Courtyard Small Pool with Wall Scupper

Design notes

Modern pools are defined by their edges. Look for flush coping that lets the deck run straight to the water, a single paving material carried around the whole pool, and rectangular proportions that line up with the house. Lighting is usually recessed and cool-toned so the water reads as a glowing plane after dark, and planting is kept architectural — hedges, grasses and one or two specimen trees rather than mixed borders.

What to look for

• The coping — how the deck meets the water sets the whole tone
• Where the spa sits and how it spills into the pool
• Night lighting: which features glow and which stay dark