What Lowcountry Homeowners Are Actually Building in 2026

Every year our design consultations tell us something about where things are heading. Homeowners come in with ideas they've been collecting for months, inspiration boards and magazine pages and things they've seen at a friend's house, and patterns emerge pretty fast. This year a few of those patterns are worth talking about.

Tanning ledges have gone from feature to expectation

A few years ago, a tanning ledge was something clients specifically asked for. Now it's something they're surprised to find out they have to ask about. These shallow platforms, typically 6 to 12 inches deep and wide enough for two lounge chairs, sit right at the water's edge and let you be in the pool without being all the way in. Add a bubbler jet and an umbrella sleeve and the ledge becomes its own destination.

We've watched clients spend entire afternoons on the ledge while the rest of the pool sits empty. That's not a complaint. It means the space is getting used in the most comfortable possible way.

Spools: smaller footprint, full experience

The spool, somewhere between a spa and a small pool, has become one of our most requested builds for clients on tighter lots in Bluffton's newer neighborhoods. Typically 10 to 16 feet long, deeper than a spa, with jets and heating, they're not a compromise. For couples or smaller families who want warm water and a great place to relax and entertain without the maintenance of a full-size pool, a spool does everything the larger version does at a fraction of the footprint. Lower chemical costs, shorter filter runs, faster heating. For a lot of people it's exactly what they actually wanted once we talked through how they'd use the space.

Smart automation is now standard

Remote pool control — adjusting heating, lighting, and filtration schedules from a phone — has moved from a luxury add-on to something most clients now expect as part of the system. The technology has matured to the point where it's genuinely useful rather than just impressive on a spec sheet. Being able to heat the spa on the drive home from work becomes a habit quickly once you have it.

Fire features: an investment worth considering

Fire bowls, fire pits, fire features integrated into raised walls near the pool: it's an add-on that comes up in a lot of our design conversations. It's not inexpensive, but the effect is genuinely striking, and it extends how long in the year the outdoor space gets used. An October evening in Bluffton is something special with a fire nearby.

The pool as part of a larger outdoor space

This is the biggest shift we've seen over the past few years and it keeps accelerating. Clients aren't asking for a pool. They're asking for an outdoor space, and the pool is one element of it. The covered lounge area, the outdoor kitchen, the landscape lighting, the hardscape material that ties it all together into something coherent.

The projects we're most proud of are the ones where you genuinely can't tell where the architecture of the house ends and the outdoor design begins. That doesn't happen by accident. It takes planning the whole thing together from the start rather than treating the pool as a later addition to an already-finished yard.

Leathered marble is the decking finish we keep coming back to

For the Lowcountry specifically, leathered marble has become our go-to recommendation for pool decks. The leathered finish — a light brushing that softens the natural polish — gives it a matte, organic texture that pairs beautifully with the coastal landscape. It stays cooler underfoot than a high-gloss surface, handles the humidity and heat without issue, and ages in a way that looks intentional rather than worn. Paired with the right coping and interior finish, it gives a project a distinctly elevated look. Clients who choose it consistently say they'd make the same call again.