The free-form swimming pond sits low in the garden, its dark water edged by stone, plants, and a run of tropical hardwood boards. The shape does not follow a strict line; it bends and opens in a way that lets the pond sit comfortably among the lawn and trees. From the house, the view pulls straight to the water, where reflections shift across the surface and the stone steps appear beneath it. In the evening, swimming pond lighting carried from the terrace turns that same edge into a quieter scene.

A curved waterline beside the wooden swimming deck

Along one side, the wooden swimming deck gives the pond a firm horizontal line. The boards sit close to the water, so the terrace reads as part of the pond edge rather than a separate platform. Tropical hardwood softens the transition between garden and water with its long grain and warmer tone against the grey stone finishing. A pair of loungers and a small sitting area make the deck feel used, not staged. The terrace also works as the starting point for the light, which is aimed away from it and out across the pond.

That choice matters in the view. Instead of lighting the deck itself, the fittings send a clearer wash over the pond surface and the planted margins. The water holds the reflections of trees and sky, while the surrounding lawn keeps the setting open. At one end, the curve tightens; at another, it widens enough to show the stepped access beneath the surface. The free-form swimming pond keeps changing as you move around it, and the deck gives those changes a fixed edge.

Stone steps in the pond

Several stone steps are visible under the water, set into the entry zone where the pond drops gently from the edge. They break the surface line just enough to show where the transition begins. The steps sit with a practical firmness, but they also give the pond a strong visual rhythm, especially when the water is still and the dark reflections run over them. Around this part of the pond, the edge finishing mixes stone and concrete tones, which keeps the line crisp without making it hard.

The construction follows that same split logic. One part of the pond was built with concrete blocks, while another section was excavated on a slope and stabilised where needed. You do not read the structure as a technical diagram from the garden, but its effect is visible in the settled edge and the way the free-form swimming pond holds its shape. The line between water, stone, and soil remains clear, and the curved outline keeps the overall image relaxed rather than rigid.

Planting that softens the edge

Reeds and grasses gather along the margin, especially where the water meets the planted zones. Their vertical stems interrupt the hard outline of stone and board, and they make the pond feel more rooted in the garden. The planting does not crowd the water. It sits in measured clusters, with enough space left for the dark surface to stay visible. In the photos, those green bands sit against the grey pond edge and the lawn beyond, so the changes in texture are easy to read.

The natural swimming pond plants also frame the reflections. On quieter stretches of water, the stems blur into the surface and leave only broken shapes of green and brown. Seen from a distance, the planting reads as a thin border; up close, it becomes part of the entry, the edge finishing, and the route around the pond. That layered effect is what gives the project its strongest visual order: wood, stone, water, and planting each keep their own place.

Lighting that reaches past the terrace

After dark, the pond changes character without changing form. The swimming pond lighting is set to throw light away from the terrace, so the boards remain calm while the water and edge take the focus. The result is not a bright wash but a low, directional glow that catches the stone steps and the pond line. In the evening images, the water reads as a darker field, with the light tracing the perimeter and picking up movement in the reflections.

That measured lighting suits the rest of the composition. The garden does not rely on dramatic effects; it depends on the relation between the lit edge, the planted zones, and the broad surface of the pond. Because the light stays off the deck, the wooden swimming deck remains visually quiet and the water becomes the active part of the scene. From the house, that contrast is especially clear, with the pond acting as a reflective strip through the garden.

A view that stays open from the house

The sightline from the house runs directly toward the water, so the pond is not hidden behind planting or a wall of hard surfaces. It sits in view as part of the everyday landscape, with the lawn in front and trees framing the wider garden. In winter, that open line gives the pond a different presence: the dark surface, the pale edge, and the bare reflections stay legible even without the activity of summer. The free-form swimming pond holds the room together through those changes.

Seen across the full garden, the project is built from simple elements that work at different scales. The wooden swimming deck gives a place to sit and step down to the water. The stone steps mark the entry. The pond edge stone finishing keeps the outline clear. The natural swimming pond plants soften the perimeter. None of these parts tries to dominate. Together they create a pond that reads cleanly in daylight, then becomes more graphic once the light drops and the reflections deepen.

Photography: Hilde Verbeke
www.demooistezwembaden.be