3 Backyard Decor Lessons We Learned from Emily Henderson’s Incredible Plunge Pool

The designer and expert stylist has given the backyard pool her signature stunning spin, and we can all learn a thing or two from it.

In a world where it feels like everything from clothing sizing to houses to drink cups is constantly growing and “bigger is better” is basically the law, something that bucks the trend by going in a smaller direction can be sweetly refreshing—and in the case of Emily Henderson’s gorgeous plunge pool, this trend-breaker is doubly invigorating.

Plunge pools are already having a moment, so Henderson’s version of it isn’t new, exactly, but as she has done with so many other projects, Henderson has put her signature spin on her plunge pool, making it a perfect example of how great these mini pools can be.

Whether you’re counting down the days until you can follow in Henderson’s footsteps (swimming strokes?) and get a plunge pool of your own or you’re not quite sold on them, Henderson’s plunge pool—and her experience installing it—offers a few insights into what bringing one of these features home really looks like. Read on for a few lessons we can all learn.

Related: Consider a Cocktail Pool if You Want a Small Spot for Cooling Off

Plunge Pools Are the Perfect Compromise

Henderson lives with her husband and two children in Portland, Oregon—a lovely region, sure, but not exactly of the same clime as sun-soaked and pool-strewn Florida or Arizona. Henderson was convinced that, if she and husband Brian got the swimming pool they dreamed of, they wouldn’t get enough use out of it (and would end up either staring at a pool cover for most of the year or paying a small fortune to heat the pool through spring, fall, and winter).

Still, she tells Better Homes & Gardens, “I knew I had to get a body of water.”

Henderson says she thought about installing a swimming pond (also known as a natural swimming pool), but she ultimately wrote it off as more European and “not here just yet.”

Finally, she stumbled upon Soake Pools, which produces prefabricated pools that can be both cool and hot, and now she calls the 7×13-foot saltwater plunge pool in her backyard “one of the best things we’ve ever done.”

Henderson’s heat-able plunge pool can be a classic swimming pool (albeit a small one) in the summer and a hot tub in the winter. In spring and fall, the temperature can be adjusted according to the weather—Henderson says her pool can heat up to 10°F per hour, and Soake Pools can get up to 104°F, just like traditional hot tubs.

If you’re eager to install a pool but feel like your region is too cold for it, a plunge pool might be an easy solution that you truly can use year-round. Plus, it can offer the benefits of a cold plunge, a cooling swimming pool, and a hot tub in one vessel—spool pools don’t get better than that.

Plunge Pools Are Perfect for Spaces Large and Small

While Henderson—who had three acres of land to work with for her pool—technically had room for a classic backyard pool, that didn’t mean she wanted a feature that large, she says.

“I don’t want to discourage people from getting a big pool but for most of us, the smaller tub is really great,” Henderson says.

She calls her plunge pool a “wonderfully manageable size”—and that goes for more than just being able to heat it somewhat affordably. In a curated backyard, a pool can be too much of the focus, but a smaller pool inherently has a smaller footprint visually: “The backyard isn’t dominated by it,” Henderson says of her pool.

Plunge Pools Are Still a Major Project

Yes, plunge pools are smaller—but installing one is still a massive undertaking. While most of these petite pools can be either above-ground or in-ground, if you opt for an in-ground pool, you still have to excavate for the pool structure and re-do the landscaping around it. (If you want a gorgeous pool deck like Henderson’s, that involves installing paving and planting.)

You also still have to run gas and plumbing and store the equipment that keeps the pool functioning. A smaller pool doesn’t necessarily equal a smaller effort, and Henderson says this project is definitely not something you can DIY—she worked with a landscape design/build contractor for hers.

Related: The 15 Best Pool Cleaners of 2024 for Crystal Clear Water All Summer Long, According to Testing

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