11 Modern Lighting Ideas That Will Upgrade Your Pool Area

There are various landscaping ideas that can turn your pool area into an outdoor oasis, but if you plan to use it after dark, lighting is the one you should never ignore. We don't just mean lighting up the pool itself — although that, in itself, is important. Instead, it pays to think about your pool area in much the same way as you would your deck, patio, or your home's interior. And while the benefits include making the space feel warm, cozy, and inviting, the reason lighting is so important is that it also makes the space safer to use in the hours of darkness.

So, how can you use lighting to upgrade your pool area? Well, as you'll see in the guide below, there are lots of nifty tricks you can employ. In the pool alone, there are myriad ways to add lights to help highlight your pool's design while layering charm into the wider area. The list only gets longer when you begin to add lighting to the surrounding landscape, whether that's stake lights in your borders or a few cozy lanterns hung from your favorite tree. There are high-tech solutions to streamline your lighting scenes and make it easier to set the mood. And if you'd prefer to forgo the hassle of hardwiring, you'll find a number of solar powered lights from Amazon that can add serious style to your poolside. Whether you like to entertain or simply need to make your yard safer after sundown, if your pool lacks lighting, you're sure to find an idea to inspire your upgrade below.

That's right, smart lights are no longer just for inside, in fact, there are myriad ways that you can use them around your garden. Even just in the arena of pool design, they have various uses and conveniences. Since they hook up to your smartphone, you can easily control your lighting scenes. Many products come with the ability to display in multiple colors, so you can set a mood for, say, a party, and then a totally different vibe for just you and your closest pals. You can even find smart lights that sync with your speakers, which is also perfect for parties.

Another reason to consider smart lighting is that you can control precisely when they come on — a big plus if you're trying to reduce your home's energy bills. And if the rest of your home is "smart," many of these products can be connected to Alexa or Google Assistant, allowing you to control them with your voice. Finally, smart lights are available for various parts of your outdoor area. You can buy string lights to hang over your pool (more on this later), along with wall lights, spotlights for your landscaping, and submersible pool lights. Just try not to fall for the compatibility trap. For a seamless experience, especially in yards with multiple smart-lighting products, invest in fixtures that are compatible with the same app, or which all connect to your existing smart home hub. This will make things easier to use and control versus having to download and familiarize yourself with multiple apps.

As is probably very obvious, floating lights are designed to bob on the surface of your pool. They require no tools or wires to get going; instead, they use rechargeable batteries in order to generate light. Some are even solar powered, which is both super convenient and a great way to keep lighting costs down.

As for who they're for and where they might come in handy, the number of designs that are now available mean floating lights have a very broad appeal. For low-key poolside dinner parties, an understated glowing orb in a warm yellow could help to set the mood. If your pool lacks the dynamism of moving water, you can add what you're missing with products like these Floating Fountain Lights from PoolPop. And if your kids love to splash around after sunset, there are floating pool lights that make your pool deck feel like a whimsical Disney movie.

Adding underwater lights to your pool can lend the overall scene serious depth and visual interest. When submerged, the light interacts with the water differently, which in turn makes the water itself a feature. Like floating lights, you can buy underwater lights in all kinds of fun and sophisticated colors. For something more understated and timeless, go for warm white, or if you tend to host parties through the summer, look for something with a little more color.

Alternatively, if you want the best of both worlds, modern technology has you covered. There are various products available nowadays that allow you to easily switch between different colors and moods. As an example, these Submersible LED Lights with Remote Control from U UZOPI are capable of up to 16 colors. They're mounted via waterproof adhesive, which means you don't have to worry about complicated installations. They're also IP68 rated, meaning they're completely sealed against water ingress and able to be submerged.

In actual fact, using lights to highlight the steps around your yard is a sensible idea regardless of whether you have a pool. That's because outdoor walkway lighting can add ambience while also making your yard safe. In your pool specifically, guests who are unfamiliar with the layout will be glad they have some guides to follow as they navigate the steps. Ditto for anybody who is familiar, but who has indulged in one too many Moscatos.

It's an especially good idea if you tend to host summer parties, but it shouldn't be ignored as a way to add layers of visual interest to your area and make it more enjoyable in general. One way to do this is with fiber optic cables for your steps, and it has two benefits. Firstly, their versatility makes them very useful. They can be run around the edges of your pool to highlight the feature, as well as along the pool's floor to add depth. They can be placed along the risers of your pool steps to make entering and exiting the water safer; you could even run them around a fountain, if you have one, to highlight the running water. The second reason is that fiber optic lights do away with the need to have dangerous electrical wiring underwater. Instead, they have an external light and power source, which beams light through the cables from a safe (and dry) distance.

LED colors are great for a party, or when a situation calls for a more high-energy vibe. But when you're relaxing — be that with your family or hosting a dinner party poolside — warm colors are the better choice. These create a soft, natural atmosphere, inviting you and your guests to sit, relax, and stay awhile. And like other types of lighting for the pool area, there are various ways you can use warm lighting to your advantage.

You could, for example, line the edge of your pool with warm lights. Fiber optic strips are a good way to do this, or for less installation hassle, you could use something like these Warm White Solar Lights from SHONELIGHTING, which fix to the edge of your pool. Alternatively (or, indeed, simultaneously), you could infuse your poolside dining area with warm-glow lanterns, either hung from the beams of your pergola or simply placed as a centerpiece on the table. You can also layer it into your pool's surroundings. A few warm lights in your flower beds, for example, will help to highlight your plants after dark. Not only that, but as we'll see shortly, landscape lights will also make your whole garden feel less foreboding when the sun inevitably sets.

When you're thinking about pool lighting, it's important to think beyond the pool itself. If the water is nicely lit, but the surrounding area is pitch black, it could feel slightly forbidding. After all, who knows what's lurking out there in the darkness? Not only that, but if your pool is the only thing that's lit, it could feel very much like an island in the darkness. Luckily, some simple lighting additions to your surrounding landscape can make a big difference. It gives your pool area a "backdrop" when the sun sets, framing it in the wider context of your yard and making the overall setting feel that much more inviting.

As for how to install lighting in your garden, once again, you have options. A few simple stake lights, for example, could add interest to your surrounding lawn or flower beds. They'll also help to highlight those prized plants that you worked so hard to grow. Alternatively, if your wider garden is somewhat lacking in interesting shapes, why not add some in? You can buy myriad decorative lights that are designed for form as well as function. These Firefly Lights from ASMAD, for example, feature flexible but sturdy wires, which mean that the lights on the end hover "on the breeze" like real fireflies. In fact, you can find various lights on Amazon that double as lawn decor, with shapes ranging from fireflies and flowers to simple, but beautiful, orbs.

Not only should you aim to highlight the pool itself for safety's sake, but it's also worth finding ways to brighten up your deck, like with recessed lights. These will help to "show the way" to those who are unfamiliar with your surroundings, and from a design perspective, recessed lights have several benefits. First, since they're embedded into the deck and sit flush to the surface, they don't inadvertently create a trip hazard. For the same reason, they're also sleek and less visually intrusive than above-ground lights, which makes them well suited to clean, modern pool areas.

One potential downside is that you will need to have holes cut out for each light. Not only that, but you may also requiring having electrical wiring completed by a contractor to ensure that it's all safe. Don't forget, any lighting around your pool needs to be safe around water. However, you can buy energy-efficient LED lights to help keep ongoing energy costs down. Not only that, but the cost of the lights doesn't have to set you back a fortune, either. These Dimmable LED Deck Lights from SMY Lighting, for example, currently cost $69.99 for 20 lights, and are fitted with high quality, long-lasting LEDs to help keep running and maintenance costs to a minimum.

Moonlighting involves lights overhead to help set the mood and create a soft ambiance. You can use it anywhere, but if you add moonlighting above your pool, you'll find it reflects back beautifully off the surface of the water. You'll want to avoid harsh or bright-colored lighting, as whose traits will only become amplified when bouncing off the pool's surface. Instead, think back to what we said earlier about warm lighting, and use those cozy glows to your advantage.

Onto how you might employ moonlighting around your pool, as there are various methods. If you have a tree in close proximity to your pool, you could suspend some lanterns from the branches, which will also lend a dose of whimsy and enchantment to your design. Alternatively, there are plenty of string lights on Amazon that can brighten up your patio and pool area, like these Outdoor String Lights from MGVIH. Either way, by taking advantage of your pool's reflective surface — and sticking to a nice, warm tone — you'll find it's an easy upgrade that can add buckets of charm to your pool area.

If you have a fountain or a waterfall feature in your pool, and you're not already shedding some light on it after dark, why aren't you? Throwing some rays onto the moving water can add some real dynamism to your poolside display. Not only that, but we humans have a deep-seated, ancient love for moving water. Just looking at water has been shown to instill calm and help reduce feelings of anxiety. Moving water, too, is believed to have a restorative effect — which is something we could all do with, especially in the evening when we're relaxing by our hard-paid-for pool.

So, get to it! If there's grass or a flower bed near the fountain or waterfall, grab some spotlights, like these Solar Spotlights from DenicMic, and aim one towards the moving water. Alternatively, you could mount a spotlight on the wall, again aiming it towards the feature. Or, buy lights that fix to the edge of the pool, meaning you place one next to your waterfall to highlight the water's disturbance. Or, as we touched on earlier, you can buy floating fountain lights, which are a good choice for pools without an existing moving water feature.

One of our favorite outdoor pool area styling ideas for a cozy backyard oasis is to use real fire. It sounds dangerous, and depending on your layout and the materials used — like wood — it may not be advisable. But provided you have the space — and it's safe to install one — you could always add a fire pit. This will add the inimitably cozy look of flames, while serving to actually warm you and your guests after a sunset swim. The moving flames will lend a dynamic edge to the lighting, too, resulting in a luxury, resort-level upgrade that's sure to inspire envy in your guests.

Even if you don't have space for a fire pit, you could line the edge of the pool area with tiki torches. Consider floating candles for the pool itself, or if you'd prefer to avoid real fire altogether, why not install garden lights that mimic the effect of flames, but without the associated danger? You can even buy torch-inspired designs that work double duty to defend your patio against bugs, like this Solar Insect Torch from PIC.

There are several reasons why you might consider installing motion-sensing lights in your pool area. First, if you prefer not to run your other pool lights all night, or you switch them off altogether during the winter, motion-sensing lights can make the area safer to use should you need to dash across the deck in the dark. The last thing you want to do is accidentally run into the pool — especially in the depths of winter.

The second reason is security. A couple of well-placed motion-sensing security lights can make potential intruders seriously rethink their plans. They may also help to deter the wilder residents of your neighborhood, like raccoons, which is good to know if you're currently trying to pest proof your garden. There are plenty of products available on the market that use motion sensors. To help you illuminate your outdoor space without the hassle of hardwiring, many of these are solar powered. Whichever you choose, look for products with wide-angled motion-sensing arcs and adjustable sensitivity to ensure proper coverage and reliable activation. And if you are using solar-powered products, be sure to place them where they'll receive plenty of sunlight.