Designer and influencer Emily Henderson spent three years remaking the Portland, Oregon, farmhouse she shares with her husband, Brian, and their two kids. The couple had dreamed about a backyard pool but consistently talked themselves out of it as too expensive, too big, and too much maintenance.
“Living in the cool Pacific Northwest, I didn’t want to stare at a pool cover for eight months of the year, but our summers are getting hot, and we really wanted a place to cool off,” Henderson tells Better Homes and Gardens.
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An Instagram ad for Soake Pools seemed to answer all Henderson’s demands.
“It was for a saltwater plunge pool that, at 7×13 feet, is the size of a living room rug,” Henderson says. “It’s a cool pool on hot days with the bonus of becoming a hot tub for cool weather.”
Henderson hired a landscape design/build contractor because the installation required site prep, excavation, and backfill as well as trenching and hookup for water and electrical.
“This is not plug-and-play, but it’s an easier large-scale project than a custom pool,” she says.
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Henderson chose bluestone pavers for the pool deck and added stepping-stone paths around the pool.
She planted the landscape with grasses and flowering bushes that would fill out quickly.
“This plunge pool checks all our boxes in a way I didn’t know was possible,” Henderson says. Its smaller size means the pool requires less water to fill and less energy to heat.
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The Details
Henderson’s pool makes a powerful case for these small-but-mighty installations. Interested in a plunge pool for yourself? Here’s what you need to know about the product Henderson went with.
The Pool
Models from Soake Pools come in five sizes. The smallest is a 4×4-foot pool that can be installed with a chilling feature for cold plunging. The largest pool is 7×13. All have an interior depth of 5 feet. These pools are saltwater unless a different sanitation method is requested. The benefits include clear water that leaves skin and hair feeling soft.
The Build
The concrete pools are built in a controlled environment for a strong, structurally stable pool.
The pool is also tiled in the factory. (Finishes include shades of gray, cream, brown, and slate in large-format porcelain tile.) Karen Larson, cofounder of Soake Pools, says they can put a pool in any location, working with a local team.
The Uses
The pools can heat up to 104°F (up to 10°F an hour), so the water can quickly be hot-tub warm. Beyond social enjoyment, they are used for physical therapy and exercise. The pools are not large enough for lap swimming, but you can wear a tether belt that attaches to the pool sides and allows you to swim against your own resistance in gentle water.
The Cost
Expect to spend at least $80,000. The pools cost between $30,000 and $45,000, depending on size. You also pay for shipping, a locking safety pool cover, and contractor expenses. Installation specifics can drive the price higher. By comparison, a conventional home pool costs up to $50,000 more.