Freeform Pool with Terraced Stone Waterfall

Design notes

Classic pools favour balance: a symmetrical shape, stone or brick coping with a visible edge, and a deck that steps down to the water rather than meeting it flush. Traditional details — a raised spa with a spillway, a fountain wall, terracotta pots at the corners — are what give these designs their settled, established feel. They pair naturally with lawn and layered 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