<\/p>\n
Photo: Christopher Sturman<\/p>\n
After suffering through another cold winter<\/a> and rainy spring, there\u2019s nothing I crave more than a midsummer day trip to the beach. By the time late July rolls around, though, the reality of the beach sets in. First there\u2019s the commute itself, then, dealing with lugging all of my stuff out to the sand, and the less than pleasant bathrooms\u2026 not to mention the overpriced boardwalk food. The goalposts quickly move from a simple day on the sand to craving a pool of one\u2019s own\u2014not so far removed from ice cold drinks<\/a> in the refrigerator, an air conditioned sanctuary, and maybe even some luxe cabanas too. There\u2019s truly no competition.<\/p>\n For now, I\u2019m stuck with only dreaming about poolside life from my sandy towel. Ogling other people\u2019s pools will have to do! Below are the very sexiest pools in AD Open Door history, from Emma Roberts\u2019s storybook setup to Diplo\u2019s cantilevered retreat over the Jamaican jungle.<\/p>\n When you go for a visit to a Malibu beach house<\/a>, chances are, a dip in the pool is the first thing you\u2019re after. Ellen Pompeo<\/a>\u2019s Martyn Lawrence Bullard\u2013designed SoCal home has one situated in the interior courtyard just past the entrance gate, making it simple for guests to dive in immediately upon their arrival. It\u2019s easy to imagine a cozy day of secluded sunbathing on those punchy pink daybeds inside the Grey\u2019s Anatomy star\u2019s teak-enclosed courtyard. Plus with a terrazzo-topped bar in one corner, there\u2019s no reason to venture inside, even for refreshments.<\/p>\n At Brazilian singer Anitta<\/a>\u2019s Rio De Janeiro home by Studio Ro+Ca, the pool is just one part of the party atmosphere. The entire pad is crafted to accommodate large gatherings of family and friends, and that design ethos doesn\u2019t stop once you get outside. Anitta wanted the outdoor area to allot plenty of real estate to poolside dancing\u2014shaving off some square footage from the pool itself in the process, but amping up the overall energy of the patio. After a hot night of grooving and outdoor dining, who couldn\u2019t use a quick lap or two?<\/p>\n You may gravitate to the water no mater where you\u2019re staying in Jamaica. But at Diplo<\/a>\u2019s Jamaica home, fashioned by Brooklyn-based firm Freecell Architecture<\/a> and architectural designer Gia Wolff<\/a>, that pull is even stronger. The water is visible from many of the modernist concrete dwelling\u2019s rooms, offering eye candy even on the days one is refraining from a dip. (Though, why would you?) The siren call of the water even manages to reach upstairs, resulting in dives from the second-floor balcony on particularly hot days, as the DJ himself demonstrates in AD\u2019s 2024 Open Door tour.<\/p>\n There\u2019s perhaps no one more entitled to referring to a pool as \u201cgreat for recovery\u201d than an NBA player<\/a>. This is the utilitarian purpose of the pool at Phoenix Suns shooting guard Devin Booker<\/a>\u2019s desert residence (imagined by AD100 firm Clements Design). The water sits at the center of the courtyard between his primary home and the property\u2019s guest house. Still, he uses it plenty for \u201centertainment\u201d too; a projector screen descends from the home\u2019s roof line and is fully visible while soaking in the pool, the hot tub, or from one of the loungers. For more lowkey alfresco relaxation, a long fire pit<\/a> flanks one end of the pool while views of the mountain range can be seen if you turn in the opposite direction. Not a bad place to unwind\u2026whether or not you\u2019re fresh from dropping 70 points in a single game<\/a>.<\/p>\n When Jared and Genevieve Padalecki<\/a> moved into their Texas farmhouse<\/a> (customized in collaboration with designer Virginia Davidson), the backyard was unruly. They transformed the outdoor area into a tiered, multifunctional space\u2014all leading to the pool area. Enveloped by mature trees, the pool feels like a little secret in the middle of the forest. That doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s without modern comforts, though. A built-in covered<\/a> banquette offers a place to cool down on particularly sunny days and a wet bar with its own kegerator makes sure that the adults enjoy themselves just as much as the kids.<\/p>\n Emma Roberts<\/a> told AD she wanted her Pierce & Ward\u2013designed Los Angeles home to feel like a \u201cgrown-up dollhouse,\u201d and her swimming pool setup extends that cutesy fantasy outdoors. Surrounded by rocks, the pool looks like a Disney-esque fantasy of a lake\u2014sans all the undesirable qualities of swimming in dark waters. Whether you\u2019re actually taking a dip or just lounging poolside, it\u2019s a charming sight with a far different vibe from the typical modernist infinity pools of LA.<\/p>\n One of the best parts of Southern California living is year-round sunshine, so why not outfit your home with a pool? Actors Daveed Diggs and Emmy Raver-Lampman<\/a> noticed they weren\u2019t getting much use out of their property\u2019s backyard, but after adding a swimming pool and deck, they are (naturally) out there everyday. In AD\u2019s 2021 tour of the home\u2014which the duo decorated in collaboration with designer Mandy Cheng\u2014Raver-Lampman jokes that you can count on finding Diggs napping in the cabana adjacent to the pool each day. Considering that zen setup, we\u2019re definitely not judging.<\/p>\nEllen Pompeo\u2019s Midcentury moment<\/h2>\n
Anitta\u2019s party pool<\/h2>\n
Diplo\u2019s Jamaican jungle jewel<\/h2>\n
Devin Booker\u2019s desert dream<\/h2>\n
Jared and Genevieve Padalecki\u2019s Texas splash-zone<\/h2>\n
Emma Robert\u2019s fantasyland<\/h2>\n
Daveed Diggs and Emmy Raver-Lampman\u2019s relaxed retreat<\/h2>\n