Pool lights can really bring your pool to life after dark. Whether you have an above-ground, or in-ground pool, lighting is often the final step to your pool design, and shouldn’t be overlooked.
There are a few important aspects you need to take into consideration before you start with your lighting plan. These are things like, how bright do you want your pool? What colors do you want to include in your pool lights? Are there any features you want to enhance? And what things are around your pool like plants, walls, and pillars that you can use to your advantage.
You want to get it right, and get the most from your pool lighting plan. Whatever your budget is, there is a design to suit anybody, plus we will share additional tricks and trips you just may not have thought of!
Below we have 12 great above-ground, in-ground, and pool deck lighting ideas that will hopefully give you some inspiration to transform your boring pool space into something beautiful.
You’ve got to love string lights! They are easy to install and reasonably priced. These string lights provide just enough lighting around this above-ground pool. The lighting along the fence line gives a great option for brightening things up as well.
This lighting design is minimal yet effective, and provides all the light you need. The string lights alone would have struggled to supply sufficient light to the space which can be a hazard when getting in and out of you above-ground pool.
However, the LED strip on the brim lights up the side of the pool just nicely, plus the light bounces off the white stones which is a fantastic way to brighten up the light around the base of the pool which is very clever. D.I.Y pole stands are straight forward to make, and can simply be dug into the ground if you want to tidy the whole look up.
You could even add a privacy screen to this design to give it a more intimate feel.
The spotlight look is a fabulous way to light up your above-ground pool. Keep in mind that it will highlight what is around your pool so using plants in-between each light is a lovely feature. It also creates shadows for depth and breaks up the look of the pool. The stick on LED lights are awesome on the stairs for added safety.
This is a super simple and stylish pool deck. The lighting is so subtle in this design with just the right amount of brightness. I really like how it allows all your attention to just be on that gorgeous pool without feeling visually distracted by much else. I also like their choice of tanning ledge chairs they have chosen.
This design is pretty next level for an above-ground pool. The pool looks stunning, and the lighting just accentuates all of its beautiful features. The strip lighting around the base lights up the chrome side panels so well with a cool refection onto the stones.
The purple lighting on the interior gives it a fun yet classy feel, plus gives the fountain some color too. A nice ledge lounger would really finish this space off.
Wow! this tiled pool is to die for. The color of the tiling is a smart choice for achieving that purple tone which is very popular and makes your pool look extra luxe. The side lighting really enhances the magnificent square tiles and gives them the attention they deserve. If you have trees use them! They look fabulous as lit up feature pieces and are so useful when it comes to lighting.
Walls are superb canvas’s for adding lighting and color to your pool, especially if the wall has texture like this one. Strip lights are a popular option for walls as they are easy to install, and can provide a decent evenly spread amount of light. The LED lights within the pool are doing a great job at lighting up the pool and love how lit up the trees are in the background.
I love this lighting plan, very modern, sleek and the paving around the outside really compliments the thick concrete boarder. The lights dotted around the edge and in the pavers create a softness to the whole, look and the spotlights light up the trees on the other side perfectly.
The garden and levels are being taken full advantage of in this pool lighting design. The pool itself is well lit and the white light creates a lovely crystal-clear illusion which is on point with glass window wall. You can really play around with shadows and angles when your using spotlights as you can see with this plan.
This string light design is so simple but makes such a huge impact. The palm tree is in the perfect spot for wrapping the lights around which is so handy, if you don’t have a tree a pole would work just as well.
When using string lights it’s so important to take into consideration the brightness of the bulbs. These lights are quite intense and if that’s what you’re after they’re fantastic. However if you want a dimmer look you need to make sure your wattage is on the lower side. The ultimate would be string lights with a dimmer, especially if you’re into playing around with lighting levels and getting it just right.
Pool fountains are a striking feature to enhance with lights! There’s so many cool options out there too. In this design they have an LED strip on the interior of the fountain, these are available in many different colours.
I love how you can see the light traveling down with the water and hitting the pools surface, how amazing would that look at night! Another reason I just love fountains is they bring extra tranquility to your pool game, plus look so impressive!
You could add an electric outdoor heater to the pergola area for extra comfort
If your pool is near your outdoor area or home you can really utilize the light overflow, meaning you can have/spend less on lights in and around your pool. Great for the budget, and it gives you option to have a dimly lit swim with just the deep blue glow of the pool.
This is a gorgeous, bright light pool design, and again the beauty of plans like these is they are flexible. They can be vibrant or moody, depending on what you’re feeling. This design is also very versatile with plenty of lighting options available if you want to dim it down at all. Just fabulous!
Hopefully you have come away from this article with a few new pool lighting ideas. Lighting and landscaping are often the finishing touch to your pool and the fun bit of the design, so have a vision and go with it!
If you’re after some above-ground pool deck ideas, then check out these great options.
