10 Splashy Stock Tank Pool Ideas to Copy This Summer

Stock tank pools are a budget-friendly, space-saving alternative to standard backyard swimming pools. Check out these DIY ways to make your stock tank pool your favorite summer destination.

By: Maria Conti

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Photo By: Yasmin Murphy

Photo By: Bri Moysa

Discover Stock Tank Pools

If having a pool in your backyard has always felt like a fantasy, consider a stock tank pool. These "pools" are actually water troughs for livestock. But for those of us who are pool-less, they’re an easy, inexpensive solution for almost any outdoor space. A stock tank typically costs just a few hundred dollars. They come in a variety of sizes and can be set up with a pump like a traditional pool. Discover fun ways to incorporate one of these sturdy plunge pools in your backyard.

Make Your Own Mirage

If the views from your stock pool are limited to your neighbor’s concerningly overgrown grass and chronically cluttered garden shed, grab your lucky pen. Take notes from the pros at H2O Tank Avenue and create your own view. Using acrylic-based formulas, paint a vibrant mural of your ideal vacation spot on your existing wood or metal privacy screen. Not only will this project detract from less-than-lovely neighboring yards, but it offers an opportunity to let your personality shine in your outdoor design.

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Paint Show-Stopping Stripes

Make your stock tank pool the standout focal point in your backyard with a few coats of paint. Check out our DIY stock tank pool tutorial below to find our step-by-step process to paint crisp, clean stripes on your pool at home. HGTV Stylist Jill Tennant uses lively lime green and ultra-white paint to achieve a punchy retro appeal that feels fresh for summer. Follow her lead with the same chic hues or select new shades catered to your style and existing outdoor furnishings.

Get the How-To: Make a DIY Stock Tank Pool

Bring Palm Beach to Your Backyard

Bamboo, chinoiserie and fringe trim — oh my! Design blogger Rachel Sweerin of Serene & Co. wraps her stock tank pool in a neat row of white bamboo reeds to achieve playful Palm Beach flair in this tropical backyard. Give your stock tank pool the same regency-chic treatment with bamboo reeds lacquered in a color of your choice. Finish your elegant outdoor space with a midcentury patio dining set, rattan lounge chairs and glossy blue-and-white planters.

Find More Ideas: 15 Ways to Add Palm Beach Style to an Outdoor Room

Maximize Space With Minimalist Design

Designer Bri Moysa proves the power of restraint with this sleek, modern stock tank pool. The pared-back design is simple yet striking with an inky black stock tank, a streamlined wooden deck and a jungle of potted succulents. Follow Moysa’s less-is-more approach and stick with a solid-color stock tank pool and corner deck to maximize space in your modest backyard.

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From: Bri Moysa

Go for Gold

Take notes from textile designer Erin Barrett of Sunwoven and give your stock tank pool the Midas touch this summer. This gold-coated stock tank pool serves as a cheerful gathering point for friends and family on the deck. Paint your pool the same showy shade with options like Dutch Tulip by HGTV Home Sherwin Williams or Babouche by Farrow & Ball, then accessorize with aqua and white details for a clean, inviting look.

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Opt for Oval

Here we have definitive proof that it is always a good idea to think outside the box (or, in this case, the sphere). Interior decorator Becky Grunwald of The Other Side of Neutral breaks from the mold and uses an oval stock tank pool to beat the heat on this coastal-style deck. Grunwald paints the tank fresh white and adds a navy-and-blue lifebuoy for nautical appeal. Recreate this breezy design on your porch or patio with an oval stock tank, white paint and a decorative buoy. Inflatable waterfowl are optional but recommended.

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Create a Corner Oasis

Escape the hustle and create a relaxing outdoor oasis inspired by this H2O Tank Avenue design. The L-shaped deck wraps around a wood-clad stock tank pool, giving way to a sunbathing platform framed with integrated privacy walls. Dual stairs offer easy access to the deck platform and bring striking symmetry to the outdoor space.

Get the How-To: How to Build a Deck

Border With Brick

Give your stock tank pool a finished look with a quick-and-easy brick border. Here, the experts at H2O Tank Avenue use standard red bricks to create a tailored edge around an inky-black stock tank pool. The textural garden bricks mirror the undertones of the stone retaining wall behind the pool and soften the otherwise stark black-and-white structure for a balanced result.

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Add a Splash of Citrus

The late, great Frank Sinatra once said that orange is the happiest color and we think Ol’ Blue Eyes was on to something. Case and point: this splashy citrus stock tank pool from Erin Barrett of Sunwoven. The bold hue brings unbridled joy to this contemporary deck and serves as a fiery focal point for friends and family. Paint your pool a similar, smile-inducing orange with our top picks: Outgoing Orange from HGTV HOME by Sherwin Williams, Charlotte’s Locks from Farrow & Ball or Tangerine Fusion by Benjamin Moore.

Learn More: Behind the Color Orange

Paint the Rainbow

Why limit your stock tank to a single color when you can wrap it in rainbow stripes instead? Blogger Marissa Bushee offers ample inspiration with this playful polychrome stock pool design. To recreate Marissa’s design, paint your tank solid white, then use painter’s tape to create clean, evenly spaced lines around the parameter. Select 5-10 lively summer hues in an acrylic-based paint formula and apply them to your tank following our step-by-step tutorial below.

Get the How-To: Make a DIY Stock Tank Pool

10 Splashy Stock Tank Pool Ideas to Copy This Summer

Related To:

Shop This Look

Discover Stock Tank Pools

Make Your Own Mirage

Paint Show-Stopping Stripes

Bring Palm Beach to Your Backyard

Maximize Space With Minimalist Design

Go for Gold

Opt for Oval

Create a Corner Oasis

Border With Brick

Add a Splash of Citrus

Paint the Rainbow

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