How do you design a pool to take advantage of a view?
When a property has an incredible view, the location, elevation, orientation, and edge of the pool can all help you take advantage of it. An infinity pool can make distant water feel closer, while the right pool placement can give you views of the ocean, mountains, lake, or surrounding landscape while you swim.
Key Takeaways:
When we’re designing around a view, we want to make sure the homeowners can enjoy it from all angles. And that means designing to take advantage of that view. Where we place the pool, spa, and gathering areas can make a huge difference in how you actually get to enjoy your yard and the surroundings.
If you have a view from your home, the last thing you want to do is block that with your yard.
An ocean view. Mountains in every direction. Rolling hills with no other homes in sight. Those are the things you want to enjoy if your property has them.
And your yard should help you do that.
Here are five yards where the view played a big part in the design. And keep reading to the end for a preview of three more designs with incredible views that haven’t been built yet.
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A 90-Foot Infinity Pool in Bel Air
It’s hard to imagine a better view in Los Angeles. From this Bel Air home, you can see green hills, the reservoir below, and the city in the distance. And because those hills are protected, nothing will ever be built there. We designed a 90-foot infinity pool along the hillside to take full advantage of that view. From the pool, the infinity edge almost disappears into the reservoir below, making the water in the distance feel like part of the yard. Whether you’re swimming, sitting outside, or looking out from inside the home, you get to experience that view from almost everywhere.
See how we transformed this $38M hillside estate in Bel Air. It started as an empty lot, and we turned it into a multi-level indoor–outdoor oasis designed to feel like a private resort.
A Pool Overlooking the Tennessee Hills
This Tennessee home looks out over rolling green hills. We designed the pool and the areas around it to take full advantage of how open the property feels. Two lounge areas angle toward the hills, including a fire pit right next to the pool. When you’re sitting there, you have to look across this huge stretch of water before you ever get to the hills in the distance. There’s something so luxurious about having that much water in front of you with nothing but open land beyond it. It makes you feel like you’re somewhere much more remote than you actually are.
See how we took a muddy lot for our clients in Tennessee, and turned it into an unrecognizable paradise.
A Pool on the Boca Waterway
This Boca Raton home is on a corner lot along one of the busiest waterways in South Florida, with boats and yachts passing by throughout the day. With water along two sides of the property, there are incredible views in both directions. So, we designed the pool area across multiple levels, including a lower turf lounge right at the corner of the property. From there, you can sit beside the acrylic spa and look out at the water in two directions. But, we also thought about how the yard would look from the water. The acrylic spa is visible as boats approach from either direction, making it one of the biggest statement features from the yard and from the water.
How do you make a yard stand out in one of the most exclusive neighborhoods in Florida? In this Boca Raton project, Foxterra Design created a backyard that makes a statement both for the family who lives there and for every boat cruising by on the waterway.
A Pool in the Utah Mountains
This Utah property has incredible mountain views, and the higher you go, the better they get. We had a massive slope to work with, so we terraced the hillside and used the elevation to create different areas throughout the yard. The pool and main living areas are closer to the home, and as you move up the property, you eventually reach a huge lawn and full-size sports court at the top. That upper level has mountains in almost every direction, and you can’t even see it from the yard below. What started as one of the biggest challenges of the property gave the homeowners an entirely new part of the yard with some of its best views.
This backyard is a dream come true, with a luxury pool, sports court, spa, outdoor living room, and more. See what they did with this challenging sloped backyard to transform it into an incredible outdoor space designed for entertaining, relaxing, and year-round family living.
A Double Infinity Pool With a View
The homeowners already had a beautiful view, and the huge windows across the back of the home made it visible from almost every room. We designed the pool with that in mind, using a double infinity edge and laminar jets to give the homeowners just as much to look at in the foreground. We also placed the spa in the corner closest to the view, so they can enjoy it while they’re in the water. From inside, you see the pool with the landscape beyond it. Outside, you get the same view from the pool and spa.
Our client came to us wanting a zen-inspired design and we gave him every luxury amenity you’d find at a 5-star spa. But, it’s the moody and minimalist aesthetic that make this yard truly special. The entire space combines nature-infused elements, dark tones, and standout features that make you say ‘wow.’
Coming Soon!
These three yards haven’t been completed yet, but the renderings give you a pretty good idea of what’s coming. Here’s a preview.
It’s hard to compete with an ocean view in Costa Rica, so we didn’t try to. We designed the pool and main gathering areas to face the ocean, with an infinity edge that lets you look across the water toward the horizon. We also added a floating walkway, sunken seating, and fire features, giving the homeowners several places to spend time outside with the ocean in front of them. This is one we can’t wait to see built.
Golden Palm Bay is right on the water in Florida, with space for the homeowners to park their yacht behind the house. We designed a multi-tiered pool that leads toward the water, with floating walkways, sunken seating, glass pool details, a statement bar, and fire features along the way. From the main areas of the yard, you can look across the pool toward the water and watch the boats go by.
This probably isn’t what you picture when you think of Nebraska. Solterra has an incredible lake view, and we designed a two-tiered pool to take advantage of it. The upper pool has a sleek, modern look, while the lower level feels more like a private beach, with shallow water, an island, and floating daybeds facing the lake. Once it’s built, the homeowners will be able to spend the day by the pool with the lake right beyond it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What type of pool is best for a property with a view?
Infinity pools are a great option for properties with expansive views because the disappearing edge can visually extend the water toward the landscape beyond it. But the location and orientation of the pool matter just as much as the type of edge.
Where should you place a pool to take advantage of a view?
Place the pool where homeowners can enjoy the best views while they’re actually using it. Depending on the property, that could mean placing the pool along the edge of a hillside, orienting it toward the mountains or water, or using elevation to open up a better view.
Are infinity pools good for hillside properties?
Yes. Hillside properties are often a great fit for infinity pools because the elevation can give the disappearing edge a more dramatic effect. The pool can overlook mountains, water, city views, or the surrounding landscape.
How do you design a backyard around a mountain view?
Consider where people will spend the most time outside and orient the pool, spa, fire pit, lounge areas, and outdoor living spaces toward the mountains. On a sloped property, different elevations can also give homeowners access to views from multiple areas of the yard.
How do you design a pool for a waterfront property?
Think about both the view from the pool toward the water and, when relevant, the view from the water looking back at the property. Pool elevation, infinity edges, lounge areas, and the distance between the pool and waterfront can all affect the experience.
Behind The Blog
Justin Fox
Founder & Creative Director
Founder Justin Fox grew up with a passion for landscaping. After 15+ years building luxury yards and pools as a licensed contractor, he saw the limits of the design/build model. Homes get detailed, architect-led plans, so why shouldn’t yards? In 2019 he convinced brother Nate Fox to join him and launched Foxterra Design to focus on immersive, luxury outdoor spaces.
Foxterra designs immersive outdoor environments that blend architecture, landscape, and lifestyle into one cohesive vision. Our work is rooted in timeless materials, intentional layout, and outdoor living that feels effortless to use every day.
In this article, Justin shares five pools Foxterra designed to make the most of incredible ocean, mountain, lake, and hillside views.
Nate Fox
Designer
Nate Fox helps shape Foxterra’s creative vision, blending architectural detail with a designer’s eye for proportion and flow. His work redefines the backyard as an extension of modern luxury living.
In recent features, Nate’s perspective has been quoted across leading design publications, including Homes & Gardens and Luxury Pools + Outdoor Living, where he shares practical, design-forward guidance on everything from integrating sculptural moments and sightlines to creating “living wall” effects that soften hard architecture and make compact spaces feel more expansive.
