Freeform Pool with Stacked Stone Bar

Design notes

Desert pools are blue oases in gravel and stucco. Look for a rectangular pool with a raised spa, travertine or exposed-aggregate decks that stay cool, corten or stucco walls for wind and privacy, a ramada or shade sail over the loungers, and planting of agave, saguaro and palo verde. Fire bowls on the coping make the most of clear desert nights.

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