Family pool with evening sun on the Swedish Baltic Sea

After several years in the Swedish capital Stockholm, interior designer Jeanette Hammarstedt and her family moved to the countryside in placid Västervik. Today she lives there with her husband and two children in a house that they have redesigned with united forces over the past few years, inside and out, according to their wishes. The latest addition is a swimming pool with a large terrace. The Czech tile specialist RAKO supplied tiles from its Quartzite series for the project, which fit perfectly into the high-quality exterior comprising a family terrace, pool and extensive garden.

A private swimming pool was not planned when they moved in, mainly because of the proximity to the Baltic Sea. "At the same time," says owner Jeanette, "the bathing spots nearby are cool and shady in the evening, even when the air is still warm in summer". When the opportunity arose in autumn 2022 to buy a pool that could not be built at the planned location, the small family decided on it within a week. Now they can round off their days by the sea with sunny evenings at the pool.

However, the spacious swimming pool behind the house is just the latest addition to the garden, which has been continuously expanded over the years. The areas, which were invariably collaboratively designed, always have their own character.  Before the new pool was built, the family had built a veranda for the house themselves. The communal dining area with the long table, which is used at every opportunity, is now located under its expansive roof. Another project was a terrace with an integrated outdoor kitchen, pizza oven and cosy seating area, nestled in the greenery of the garden. This special place is ideal for socialising or relaxing after a hard day's work.

When planning the pool area, the whole family was involved in the selection of materials and important details. "We didn't want to use any more wood, for example, because we deliberately intended to separate the pool area from the terrace and veranda and give it its own character. Then we thought about granite tiles...", says Jeanette Hammarstedt.

The likeable young woman, who works as an interior designer and likes to do things herself, has a good feel for space, design and architecture through her work. Her studies and career have therefore helped her a lot in planning the family retreat.

Today there are three areas in the garden, which you walk through like different rooms. "The plot is 2,000 square metres in total. When we moved in, it was all just a flat lawn. So we remodelled the garden piece by piece. The same design principle applies here as in the house. My ability to optimally structure spaces has helped me a lot," says Jeanette Hammarstedt.

The 100 square metre area around the new family pool was to become a place where people enjoy spending time together. The light grey pool basin was completely sunk into the ground. When selecting the tiles, it was therefore important that they matched the colours and created a harmonious overall look. The ceramic tiles and their colour scheme were intended to give the new living area an independent character, but at the same time blend in with the existing structure of the terrace, veranda and garden.

"There were so many possibilities. So we looked at samples and made a selection, first determining the size, then the colour and surface. In the end, a few remained. With the RAKO quartzite series in grey and 200 mm thickness, we finally found our desired colour and our tiles," explains the experienced client.

Quarzit Outdoor

One question that surfaced when weighing up the pros and cons of a tiled floor was the extent to which ceramic floor coverings are suitable for wet surfaces. The unanimous answer was: Yes, definitely – as long as it is a non-slip tile. Among other things, the Quartzite porcelain stoneware series fulfils this important requirement. It is neither slippery nor does it feel uncomfortable or even rough to walk on when wet.

The whole Hammarstedt family helped to build the swimming pool. After they had dug the hole for the pool and poured the foundation for the terrace together, they knew that they would not tackle such a job again. No question, it was great teamwork – but also an enormous strenuous effort. However, when planning the pool area they discovered the possibility of laying the 20 mm thick granite-look RAKO ceramic tiles on easy-to-install paving support pads. Their installation required less preparation and the position of the tiles can also be easily corrected afterwards.

Architectural consultant Linda Lavraki from the Swedish Kakeldaxgruppen advised on the selection of suitable tiles. Jeanette was already in contact with her professionally before her private pool project. Linda now provided the family with the necessary product information and supported them in ordering and solving the upcoming construction tasks.

"The more we thought about the tiles, the more we liked the idea. The RAKO sample tiles we received from Linda were of good quality, and the non-slip surface was suitable for our building site," explains the client, adding: "One uncertainty factor was the necessary stability of the tiles when they were standing on the paving support pads. But they are extremely stable! It's a great feeling to run on it."

Interior designer Jeanette left nothing to chance and produced her own drawings and renderings to see how the pool would complement the veranda, the terrace at the house and the adjoining garden. The family also took care of filling the area around the pool themselves. Owner Jeanette: "We were a bit nervous back then: How high should the pool be in relation to the surrounding area? And will it even be fitted straight? But now, in hindsight, it feels particularly good because we did some of the work ourselves."

As soon as the pool was in place, the Hammarstedt family was able to start laying the 20 mm-thick granite ceramic tiles. The tile slabs on adjustable paving support pads are raised slightly off the ground by the pedestal bearing construction and ensure that rain or splash water can drain away easily. The work was then completed in mid-2023. And even though the first swimming pool summer was still a little rainy, the family has been enjoying their new pool to the full. Jeanette Hammarstedt is satisfied: "At the beginning of September we were able to take advantage of the rare opportunity to pick up our children early. We went swimming together and enjoyed the beautiful weather to the full. It was simply wonderful!"

Copyright: David Wall, Västervik