Quick Summary
Selah Pools built a geometric pool for a family in Arlington, TX featuring a swim-up bar, tanning ledge, in-pool bar stools, L-shape bench seating, Light Walnut Travertine coping and French pattern decking, mosaic turtle accents, bubblers, LED lighting, and IQ-904-P automation.
Key Takeaways
- The Bold family had a 15-foot utility easement bisecting their outdoor space — Selah designed around it without compromise.
- Features include a swim-up bar with three in-pool bar stools on an 8x3 platform, tanning ledge, L-shape bench seating, bubblers, and LED lighting.
- Light Walnut Travertine in French pattern decking with eased edge coping creates a seamless transition from pool edge to deck.
- Mosaic turtle accents were added to the pool interior at no additional cost — a signature detail that distinguishes this build.
The call came in with a constraint most homeowners assume is a dealbreaker: a 15-foot utility easement running through the middle of the outdoor living space. Caleb heard it differently. In Arlington, where mature lots carry their share of buried infrastructure and deed restrictions, that kind of challenge invites more deliberate design. The pool's geometry was drawn around what couldn't move, turning the easement into a quiet organizing principle rather than an obstacle. The result is a contemporary pool that reads as intentional — clean lines, a swim-up bar, a generous tanning ledge, and integrated bench seating that makes the space feel considered from every angle.
Materials & Finishes
Light Walnut Travertine flows from coping to deck in French pattern, its warm ivory tones unifying pool edge and outdoor living space without a seam. The eased edge coping replaced the original specification — a refinement that shows in how naturally stone meets water. Mosaic turtle accents are set into the pool interior at no additional cost, a detail that arrives as a gift.
Lighting & Bubblers
Three in-pool bar stools rest on an 8-by-3-foot platform at the swim-up bar, and bench seating wraps in an L-shape along one wall, every six feet. Grey River Rock grounds the perimeter in natural texture. The Alpha IQ robotic cleaner and IQ-904-P automation bundle keep it effortless.
Project Highlights
The Bold family had a 15-foot utility easement bisecting their outdoor space — Selah designed around it without compromise.
Features include a swim-up bar with three in-pool bar stools on an 8x3 platform, tanning ledge, L-shape bench seating, bubblers, and LED lighting.
Light Walnut Travertine in French pattern decking with eased edge coping creates a seamless transition from pool edge to deck.
Mosaic turtle accents were added to the pool interior at no additional cost — a signature detail that distinguishes this build.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you build a pool with a utility easement in the yard?
Yes — and this Arlington project is the proof. The Bold residence had a 15-foot utility easement running through the middle of the outdoor living space, which most homeowners assume eliminates the possibility of a pool. Selah's design team treated it as a layout constraint, drawing the pool's geometry around the easement's boundaries. The result is a 9,300-gallon contemporary pool that reads as intentional — swim-up bar, tanning ledge, bench seating, and clean geometric lines that give no indication anything was worked around.
Why choose travertine for pool coping and decking?
Travertine is porous by nature, which means it stays cooler underfoot on hot Texas afternoons than concrete or dark stone — a practical advantage in Arlington summers. Its surface texture also provides natural grip when wet. The Bold residence used Light Walnut Travertine in French pattern for decking and a matching eased edge profile for coping, creating a seamless material transition from pool edge to outdoor living surface. The eased edge replaced the original specification — a quiet upgrade that matters at close range, where the coping's finished profile meets the eye daily.
What should Arlington homeowners know about swim-up bars?
Arlington's Tarrant County permitting process treats in-pool structures like swim-up bars as part of the pool's engineered footprint, drawn into the permit set from the start. At the Bold residence, the swim-up bar includes an 8-by-3-foot platform with three in-pool bar stools, positioned to allow comfortable seating without interrupting the pool's primary swim lane. Platform depth matters more than most clients expect — too shallow and the seating feels exposed; too deep and it's uncomfortable. Selah engineers the platform grade as part of the overall depth profile, so the bar functions as a destination.
How does integrated bench seating change pool use?
Bench seating transforms a pool from a lap course into a gathering space. At the Bold residence, an L-shape bench runs the pool's interior perimeter at six-foot intervals, creating comfortable in-water seating for adults who want to be in the water without actively swimming. It's where conversations happen — feet in the pool, cold drink in hand. Selah positions bench seating as part of the architectural plan, not as an add-on. Depth, length, and corner geometry are resolved in the design phase so the bench serves the pool's proportions rather than fighting them.
What does pool automation control day to day?
The IQ-904-P Bundle Pack installed at the Bold residence centralizes control of the pool's primary systems — filtration schedules, LED lighting, the JXI400NK heater, and surface cleaning — through a single interface. For most clients, this means the pool is ready without manual adjustment. Lighting scenes shift on a schedule; the heater brings water to temperature before the family arrives home. The Alpha IQ robotic cleaner operates independently, running programmed cleaning cycles across the pool floor and walls. Together, the two systems reduce daily maintenance to almost nothing — the pool stays clean, warm, and lit without anyone thinking about it.
Your Outdoor Sanctuary Starts Here
Tell us what you imagine for your outdoor living space — constraints included. We'll show you what's possible.
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