There’s nothing better than relaxing beside your very own pool in the hot summer months. Pool parties with friends, big family barbecues, or playtime with the kids, swimming pools are also a great focal point for all of your social occasions. Here are some dreamy swimming pool designs to inspire your own backyard oasis.

Think outside the box with a natural, free-flowing outline for your pool. Go beyond the classic angular designs for something that feels a little softer, using some creative landscaping to really set the mood. A waterfall flowing through stone and floral elements helps to create the feeling of a babbling brook here. Play elements for climbing and sliding make this a fun escape for all the family.

For something more sleek and contemporary, this angular quartz and slate design creates a little more sophisticated. A fire pit set into the pool makes a great focal point that lights up the pool for evening swims, while the feature waterfall offers something edgy. With space for guests to sit and relax within the pool’s edges, this is a social design fit for pool parties and family gatherings.

Despite what you might think, you don’t need a huge garden to have your own swimming pool. You can take a leaf out of Balinese living and create your own tropical oasis in a small space, setting a miniature pool and decking amidst vertical gardening. In a small sun trap with plants growing all around, you’ll have your own little slice of paradise.

Not all pools have to be in-ground designs, and setting your pool next to a sunken outdoor kitchen can create a social space for barbecues and drinks in your yard. Whether you enjoy your breakfast looking out over your pool, or make use of the swim-up bar for drinks on a hot day, this creative design is both beautiful and functional.

A sunken seating area set into an overlarge pool creates a stunning and unexpected design feature. You can have the best of both worlds, with a comfortable social seating space with a cozy firepit and a stunning large swimming pool that occupies most of your outdoor space.

If you’re lucky enough to have property with a beautiful view of nature, an infinity pool design is a great way for you and your guests to swim out and enjoy that breathtaking view from the water. By placing the pool off-centre, it also opens up the rest of your yard for other features, like seating areas, firepits, grills, hot tubs, and landscaping.