Creating a resort at home has been a lifetime dream for this Taupo family. Designing and creating a space that would suit their growing family and become a hub for outdoor enjoyment and entertaining was a truly collaborative approach to ensure design and function went hand in hand.

We sat down with new pool owner’s Sean and Maria to chat about their new Mayfair Pool and outdoor lifestyle space.

What inspired you to get a Mayfair pool?

It has been our dream to get a pool for a long time. Sean grew up with a pool at home where friends and neighbourhood kids were always welcome. We wanted to recreate this same experience and have a sanctuary where the whole family could hang out and enjoy.

We knew we wanted something unique and of a really high standard – not just a rectangle pool and a fence! Which is why we chose to go with a custom Mayfair pool.

What was important to you in the pool design?

We had a tricky outside area with lots of angles, so we needed a design that would flow from our living and master bedroom and work with our existing spa. Reg encouraged us to work with what we already had in terms of our landscaping with the big rocks and native planting and that has been great advice. The whole family has been involved in upgrading the garden - planting and painting fences etc!  

For the pool colour we wanted a light tropical looking colour – we chose Pumice and love the way it looks. In terms of size we didn’t want to do lengths so just a good size for family fun - so the 8x4m was perfect. We needed a deep end for the pre teen boys to have fun but have recently had a baby so also wanted a shallow area for her to sit in the water and play. The swim ledge along one side of the pool is designed to help her as she grows and other beginner swimmers.

We chose a light grey marbled porcelain tile which the team installed – around 90m2 and did a fantastic job. To finish off our area we had a deck built and installed a free standing louvre. The last piece of the puzzle will be our flare fire which is being delivered soon – creating warmth and the option for woodfired pizza nights!

The naked freshwater system is awesome we can’t believe the water quality versus pools of old loaded with chlorine. Sean gets bad excema so the lovely soft water is amazing and he can spend hours in there without ‘drying out’. We love that we can open our eyes in the pool without irritation its truly like fresh water. The heat pump is amazing also – for Taupo we believed it was essential to extend the swimming season and enjoyment of the pool.

Photography: Joel McDowell