together!)

Additional Lighting Tips

As you can see, there is a multitude of ways to use lighting to enhance your pool area as well as the pool itself. Here are a few additional tips to keep in mind as you choose your outdoor living area lighting plan:

Coordinate the Lights You Have Chosen 

Think of your lighting plan as a whole. For example, if you have overhead lights, make sure they don’t dominate your subtle pool lighting. And does it make sense to have both lanterns and fire bowls around the pool? It’s also important to keep all pathways and other key walking areas illuminated to avoid falls. So make sure you focus on those lights as part of your overall ambiance, too.

Use Solar Pool Lighting When Possible

Solar lights are a cost-effective alternative to traditional landscaping lights and can help save a significant amount of money on your electric bill. Many different kinds of lights use solar power: stake lights, hardscape lights, spotlights, string lights, and more. There is no wiring to worry about, solar lights are safe around water, and they are easy to maintain.

Use a Professional Electrician

Unless you are a qualified electrician yourself, hire one to do the initial wiring for new pool lighting and any subsequent maintenance. You don’t want to take a chance with electricity.

Hire a Designer or Study the Basics of Pool Design

You will need more than a great idea for illuminating your outdoor living area. You have to know if your plan is even possible or if it will achieve your lighting goals. You can do this by working with a professional designer or at least taking the time to seek out the information you will need before you get too far into the project.

Choose the Best Lighting Plan for Your Pool & Upgrade Your Ambiance Today! 

The pool lighting ideas and tips we have provided in this article can help you decide on the types of lights that are best for your pool and outdoor area. As you can see, you can create any ambiance you want, whether that is the use of fire, twinkle lights, lanterns, wall lights, tree lighting, or underwater pool lights. Remember, It’s best to leave the wiring and any repairs to electricians, but you have many options on the design end of this project. 

Now that you know how to light up your pool to create a magical nighttime paradise, you can master how to keep your pool itself in the best shape possible as well. One proven way to do this is through Pool School Videos. 

Mike Steele, aka “The Pool Doctor”, shares over 30 years of experience as a pool maintenance professional by offering that knowledge in 20 online, self-paced videos that make DIY pool maintenance easier, cheaper, and more effective. Once you purchase Pool School Videos, you have the videos available whenever you want and can watch them as many times as necessary.

Pool School Videos gives you clear, concise information on how to keep your pool clear, sparkling, and inviting, which just adds to the ambiance of your outdoor area. You will not find this level of information anywhere else.

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Make sure to check out the sneak peek of our top 5 videos and then start leveling up your pool maintenance efforts with Pool School Videos. Get started today!