32 Pool House Design Ideas

Every sunny backyard oasis needs a shady retreat. Welcome to the pool house! It can loom large or have compact charisma, accept style cues from the home or sport its own identity. In any form we like — house, gazebo, conservatory, cabana, pergola or pavilion — we can put whatever we want inside. Imagine an outdoor kitchen, bar, living room, guest space or even a studio. Whether for intimate lounging or social shindigs, the defining feature of this poolside pal is an accommodating personality. You've had your swim and soaked up your rays, so let's check out the ways to have it made in the shade.

A corrugated metal roof atop white painted beams and brushed concrete walls of varying heights create this enchanting dining area and outdoor kitchen for an Arizona hillside residence. Unexpectedly angular, the entire room seems to flow from the fireplace, with strategically placed bistro lights completing the illusion. Free of clutter and peppered with greenery, this inviting Southwestern outdoor room is ready for relaxation when you're finished making waves.

Rising from the beautiful decking of the pool area, this modern pool house is architecturally enchanting. Barely offset horizontal cladding enjoys the shadow play from the pergola awning. A trio of large flagstones at the entry serves as a welcome mat to a private retreat behind pocket sliding doors. While its current use is as an outdoor lounge, it could be a sundrenched studio, a private meditation space, a yoga room or guest quarters.

This lovely pool with flagstone decking is overseen by a mission-style cabana in stone and red tile built into a hillside. The castle-like accommodation includes a large fireplace flanked by built-in benches and accompanied by a weathered farmhouse table and torchiere wall sconces that offer their drama to the ceiling. The romantic design here feels both effortless and eternal.