A Woolooware work of art.

I think it’s safe to say that Michelle loves pools just as much as we do. When she was looking for a house to buy, she was on the phone to me pretty regularly - “Can you put a pool in this one?” “How about this one?” So when Michelle decided on their perfect home, we were right there behind her with the tools, ready to dig a hole.

The result? A very very pretty pool, that’s just as functional as it is beautiful. I love how close the pool is to the house and what an amazing use of space it is, how it’s a stunning  feature from every room downstairs. I love how easy it is to supervise from the comfort of the lounge room, making for a safe swim for the kids, and I love how the pool surrounds are beautifully styled and shaded to make sitting by the pool pretty bloody comfy too. I love that it’s heated and that Michelle has four young kids that want to be swimming all the time. I love the bench seat that spans the entire length of the pool, capturing the best sun to chill out with a glass of champagne. I think most of all I love that Michelle is a friend and I feel grateful to have been able to build this beautiful pool for her.

Tell us about your awesome pool!

It’s the first thing you see when you step inside my house. Everyone that walks in is like, Oh my god it’s like a resort. I’ve got four kids and the pool is right by the house, which makes supervising them so easy. I can still have eyes on them when I’m inside the house. It’s super convenient.

You were beyond pumped about getting a pool before you even bought your house – why is a pool so important to you?

I’ve always had a pool – wouldn’t go without one. Having confident swimmers, having the kids being super capable, that’s really, really important to me.

What did you want in a pool?

I didn’t really know what I wanted to start out with – I just knew I wanted the biggest pool we could get in the space. I ended up going with a fully-tiled pool. For me our pool is nearly like art – it’s right there, in the centre of things, not off in the distance. It’s the biggest feature of our house.

Arg – choosing tiles is a huge decision! What did you go with in the end?

I went with all white mosaic tiles, so our water is this really aqua blue colour, and it’s got a composite grey decking.  Everyone always asks us about the decking, it really makes an impression on people. I just don’t think it’s been done very much. I asked Matt to source this particular company and he was more than accommodating. It’s beautiful.

Do the kids use the pool?

All the time. They’re obsessed.

What was your build like?

Well we broke ground in the June and two weeks later we all got locked down. That was a super interesting process to navigate. It was fine because they let construction go ahead, so we were lucky in that respect. I mean we were swimming by the end of October – it only took like four or five months to put in.

Any hairy moments?

Well we hit rock, which made drilling a massive thing. But when I saw neighbours around they were like, yeah, no worries, we got the letter. I was like, what letter? I had no idea you guys had sent them a letter explaining what was going on and keeping them in the loop. That got me in good graces with the neighbours, that you guys just took care of that and I didn’t have to go around telling everyone, you know, we’re about to drill for four weeks!

Was the build as stressful as you thought it would be?

I was pretty aware of the process – I mean you guys gave me all the paperwork, outlined the whole process and what happens and in what order so you’re kind of not surprised by anything.

We reckon the build is a bit of an adventure …

You know, I loved Builder Trend. I was obsessed with that because you just knew what to expect, what was going on, who was there that day, what was happening. Even though it was in my own backyard Builder Trend just kept me updated on what you guys were doing and what was due to come next. Loved, loved loved loved that.

How’d you go with our Project Manager, Tommy?

I mean Tommy was just wicked. He was just really approachable and available to chat. You never felt like an inconvenience or anything. Everyone was just really nice, really great to deal with.

What advice would you give to someone thinking about putting in a pool?

The heater was the best thing we’ve ever done. I don’t think you spend all that money on a pool to only use it three months of the year. Even with the torrential rain the kids love it. Having so many children, too, they’re just rent a crowd – as long as one of them can convince another one to go in the pool it keeps them entertained.

So … the kids love the pool. Do you use it yourself?

I have been in on occasion. I’m a shocker. It’s more too hard basket for me ... then I have to wash my hair. But definitely those really hot days, and after I go for a run I come back and jump in and have a cool down. It’s amazing. I’m definitely a fair-weather swimmer.”

Okay, before you go, just tell us quick sticks about your landscaping. God it’s good!

Yeah once you guys finished up I had Amrock come in and have completely redone my whole garden. Right next to the pool I’ve got these beautiful big elephant ears growing up and they’re a nice structural art kind of right up against the house. And there’s the irrigational grass that’s really green. It’s insane.

And tell us, how would you describe your experience with Cronulla Pools?

I’ve dealt with a lot of the trades and I’m really impressed with how you run things. The husband and wife team really works. You’re definitely one of the best trades I’ve ever dealt with. And look, I did get plenty of different quotes just to see what’s out there and you’re more expensive but I knew it was a better product, and that you were using better stuff. Also – I feel like if anything goes wrong you’d just be here. You’re super local – I don’t feel like I’d ever be left in the lurch if anything came up down the track.

Last one – promise. Would you recommend us to a friend?

Hands down.