Quick Summary
Selah Pools built a naturalistic outdoor environment in Arlington featuring a 914-gallon freeform pool, custom spa, full-size grotto, 36-foot weeping wall with six-tiered spillover, Oklahoma stone fireplace with wood storage, outdoor kitchen, LED lighting, and Caretaker in-floor cleaning system.
Key Takeaways
- The Wilsons chose Selah Pools for their naturalistic vision, praising the sales team's polite and thoughtful approach.
- The 914-gallon freeform pool includes custom spa, full-size grotto, 36-foot weeping wall with six-tiered spillover, and LED lighting.
- Oklahoma stone unifies the fireplace, wood storage, kitchen, and weeping wall, with Arctic White pebble plaster and glass tile throughout.
- The full-size grotto with nicheless lighting creates a unique swimming experience within the naturalistic design.
In Arlington, the Wilson family envisioned an outdoor living space that would feel carved from nature itself—a retreat where water moves like a spring and stone seems placed by time rather than design. The 914-gallon freeform pool anchors this vision, its organic curves flowing between depths of three and a half to five feet, creating swimming zones that feel discovered rather than engineered. A full-size grotto provides cool refuge, while the 36-foot weeping wall rises twelve to eighteen inches above the water line, its cascading water catching light and casting shadows that shift throughout the day.
“In Arlington, the Wilson family envisioned an outdoor living space that would feel carved from nature itself—a retreat where water moves like a spring and stone seems placed by time rather than design.”
Materials & Finishes
Oklahoma stone defines every major element, from the dramatic fireplace with integrated wood storage to the kitchen veneer that grounds the outdoor living space. The weeping wall creates a six-tiered spillover, water descending through carved stone layers like a natural formation. Arctic White pebble plaster lines the pool interior, while NPT CRL Rustic glass tile adds texture along the waterline.
Design & Features
The custom spa features Noble RF195 Zaffre glass tile that deepens to midnight blue in evening light. Dark Walnut stain on the stone pavers creates rich contrast against the lighter Oklahoma stone, while the spray deck extends the material palette. LED lighting throughout—two pool lights, one spa light, and nicheless fixtures in the grotto—transforms the space after sunset.
Project Highlights
The Wilsons chose Selah Pools for their naturalistic vision, praising the sales team's polite and thoughtful approach.
The 914-gallon freeform pool includes custom spa, full-size grotto, 36-foot weeping wall with six-tiered spillover, and LED lighting.
Oklahoma stone unifies the fireplace, wood storage, kitchen, and weeping wall, with Arctic White pebble plaster and glass tile throughout.
The full-size grotto with nicheless lighting creates a unique swimming experience within the naturalistic design.
What Our Customers Say
4.8 stars from 154+ reviews
“My wife has always wanted a pool. We had heard horror stories so we weren’t sure.”
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you build a grotto that feels natural, not artificial?
The key is using regionally appropriate stone and varying the water flow patterns. In the Wilson project, we used Oklahoma stone throughout the 36-foot weeping wall and full-size grotto, creating natural texture variations that change with light and shadow. The grotto includes a dedicated nicheless LED light positioned to highlight the stone's natural grain. We also designed the six-tiered spillover to mimic how water naturally cascades over rock formations. Rather than a uniform waterfall, each tier creates its own sound and visual pattern, building layers of sensory experience that feel discovered rather than engineered.
Can you integrate a fireplace into the pool area design?
Absolutely—the Wilson residence demonstrates how fire and water elements can enhance rather than compete with each other. We positioned their Oklahoma stone fireplace with integrated wood storage to anchor one end of the outdoor living space, creating a natural gathering point that complements the pool's flowing lines. The fireplace uses the same Oklahoma stone as the weeping wall and outdoor kitchen veneer, creating material continuity that ties the complete outdoor environment together. This integrated approach means the fire feature becomes part of the pool's architectural story rather than a separate amenity.
What makes a weeping wall different from a regular waterfall?
A weeping wall creates a sheet of water that flows smoothly down the stone face, rather than a concentrated stream. The Wilson project's 36-foot weeping wall rises twelve to eighteen inches above water level, allowing the entire surface to become an active water feature that catches and reflects light throughout the day. The six-tiered spillover design means water cascades through multiple levels before entering the pool, creating layered sound and visual depth. This approach transforms the wall into a living element that shifts character from morning light to evening LED illumination.
How do you maintain water clarity in a naturalistic pool design?
The Wilson pool includes a Caretaker in-floor cleaning system that eliminates the need for visible equipment while maintaining pristine water quality. Pop-up cleaning heads built into the pool floor create circulation patterns that prevent debris accumulation in the grotto and around the weeping wall. We also integrated the Badu Turbo Jet Pro to enhance water movement without disrupting the naturalistic aesthetic. The result is crystal-clear water that showcases the Arctic White pebble plaster and NPT CRL Rustic glass tile details, while the cleaning system remains completely invisible during normal use.
What lighting options work best for naturalistic pool designs?
Naturalistic pools require lighting that enhances stone and water features without overwhelming them. The Wilson project uses two LED pool lights for general illumination, one LED spa light, and a dedicated nicheless fixture in the grotto positioned to highlight the Oklahoma stone's natural texture. The key is layering light sources at varying intensities and positions. The grotto's nicheless lighting creates dramatic shadows that shift throughout the evening, while the pool and spa lights provide functional illumination for swimming. This layered approach lets the family enjoy both dramatic stone features and safe, clear water after sunset.
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