Using Sandstone to Enhance a Home’s Leisure Landscape

“The light grey natural stone matched perfectly with the ocean blue colour of the water created by the pool tiles and also contrasted well with the royal blue pool cover,” comments Tar Puangsri, Chiswell Pools.

At Cranbourne Stone, we’ve been building relationships with leading swimming pool companies for over 16 years. Since day one, we’ve been creating one-of-a-kind aspirational pool and landscape designs for people to enjoy in their gardens. We make it our mission to create the at-home pool design of your dreams! One of our long-standing partnerships is with leading luxury swimming pool company, Chiswell Pools. 

We teamed up once again with leading luxury swimming pool company, Chiswell Pools, to create a classic and timeless design that would meet our customer’s dream criteria.     

The owners of a private residence wanted to fully enjoy their outdoor space by transforming their garden into the perfect area for leisure activities – for them, their family and their friends to relax and enjoy. Their extensive outdoor leisure space included building a new swimming pool, infant area, hot tub, tennis and basketball courts, small football pitch, indoor gym, sauna and alfresco cooking and dining areas.

To bring their design to life, the project plan combined clean lines with natural materials to complement the surroundings and make full use of the area to create a beautiful outdoor space. 

Making the Swimming Pool a Talking Point

The swimming pool design was instrumental to the overall layout of the garden, and it was vital that it was multifunctional. Using a classic rectangular shape, the swimming pool’s main feature was the steps entering the pool. 

“The step design was integral to the swimming pool. The design included a large upper area which would act as a paddling pool for the whole family to enjoy. The lower area was fitted with four powerful massaging jets to create a wonderful ‘lounge area’ within the water,” says Tar Puangsri from Chiswell Pools.

To reflect the existing luxurious style of the house and its grounds, the design incorporated natural stone in the swimming pool surrounds and terraced areas.

“When looking for stone to complement the design of the project, sandstone was the natural choice,” explains Jo Standfield, Cranbourne Stone’s Sales Director. 

As specialists in providing bespoke, high-quality stone products for swimming pool surrounds and landscapes, we’re well-versed in helping people and companies select a sought-after stone that meets their design needs, both from a construction and an aesthetic perspective. Sandstone was the ideal choice.  

“It was important that the swimming pool area worked cohesively within the grounds of the property and looked like it was an extension of the house,” adds Jo.  

Selecting Sandstone – the Natural Choice

Georgian Antiqued Sandstone has an aged appearance giving it a rustic feel. The light grey colour and gently tumbled edges make the stone perfect for more traditional outdoor paving projects and swimming pool surrounds.

“Georgian Antiqued Sandstone was chosen for its beautiful subtle grey tones and soft tumbled edges. The client was looking for a stone that was not a one-dimensional flat colour, nor was one with a finish that was completely smooth. Sandstone met these criteria and also had the classic feel that worked perfectly next to the house,” highlights Jo.

A key feature of the design is that the swimming pool surround sits perfectly within the existing patio area, which was not uniform in style. Sandstone works well when laid in an irregular pattern and brings out the natural beauty of the stone. 

Thanks to its slip-resistant properties, sandstone stands up to all safety criteria required for swimming pools surrounds and can be used for a variety of applications, on everything from internal and external flooring, pool surrounds, copings as well as wall cladding to give the design a seamless and elegant finish.

Because natural stone varies in both colour and texture, the appearance of the sandstone changes when wet, enhancing the tones and characteristics of the stone and adding to its beauty.

“The light grey natural stone matched perfectly with the ocean blue colour of the water created by the pool tiles and also contrasted well with the royal blue pool cover,” comments Tar Puangsri, Chiswell Pools.

“The rounded bull-nosed stone copings made the separation between the pool and the patio area ‘feet friendly’, giving it a smooth unobtrusive finish when people sit on the edge with their feet in the pool. Another benefit of the sandstone used was that it was not 100% porous. Therefore, it would not absorb water, and so would help any rain water fall away from the pool,” emphasises Tar.

Sandstone is a great choice to use around a swimming pool. Not only is the material recognised for its natural strength, durability and slip-resistant nature, but it is also eco-friendly.

By using the Georgian Antiqued Sandstone in the surround, copings and terracing, our customer was able to achieve a look that saw the material palette remain consistent throughout the pool and landscape design. 

“Using this stone selection in the project has resulted in a stylish and classic pool and garden design,” Jo reveals.

The finished look contained:

• 70 No Bullnose Copings 600 x 300 x 40mm
• 10 packs of mixed paving 
• 25 No 450mm deep bullnosed step treads

Producing a Marvel in Sandstone

The end result of the project was impressive. Hard work, determination, commitment and collaboration, from start to finish, produced a stunning outdoor design. 

Through the use of the very best landscaping and pool stone materials, along with state of the art components including an economical pool pump heater and electrics controlled with a touch of a button from an iPad or iPhone, the design was not only technologically-advanced but also unique, sustainable and timeless.