Glass tile

One of the current trends in swimming pool design is the use of glass tile. The industry has burgeoned over the last few years, giving us a huge selection of glass tile options. A few have become standard in swimming pool design, so of course my instinct is to stay away from those looks. I strongly believe that anything overused by an industry is bound to become quickly dated. Instead, I recommend looking for more unique glass tile that suits the design style of your whole landscape.

Here are a few of my favorites and the design styles I would pair them with:

This is by Lunada Bay Tile in their Hitari Etched Glass line. These are 4″x4″ glass tiles with an etched pattern and you get to select the color and pattern from a wide range of choices. I love the terra cotta brown for a Moroccan or Spanish Colonial look.

This is the same line of tile with the color and pattern changed. By using a midori green glass with an asian wind pattern, you get a tile that would be perfect for a zen inspired garden.

This is a glass tile mosaic by Sicis out of Italy. Their stunning “Flower Power” series of mosaics would be amazing with a showy tropical style swimming pool. The glass tiles used have a lot of irridesence to them so they are really a show stopper. Their complimentary tile lines, like the Glimmer Line shown below, would be wonderful for a more subtle look that still has a lot of shine and depth.

Ann Sacks has some incredible glass tile options. I love the penny rounds in their crystal glass collection for a mid-century modern pool.

The Erin Adams Facet line has some gorgeous mosaic patterns. The small birds and vine pattern would be great for a cottage style look with an artistic flair. And I love the peacock pattern for a Moroccan design.

For a sleek modern design, I think the tendency is to use sleek glass tiles without a lot of character or definition, a choice that tends to fall flat. Instead, I like the cool modern colors of Malaga Cove’s burleywood. Another nice option is Walker Zanger’s Tiffany Glass line. Both have a lot of definition and work well with concrete.