Start with the pool, not the catalog
Eighteen pool designs, grouped by type, each with the shape, finish, deck, and features worked out together. Pick the two or three you would still love on an ordinary Tuesday and you have a design brief.
Blue Science builds every one of them as a custom concrete pool in the DFW Metroplex, Greater Houston, Greater Austin, and Greater San Antonio, and each card shows the name our crews use for that design in each region.
Have a backyard in mind in the DFW Metroplex, Greater Houston, Greater Austin, and Greater San Antonio? Bring your two or three favorite designs to a design consultation.
Start My Pool DesignInfinity edge and vanishing edge pool designs
A spillover wall lets the water run off one side into a hidden trough, so the pool appears to merge with the view behind it. These designs earn their keep on sloped and lakefront lots in Austin, the Hill Country side of San Antonio, and the lake towns around Dallas and Houston, and they need a site walk before anything is drawn.
Infinity edge and vanishing edge pool designs
Luxury Infinity Edge Pool
Marvelous vanishing edge swimming pool with crave stone interlocking deck.
- zero edge spa
- carve stone interlocking deck
- handrail access
- infinity vanishing edge
- LED underwater lighting
- breathable outdoor living space
Known locally as Highland Park Highlife in the DFW Metroplex, Southampton Place in Greater Houston, West Lake Hills Style in Greater Austin, Fair Oaks Ranch Style in Greater San Antonio.
Infinity edge and vanishing edge pool designs
Classical Infinity Edge Pool
Charming infinity edge pool with deep colored glass tile and a pebble blue finish.
- deep blue pebble finish
- infinity vanishing edge
- iridescent glass tiled pillars
- majestic fire pits
Known locally as Westlake Style in the DFW Metroplex, Monticello Highlife in Greater Houston, Hyde Park Style in Greater Austin, Edgewater Theme in Greater San Antonio.
Infinity edge and vanishing edge pool designs
Modern Vanishing Edge Pool
Luxurious geometric swimming pool with all glass tile surface and zero edge spa.
- geometric design
- zero edge spa
- 2x2 glass tiles
- integrated planters
Known locally as Brighton Oaks Estate in the DFW Metroplex, Sunset Terrace Estate in Greater Houston, Sunset Canyon Estate in Greater Austin, Shadow Canyon Estate in Greater San Antonio.
Infinity edge and vanishing edge pool designs
Lakeside Luxury Pool
Stunning infinity edge pool with colored led lighting and tumbled travertine deck & coping.
- infinity edge
- zero edge spa
- colored LED lighting
- lighted palm tree planters
- tumbled travertine deck
Known locally as Bella Lago Concept in the DFW Metroplex, Oak Estates Concept in Greater Houston, Apache Shores Concept in Greater Austin, Summerglen Concept in Greater San Antonio.
Infinity edge and vanishing edge pool designs
Modern Multi-Level Pool
Captivating pebble plaster multi-level pool with deep ocean blue tiled walls.
- tiled negative edge
- multi-level pool
- pebble plaster
- step stone walkway
- cantilever deck
Known locally as White Rock Estate in the DFW Metroplex, West University Place Style in Greater Houston, Seven Oaks Estate in Greater Austin, The Dominion Place in Greater San Antonio.
Types of inground pools on this page
The designs group into five families. Infinity and vanishing-edge pools use a spillover wall to make the water disappear into a view and suit sloped or lakefront lots. Geometric and modern pools use straight lines, raised beams, and linear spas and suit contemporary houses and smaller yards. Freeform and natural pools use curves, rock, and planting to read like a lagoon or a creek and suit treed lots and traditional houses. Lap and therapy pools are built around a swimmer and a routine. Small-yard pools prove that a cozy landscaped pool can carry a whole backyard.
Every one of them is a custom concrete pool: steel, gunite or shotcrete shell, tile, coping, and an interior finish chosen with you. That is what lets a design flex to the lot instead of the other way around, and it is why the same design can become a Highland Park pool in Dallas and a River Oaks pool in Houston without looking like a copy of either.
Geometric and modern pool designs
Straight lines, raised spas, linear spillways, and a deck that reads as an extension of the house. Geometric pools fit contemporary and transitional homes, and they make the most of a rectangular Texas backyard where every foot counts.
Geometric and modern pool designs
Geometric Pool
Custom geometric pool design with raised spa and water fountains.
- geometric shape
- double ledge entry
- custom spa water fountain
- raised spa
- sheer descent water features
- tanning ledge with water features
Known locally as Stonebriar Place in the DFW Metroplex, Crestwood Inspiration in Greater Houston, Spanish Oaks Place in Greater Austin, Jackson Woods Estate in Greater San Antonio.
Geometric and modern pool designs
Modern Luxury Pool
Brilliant modern swimming pool design with zero edge spa, tanning ledge and white cube access stones.
- zero edge spa
- modern design and layout
- spa access stepping stones
- tanning ledge
Known locally as Modern Hotel Style in the DFW Metroplex, Modern Hotel Style in Greater Houston, Modern Hotel Style in Greater Austin, Modern Hotel Style in Greater San Antonio.
Geometric and modern pool designs
Luxury Outdoor Living Pool
Elegant custom pool build with shell stone coping, 2x2 travertine deck, and multiple spillways.
- 2x2 travertine deck
- shell stone travertine coping
- spa spillway
- breathable outdoor living area
Known locally as Lakewood Estate in the DFW Metroplex, Frostwood Design in Greater Houston, Barton Creek Estate in Greater Austin, Sonoma Ranch Design in Greater San Antonio.
Geometric and modern pool designs
Modern Therapy Pool
Marvelous tiled swimming pool with contemporary wood slatted deck and master suite access.
- contemporary inspired slatted deck
- tiled pool surface
- master suite access
Known locally as Quiet Contemporary in the DFW Metroplex, Quiet Contemporary in Greater Houston, Quiet Contemporary in Greater Austin, Quiet Contemporary in Greater San Antonio.
Like one of these? Our design teams in the DFW Metroplex, Greater Houston, Greater Austin, and Greater San Antonio build every design on this page.
Talk Through My Pool DesignFreeform, natural rock, and lagoon pool designs
Curves, boulders, waterfalls, grottos, and planting that make the pool look like it was there before the house. Freeform designs bend around the live oaks and pecans on an older Dallas or Houston lot and suit traditional and ranch-style homes across all four regions.
Freeform, natural rock, and lagoon pool designs
Custom Free Form Pool
Luxurious free form pool with tanning ledge, stone rock grotto and travertine deck.
- tanning ledge
- stone rock out cropping
- lighted grotto
- built-in slide
- travertine brick coping
- travertine interlocking deck
- sculpted umbrella holder
Known locally as Preston Hollow Theme in the DFW Metroplex, River Oaks Estate in Greater Houston, Tarrytown Theme in Greater Austin, Deerfield Style in Greater San Antonio.
Freeform, natural rock, and lagoon pool designs
Free Form Natural Pool
Sparkling free form pool with natural stone features, lighted fountains, and integrated landscaping.
- winding free form design
- lighted pool fountains
- homogeneous landscaping
- natural stone features
Known locally as Willow Bend Traditional in the DFW Metroplex, Colonial Terrace Concept in Greater Houston, Westlake Traditional in Greater Austin, Inwood Traditional in Greater San Antonio.
Freeform, natural rock, and lagoon pool designs
Free Form Natural Pool
Lovely custom pool design with natural rock features and raised spa waterfall spillover.
- natural rock formations
- raised spa waterfall spillover
- outdoor living arbor
- free form shape and design
Known locally as Preston Royal Design in the DFW Metroplex, Canyon Gate Style in Greater Houston, Serene Hills Design in Greater Austin, Winchester Hills Design in Greater San Antonio.
Freeform, natural rock, and lagoon pool designs
Custom Natural Rock Pool
Charming traditional pool with built-in slide, natural rock structures, and raised wall water features.
- natural rock formations
- built-in slide
- travertine coping and deck
- rock raised spa
- raised wall diamond medallion water features
- breathable outdoor living area
Known locally as Timberlake Place in the DFW Metroplex, Tanglewood Traditional in Greater Houston, Ridgeview Place in Greater Austin, Garden Ridge Design in Greater San Antonio.
Freeform, natural rock, and lagoon pool designs
Custom Lagoon Pool
Beautiful lagoon style pool design with pebble plaster and stacked rock structures.
- natural rock pool design
- stacked moss rock
- lagoon layout
- pebble plaster finish
Known locally as Rivercrest Style in the DFW Metroplex, Southgate Place in Greater Houston, Spicewood Theme in Greater Austin, Champions Estates in Greater San Antonio.
Freeform, natural rock, and lagoon pool designs
Tropical Lifestyle Pool
Alluring tropical style pool with colored underwater LED lighting, raised stacked stone walls, and built-in table & seating.
- tropical palapa design
- built-in table and stools
- formed concrete fire pits
- raised stacked stone walls
- integrated landscape features
- colored LED lighting
Known locally as Highland Oaks Estate in the DFW Metroplex, Glen Cove Tropical in Greater Houston, Driftwood Motif in Greater Austin, Greystone Estates Theme in Greater San Antonio.
How to choose a pool design
Start with use, not looks. Who swims, how often, and what happens on the deck decide the shape: a lap lane wants length and a plain edge, a family pool wants a shallow shelf and a bench, an entertaining pool wants the deck to open toward the kitchen. Write down the three things the pool has to do well and the design narrows itself.
Then let the lot vote. A sloped lot in West Lake Hills or Stone Oak can carry a vanishing edge that a flat lot cannot justify. A treed lot in Plano or Tanglewood argues for a freeform pool that bends around the roots. A small Bellaire or University Park yard is a cozy landscaped pool or nothing. Blackland clay under Dallas and gumbo clay under Houston call for engineered steel and expansion joints on every design; Hill Country limestone under Austin and San Antonio calls for rock excavation priced up front.
Finally, pick the finish and the deck for how they feel in August, not how they look in the catalog. Light quartz and glass bead finishes read cool and bright in full Texas sun; dark pebble finishes read like a lake and hide debris under oaks. Travertine and pavers stay cooler underfoot than stamped concrete, which matters on a deck that faces west.
Lap pool and exercise pool designs
Built around a swimmer: length, a clean edge, a finish that hides the lane line, and equipment sized for a pool that runs every morning. Indoor and outdoor versions are shown, and both can be heated to stretch a Texas season into twelve months.
Lap pool and exercise pool designs
Contemporary Indoor Lap Pool
Spectacular contemporary indoor lap pool with black onyx pebble finish.
- black onyx pebble finish
- contemporary design
- stone slit french drains
Known locally as Stratford Manor Motif in the DFW Metroplex, Avalon Place Theme in Greater Houston, The Preserve Motif in Greater Austin, Trophy Oaks Motif in Greater San Antonio.
Lap pool and exercise pool designs
Luxury Lap Pool
Brilliant mediterranean blue quartz lap pool with extensive travertine wall and decking.
- outdoor lap pool
- mediterranean blue quartz
- zero edge spa
- travertine interlocking deck
- integrated planters
Known locally as Greenway Hills Theme in the DFW Metroplex, Afton Oaks Highlife in Greater Houston, Great Hills Theme in Greater Austin, Fossil Creek Theme in Greater San Antonio.
Small backyard pool designs
A pool does not need forty feet to carry a backyard. The cozy landscaped design below fits the tight lots of University Park, Bellaire, Tarrytown, and Alamo Heights, with planting and lighting doing the work that square footage does elsewhere.
Small backyard pool designs
Cozy Custom Landscaped Pool
Radiant blue quartz pool with raised walls and travertine deck & landscaping.
- raised wall spa
- blue quartz plaster finish
- travertine spillway
- raised wall planter
Known locally as Oak Tree Park in the DFW Metroplex, Royden Oaks Motif in Greater Houston, Rough Hollow Park in Greater Austin, Woodland Hills Park in Greater San Antonio.
Four Texas regions, one team
Where Blue Science builds these pools
Every design on this page is built by a Blue Science crew based in one of four Texas regions. Choose yours to see the pools we have built nearby, local permit and soil notes, and the team that will design, build, and then service the pool.
Pool builders in the DFW Metroplex
Custom pool design and construction across the DFW Metroplex, from the first sketch to the first swim, by the same team that will service the pool afterward.
Pool builders in Greater Houston
Custom pool design and construction across Greater Houston, from the first sketch to the first swim, by the same team that will service the pool afterward.
Pool builders in Greater Austin
Custom pool design and construction across Greater Austin, from the first sketch to the first swim, by the same team that will service the pool afterward.
Pool builders in Greater San Antonio
Custom pool design and construction across Greater San Antonio, from the first sketch to the first swim, by the same team that will service the pool afterward.
Turn a design idea into a buildable plan
Pick the two or three designs above that fit how you live, and bring them to a design consultation. We will walk your lot in the DFW Metroplex, Greater Houston, Greater Austin, or Greater San Antonio, price the excavation and engineering your ground actually needs, and turn the idea into a proposal that spells out what is included before anyone breaks ground.
Call Our Pool Experts
713-636-5751 Get a QuoteGood to know
Questions Cypress Pool Owners Ask
What is the most popular inground pool design in Texas right now?
Geometric pools with a raised spa and a tanning shelf lead in the newer subdivisions around Dallas, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio, because they fit a rectangular lot and a contemporary house. Freeform pools still win on older treed lots, and vanishing-edge pools dominate anywhere there is a slope and a view. The right answer is the one that fits your lot and your Tuesday, not the trend.
How do I decide between a freeform and a geometric pool?
Look at the house and the trees. A geometric pool echoes straight rooflines and fits a flat, open yard; a freeform pool bends around live oaks and pecans and suits a traditional or ranch-style home. If the yard has mature trees you want to keep, freeform usually wins. If the yard is a clean rectangle behind a modern house, geometric usually wins.
Can a vanishing edge pool work on a flat lot?
It can be built, but it rarely earns its cost without a drop behind the wall for the water to disappear into. Vanishing edges belong on the hillsides of West Lake Hills, Steiner Ranch, Stone Oak, and the lake towns around Lewisville Lake and Lake Conroe, where the view does the work. On a flat lot a raised beam with spillways gives a similar sense of motion for much less.
What changes when you build the same design in Dallas versus Austin or Houston?
The ground. Dallas blackland clay swells and shrinks with the seasons, so the shell gets engineered steel and the deck gets expansion joints. Austin and San Antonio limestone means rock excavation, priced before the first sketch. Houston's shallow water table calls for dewatering during construction and an equipment pad set above flood grade. The design looks the same in every region; the engineering under it does not.
Can I mix features from two designs?
Yes, and most finished pools do. A geometric shape with a natural rock waterfall, a freeform pool with a modern linear spa, or a lap lane added to a family pool are all ordinary requests. Bring the two or three designs you like to the consultation and we design from there; the hydraulics and controls are planned around the final combination so the features look right and run right.
Seen our truck on your street?
That is because we also service Katy, Magnolia, Sugar Land, Porter, and Brookside Village
Our Cypress routes do not stop at the city limit. The same pool design & construction runs in each of these towns, and the schedule is built so a technician working Cypress is a short drive from any of them.
