‘I love that it’s all ours’: James and Adam on their gorgeous new concrete pool.
Our backyard needed an entire makeover. We always thought it could be a great space but it was split into a few sections and we just found we weren’t using it. We wanted to makeover the whole area so that we could kind of experience our backyard as an extension of our home. When we started planning what needed to be done it felt like the most perfect opportunity to pop a pool in. Plus, my fiancée Adam grew up with a pool – so it has always been on his wish list.
I’m an architect so I understand what’s involved in building a pool. We were thinking about how we would map out the perfect backyard, and we thought if we started with a landscape construction company they could package it all up for us, with the pool included. Actually this didn’t work quite the way we thought it might – we didn’t click with anyone we contacted and we found the pricing structure to be quite rigid. We were also a bit put off because the people we contacted didn’t exactly step into the process with us – essentially they weren’t very helpful. Then I came across Cronulla Pools.
I hadn’t heard of Cronulla Pools before. I was scrolling around on Instagram and I came across them that way. Cronulla Pools do socials really, really well. I found it comprehensive in terms of visuals and they just communicated this beautiful, crisp image of what a pool could look like in a space. They were stunning pools. I knew with our project, what we wanted to do was create this coherent backyard space. We wanted to take it from being a bit all over the place, to being a space that could really give back to us, that we could just enjoy. There was this beautiful well-roundedness to the brand, too. Cronulla Pools just struck me right away as this genuine family-owned business and that sat really nicely with me. I could tell they built beautiful pools, and they built them really well. There was a very discernable elegance to them.
It’s taking me ages to actually get used to the idea that I have a pool. My fiancé has always had one so he’s always in it, but I find myself having to be like, ‘James, that’s your pool, you can just go and jump in, you know?’ I mean, it’s definitely a big thing, a huge addition to our home. My favourite things about our pool is the wet edge, and it has this beautiful trickling water sound. The fact that it’s outside of our living room, adds calm and tranquility – I love that the first impression of our home is this element that sort of generates peace, sort of makes you slow down.
The construction was a pretty big effort! I felt sorry for the Cronulla Pools team, because our pool was built through the wildest of weather. It was the rainiest time in Australia, ever. Like ever. But still, the team when they came in just smiled and kept on doing what they were doing. Everyone was always on time and no one was ever unhappy. The whole operation was like a smooth-running machine. Everything had been thought of and there were never any lose ends – we had the sense that the team were always one step ahead, always had our back. I remember watching the Cronulla Pools stories come across their socials and seeing pool after pool, all tarped up to protect the builds from the weather, and I was just loving seeing our pool pop up. The entire team was really respectful – can’t fault them.
I guess if I had a word of advice for anyone choosing a pool – choose the right builder. Because I’m an architect I have a deep appreciation for the process and an understanding of all that goes into building a pool. And if I was ever to build a pool again, I would definitely use Cronulla Pools. I see lots of residential works going on at the moment and lots of issues and big time delays. I think in the end when you’re doing something so big, that costs so much money, you know it comes down to a degree that paying that extra amount ensures you get what you want – you’re ensuring the quality the outcome is the level that you expect. I would definitely recommend Cronulla Pools.
Our backyard has completed our home, and our pool is a big part of that. We just love it so much. We feel now that our home is exactly how we envisioned it. Now that the pool is in I can’t imagine our lives without it. I just love looking at the pool, love being around the pool – putting up a sunshade, reading a book. It’s a place to be. I love that it’s all ours.
