Strokes of Genius: 8 Stunning Lap Pool Designs

Long for a pool but have a skinny yard? Or an all-business swimmer who wants to get in, workout, and dry off without a winding-down soak? Lap pools—long, narrow pools for rhythmic strokes—are the answer. Need inspiration? Check out these eight inventive takes.

Still and unbroken, this sliver of a pool feels like a perfect sheet of glass.

A simply ingenious approach: a glass wall at one end transforms a simple lap pool into an aquarium-style display, set off by a serene wooded setting. It lends the illusion that water floats in midair.

A modular metal canopy provides strategic shade and anchors the pool visually to the main house.

Lap pools don't have to be outdoors. Wide, generous windows provide natural light; a roof means swimming in bad weather.

One end walled off to create a hot tub—twice the functionality without a space-swallowing footprint.

Lap pools can double as reflecting pools. This one abutting a villa-style home gives the landscape the air of a formal estate.

Raised walls lined in red tile turn this infinity-edge lap pool into an oversize sculpture. A patio juts over it so swimmers don't have to hike legs over sides to enter.

Another raised approach: weathered, coved borders create a stately, storied feel matching lush gardens and grass-pocked brick walkway.

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