24 Above-Ground Pool Deck Design Ideas

Make a splash in your backyard with these inspiring ways to make your above-ground pool the ideal summer destination.

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Pretty-Up an Above-Ground Pool

Do you love lounging around on hot, summer days in your above-ground pool but hate the way it looks in your yard? You aren't alone. While above-ground pools boast a ton of positives (budget-friendly, easier to keep clean), they simply aren't as aesthetically pleasing as their in-ground counterparts. But that doesn't mean they can't be! Whether you're searching for ways to spruce up your current pool's look or are on the hunt for inspiration before you buy, we've got you covered with eye-catching above-ground pool ideas to fit any size budget or backyard.

Here, the homeowners bridged the gap between their above-ground pool and wooden deck with a lively container garden and strategically planted shrubs. Six terra cotta planters overflow with saturated orange, lilac and yellow blooms to brighten the spacious deck. A lush flowering bush grows wildly over the shallow end and disguises the otherwise unfinished pool exterior with a blanket of striking white blooms.

Get the How-To: 18 Container Gardening Tips

Implement Seating and Safety

This multi-tiered deck with a built-in bench and sitting ledge provides plenty of seating so parents can sit and watch the kiddies frolic in the pool. For peace of mind, large planters, a gated entry and a lattice wall at the far end of the deck prevent little ones from accessing the pool when they shouldn’t.

Lounge Beneath a Poolside Pergola

Make the most of your deck with an inviting poolside pergola. This custom pergola sets the bar with a head-turning geometric roof and a well-appointed lounge space complete with a pillow-clad love seat, printed area rug and two woven armchairs. Install a similar pergola on your above-ground pool deck and outfit it with outdoor lounge furniture or an alfresco dining table to enjoy snacks and sips between afternoon dips. See more of this pool in the next slide.

Shop Our Favorites: The Best Pergolas and Gazebos for Every Backyard

From: Tiffany Brooks

Enjoy the Views With Barely-There Balusters

Traditional wooden deck balusters are lovely, but sometimes a bulky railing detracts from otherwise unmatched pool views. Embrace the beauty beyond the balusters by swapping the hefty wood features on your above-ground pool deck for contemporary alternatives. Black or charcoal balusters will seemingly disappear into the landscape, allowing you to enjoy the sweeping views ahead while splashing around this summer.

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From: Tiffany Brooks

Upgrade Your Umbrella

Escape the sun in style with an eye-catching umbrella like this tassel-trimmed beauty. Blogger Marissa Bushee nestles the chic white umbrella between the wooden deck stairs and the pool to provide reprieve for guests lounging on the platform and guests taking a dip in the pool at the same time. Create the same practical-meets-pretty setup for your above-ground pool deck with a fringe-trimmed, scallop-edge or classic cabana-striped umbrella.

Shop Our Favorites: The 9 Best Outdoor Patio Umbrellas for Your Backyard

Fence Yourself In

Punctuate your above-ground pool deck with a matching privacy fence like interior designer Erica Van Slyke. Stain your deck and enclosure the same finish to create a seamless, sophisticated backdrop for your swimming hole. Manicured boxwoods in modern planters make the perfect finishing touch to soften the wooden fence and add a pop of natural color.

Get More Ideas: 50 Fresh Fence Design Ideas

Paint Your Privacy Screen

All you need to zhuzh-up a pool privacy screen or fence is a few coats of paint. This vibrant, cactus-clad mural wall from H2O Tank Avenue leaves you questioning whether the refreshing pool is reality or a desert mirage. Follow their lead and use geography as your muse to paint an inspired backdrop for your above-ground pool or put your twist on the idea. Hand-painted summer phrases, kicky patterns and geometric motifs are winning options to add panache to your above-ground pool deck.

Get the How-To: Custom-Painted Fence Mural

Landscape the Perimeter

These homeowners surrounded their above-ground pool in ornamental grasses to give it a tropical vibe. Cinderblock stairs lead to a wood deck shaded by a large cantilever umbrella providing a nice destination to laze away the summer days.

Learn More: 16 Ornamental Grasses You Should Grow

Turn Up the Texture With Tile

Take cues from the pros at Living Garden Landscape Design and wrap the sides of your above-ground pool deck in a custom tile motif. This contemporary deck is inviting with a caramel wood platform and stair treads juxtaposed against the ivory zigzag tile. Put the same fresh technique to work in your backyard with accent tile in a contrasting color to your deck stain. And, yes, bonus points are up for grabs if you install a succulent border garden like this beauty around your deck.

Learn More: How Much Does It Cost to Install an Above-Ground Pool?

From: Living Gardens Landscape Design

Think Outside the Box

You'd love to have a backyard swimming pool but are deterred by the costs. Is there an affordable option? If you happen to be architect/designer Stefan Beese, there is a solution. He transformed a garbage dumpster into a stylish aquatic feature the whole family can enjoy. Decking on all four sides and around the surface keeps this pool's former life concealed.

Watch the Video: Turn a Dumpster Into a Pool

Build a Border Brick by Brick

One failproof way to give your above-ground pool or spa an integrated look is by encasing it in brick or stone that matches your existing patio or home exterior. This Mediterranean-inspired above-ground pool is framed with a weathered brick border and topped with substantial slate slabs that mirror the finishes used throughout the adjoining outdoor living space.

See More of This Home: Urban Digs: Newly Constructed NOLA Home Honors City's History

From: GARDNER, REALTORS

Or Wrap the Water in Concrete

If stacking stones and laying brick sounds daunting, skip the heavy lifting (and the slipped discs ensued) altogether. Create a custom concrete enclosure for your above-ground pool for a similar, high-end look with a fraction of the body aches. Make this modern above-ground plunge pool your muse and create a streamlined, step-style surround ideal for dipping your toes in the water to unwind at the end of a long day.

Learn More : Saltwater vs Chlorine Pools: Which One Is Right for You?

Use Every Corner

A deck is tucked into the corner of this yard between the outer walls and the wood-clad pool. A triangular shade sail covers the deck while a bubbly fountain adds effervescence and elegance.

Find More Ideas: 15 Easy Ways to Create Shade for Your Deck or Patio

Embrace the Environment

Designer Margie Grace swaps traditional wood decking for a cedar-wrapped above-ground pool on a bed of texture-rich pea gravel. The rustic-style basin tucks neatly into a hand-laid stone retaining wall and sun deck. Bring the same countryside appeal to your above-ground pool by wrapping its exterior walls with weather-resistant teak or cedar planks and creating a DIY stone platform and retaining wall.

Get the How-To: How to Build a Retaining Wall for Landscaping

From: Margie Grace

Frame the Pool With Flowers

Put your green thumbs to work and create an above-ground pool deck border that grows more beautiful with each passing year. The HGTV Dream Home 2022 above-ground pool is enchanting with a flower bed of lavender and fuchsia blooms intertwined with textural grasses and evergreen accents shrubs. An espresso-stained deck ramp provides an understated entry to the pool, allowing the garden bed to shine as the focal point of the landscape design.

See More of This Home: Pool and Porch From HGTV Dream Home 2022

Create Symmetry With Double Stairs

This calming above-ground pool from H2O Tank Avenue begs the age-old question: Why build one set of deck stairs when you can build two? Re-create this tranquil setup in your backyard with an L-shaped pool deck finished with twin staircases leading to the sun platform from each side.

Get the How-To: How to Build a Deck

Keep the Surroundings Low Maintenance

Above ground, but more permanent like an in-ground, this stone-clad pool and spa is an inviting retreat at the top of a sloped yard. Boulders and rocks mixed with drought-tolerant plants keep the landscaping low-maintenance, which results in more time to lounge around the pool.

Find More Ideas: Tips for Creating a Low-Maintenance & Sustainable Landscape

Build a Bench for Cozy Poolside Conversations

Maximize your outdoor entertainment space with a poolside deck bench and fire pit. Use this bright-white built-in design by Living Gardens Landscape Design as your blueprint; enclose your above-ground pool with tile and connect the enclosure to an armless concrete or wooden storage bench. Fill the seat with a pile of all-weather pillows and splurge on a portable fire fixture to tie the pool space together.

Get the How-To: How to Build an Outdoor Bench With Storage

From: Living Gardens Landscape Design

Keep It Safe

A concrete above-ground pool can be given a sleek, modern update with a splash of black mosaic tile and eye-catching uplighting. A glass safety gate in front of the staircase helps prevent the little ones from getting too close to the pool, but it also keeps the look simple and sophisticated.

Stick to a Streamlined Silhouette

Designer Bri Moysa proves that sometimes less is more with this minimalist above-ground pool deck. The smoky-black stock pool settles into a custom wooden staircase that leads to an L-shaped deck. The semi-circle silhouette is space-savvy, making it easy to incorporate in even modest outdoor spaces. Bring Moysa’s design to your backyard by surrounding your above-ground pool with a DIY deck and framing the area with potted plants aplenty. Finish off your outdoor design with a set of string lights twinkling overhead.

Find More Ideas: 10 Splashy Stock Tank Pool Ideas to Copy This Summer

From: Bri Moysa

Pick Privacy Screens That Double as Art

Pro tip: Work smarter, not harder, while designing your outdoor oasis. Graphic laser-cut privacy screens double as outdoor artwork and provide a striking backdrop for this corner plunge pool. Create a similar statement-making display in your backyard by swapping traditional wood deck railing for a set of laser-cut metal panels in unique, contemporary patterns.

Shop Our Favorites: The Best Outdoor Privacy Screen Ideas for Every Space

Celebrate Summer With a Swim-Up Bar

Skip the pricey airfare and hotel bill in Hawaii and bring the resort festivities to your backyard with a pool tiki bar. Set up an umbrella and bar table against your above-ground pool exterior to enjoy boozy sips while swimming. Finish out your swim-up bar with a pair of all-weather stools to enjoy snacks throughout the day, too.

Get More Inspiration : 12 Best Swim-Up Bars Around the World

Add a Little Lushness

DIY-friendly and easy on the eyes, it's no wonder lush garden landscaping is the most popular way to pretty up an above-ground pool. To pull off this look like a pro, edge out your flower bed first, install easy-to-maintain plants like shrubs or tall grasses, then cover with mulch for a clean look and to boost plant life. (Don't forget to spray for ants and termites regularly!)

Find More Ideas: 30 Low-Maintenance Plants for Easy Landscaping

Line It With Flowers

Even the simplest of above-ground pools can be spiffed up with colorful florals and summertime greenery. A small deck is all that is needed to make access to the water safe and easy.

Find More Ideas: Easy Annual Plants That Bloom All Summer Long