Geronimo!
Swimming pools are as popular as ever with more homeowners adding them to their outdoor living spaces. Compared to years ago, there are many more options available for the in-ground pool of your dreams: gunite, fiberglass, and vinyl-lined concrete are offered in a variety of unique designs, shapes, and sizes.
And it doesn’t end there. With today’s technology, you can enjoy your pool with just the push of a button on your mobile device, from setting the temperature so the water is just right when you are ready for a swim to turning the underwater lights on to create the perfect ambiance for a night swim.
Many pool owners are even extending the use of their pools by selecting a heater for early and late-season swimming so they can take an off-season dip.
SPORTS POOL
The family in this East Islip home wanted a pool for entertaining that was built to last. Giuseppe Abbrancati, owner/designer of Smithtown-based Gappsi, Inc., suggested a gunite salt-water pool in a sports pool-style design where both sides of the pool are shallow and the deep end is in the middle.
“Gunite pools make a statement,” he says. “They are a very customizable pool. That is why you see a sundeck, round steps, free falls, spas inside the pool. You can shape the cement any way you want it and apply any finish. They are also highly durable.”
Abbrancati should know: He has been building pools for the last 30 years.
“The deepest part of this pool is six feet,” he says. “It’s built like that so you can play volleyball in the pool and it’s fair ground.”
Abbrancati designed a classic rectangular-shaped pool that is 16-by-32 feet in size and has that sleek modern look.
“Everyone in the Hamptons has the gunite rectangular shape,” he says. “It is the most elegant.”
The pool, he explains, is a cobalt blue diamond bright with quartz finish. Before the installation, the house, which is close to 100 years old, had a simple concrete patio. In order to keep the character of the home, Abrrancati chose a brick-looking veneer that would blend in with the existing bricks to make it look like the pool was always there.
“I didn’t want the pool to look like it was an addition,” he says. “I wanted it to look like it was built with the house 100 years ago.”
Travertine pavers were added throughout. Additional features of the property that Abbrancati built were a sunken natural firepit made from rocks and lava and an L-shaped bench for seating.
THE MOUNTAIN LAKE POOL
The homeowners of this Miller Place home chose the Mountain Lake Pool, also called a Free-Form Pool, for its beauty.
Their home sits on a little more than an acre and features a gazebo, firepit, a patio and plenty of additional space for entertaining. Their property size allowed the homeowners to get a little more creative with their options when it came to the pool’s shape and size.
“Geometric pools have more room for swimming, but may not suit the landscape and clients’ design expectations,” says Swim King Pools Marketing Director Beth Pranzo. “When you build a Mountain Lake Pool you want the pool to be as big as it can be so there is swimming room.”
The salt-water pool that is 24 feet by 42 feet was an ideal size for the property.
“Some people want something artistic in their yard while others prefer the classic rectangular shape,” she says. “The client liked the shape and thought it was a beautiful feature to enhance her landscaping.”
Swim King Pools, located in Rocky Point, has built thousands of in-ground pools since opening in 1974.
“We build as soon as the ground thaws, often February, and our last just before Thanksgiving,” says Pranzo.
This pool is a poured concrete vinyl-lined pool which is very durable, explains Pranzo, adding that her company offers a lifetime guarantee on its concrete walls.
“Pools can also be built with steel walls, composite walls or a one-piece fiberglass wall pool,” she says.
Typically, fiberglass pools are delivered as one unit and not built onsite. They are just as durable, explains Pranzo, but more expensive and there are usually limits on where they can be built due to delivery access.
