Has this hot summer weather had you dreaming of a beautiful azure blue pool or natural swimming pond with a luxury pool house for hosting, showering and changing? With temperatures soaring and experts telling us that there is more to come, we’ve put together a Plankbridge Guide to Pool Houses.
We’ve made a number of different Pool House designs over the past 25 years, working with hut owners to create the shepherd’s hut or cabin of their dreams. We also offer a standard design which is multifunctional and can be left the same or adapted to suit your ideas.
The standard Pool House design
The Pool House brings a splash of heritage style to poolside settings. Measuring 14ft x 7.8ft, the Pool House is designed to the proportions of the traditional Victorian shepherd’s hut with its familiar wriggly tin exterior and cast-iron wheels for ease of manoeuvrability. It features two adjoining changing cubicles for privacy; en-suite tiled shower room with hand basin, WC and heated towel rail; and undercounter fridge for storing cold drinks and ice-creams. The choice of exterior finish includes corrugated tin cladding, black weatherboard and oak.
Equally at home beside a swimming pond in the Cotswolds or a pool in California, every detail of the Pool House has been thoughtfully curated to ensure that family and guests have everything they need away from the house – a cool, tranquil space in which to change into swimwear and store away belongings, take a post-swim shower and access those all-important ice-cold drinks.
The twin changing rooms feature bench seating, 3/4-length mirrors and Shaker-style wooden coat pegs, while an effective layer of sheep’s wool insulation keeps the Pool House cool even on the hottest day.
Get in touch to find out more enquiries@plankbridge.com
Bespoke Pool House designs
Here at Plankbridge, we are well known as shepherd’s hut designers and manufacturers who really do believe that no project is too big or too small or too different. We relish a design challenge and love working with customers who have an idea in their head that they just can’t wait to explore. There are many options available; curved roof, pitched roof, wheels, no wheels, huts joined together, 14ft huts, 26ft huts and so on. Our experienced team are on hand to offer their creative expertise. Anything is possible for the Pool House of your dreams.
Things to consider with your Pool House
Plumbing your Pool House
If you’d like your Pool House to have a sink, WC and shower, you will need to look at the drainage options available to you. If your shepherd’s hut or cabin will be close to your home and your main drains or treatment plant, your hut can be hooked up straight into the same system. If it’s further away you can opt for a small storage tank underneath the hut (emptied once or twice a year) or a clever composting toilet. Water is usually via a 25mm blue alcathene pipe, a more off-grid set up might need a basic caravan water tank beneath the hut.
Pool House Electrics
A basic electricity supply can be arranged by a local electrician who can take an armoured cable supply from nearby, perhaps there is already a supply to a swimming pool plant room. The cable can be clipped along a fence or wall, or buried to the correct depth in the ground. With natural swimming ponds becoming increasingly popular you could opt for off-grid solar panels, in which case we can discuss your options with you – 12 volt lighting and a couple of USB sockets is a basic system, anything more and we would advise working with a local solar installer to spec a kit to suit your aspect and the average daily light levels over the year.
Finding the right Space
If you have an existing swimming pool or natural swimming pond, you will need to consider the dimensions of the shepherd’s hut or cabin, as well as access for delivery. It’s worth keeping in mind however that we also offer the option of craning the hut over the fence, wall or even the house itself. It is all possible so please do get in touch to discuss the options.
Groundwork for your Pool House
Your Pool House needs to sit level, on a concrete pad or railway sleepers, to suit whatever soil type you have in your garden. We provide a groundworks plan, and there are a number of ways to create the support beneath the four wheels. You will want to keep your hut level and stable throughout the year, so the base needs to be resilient to dry and wet ground conditions.
Storage
Inside the Pool House you may want to think about what kind of storage you’d like. You may like some cupboards or shelves for wine glasses, coffee mugs and other essentials! You might also like some cupboards or bench seating that has hidden storage – useful for towels, pool floats and swimming costumes. We work with Coates English Willow in Somerset who make beautifully handcrafted willow storage baskets if you’re looking for that extra heritage touch.
If you still have some questions or your ideas are flowing, do get in touch via email or by giving us a call. We’d love to chat about your Pool House design.
- Read our blog: Can I put a shepherd’s hut in my garden?
- Find out more about shepherd’s hut interiors by heading over to our dedicated website page
