Swimming pools are becoming more than basic amenities, they’re becoming status symbols. Homeowners are using innovative and creative designs to showcase their wealth and good taste. And how could they not? Pools offer an exciting way for people to exercise their imagination. The perfect design will not only delight swimmers, but a well-designed one can raise property values by as much as 7 percent.
While simple swimming pools can be effective, an inspired homeowner can turn an amenity into a work of art. They can turn to one of the oldest ways to decorate a swimming pool. Few things can evoke the prestige and majesty of the ancient world like a mosaic-tile design.
Tiles of an Empire
Citizens of the ancient Roman Empire decorated their homes and public infrastructure with mosaic tiles for centuries. They used thousands of tiny polished tiles to tell stories on their walls and floors. Artisans used tiles to create hypnotic geometric patterns and capture the likenesses of gods and heroes. They acted as records of the lives of important people, much like how people use photography today to preserve moments.
The Romans found ways to make their mosaics more magical. They used polished pieces of opaque glass to give mosaics in pools a lovely shimmering quality. Craftsmen today can replicate the style and grandeur of these imperial edifices and give swimming pools an air of dignity few designs can boast.
Masterpiece Mosaics
Thanks to modern conveniences, contemporary builders have access to materials that Roman engineers would never have dreamed of using in their pools and baths. Even a custom pool contractor in Utah can acquire myriad mosaic materials for their designs.
Artistic pool owners can rifle through history books for design ideas inspired by the mosaics of the Roman Empire. Gods and creatures of the ocean depths can frolic under the waters of their swimming pools. Intricate ribbons and geometric patterns can grace the floor of the pool. Or they could come up with their unique design ideas, adding an even more personal touch to their property.
The artistry of the mosaic that will grace a swimming pool depends on its owner, but the beauty of the finished product depends on the tiles used to craft it. Using bigger mosaic tiles may make a swimming pool seem like it belongs to a public recreation center rather than a hallowed imperial bath. Contractors use smaller mosaic tiles to create more detailed designs.
There are different kinds of mosaic tiles, such as porcelain and glass. Mosaic tiles made of porcelain can be hand-painted for a more unique flair. Craftsmen can even give these tiles texture, which adds an interesting tactile component to a pool’s design.
Glass tiles are more expensive than other types of mosaic tiles. These are fashioned out of recycled glass and are the most durable type of tiles. Glass tiles can give a magical, scintillating aura to a swimming pool, especially when the light hits the water. Different colors of glass offer a full spectrum of colors that shimmer on the surface of a pool.
Mosaics form an elaborate image out of thousands of individual tiles, like how the ocean is actually countless drops of water. The artistry and dedication needed for the image to form become the best status symbol of all. And who wouldn’t be proud of that?
