When interior designer Ruth Casper was called to renovate the poolside bath of a client’s home, the initial goal was to blend “functionality and aesthetics.”
The homeowner, having already completed multiple renovations spanning some 16 years — “I did my first project in this home,” says Casper, whose studio is based in Troy’s Michigan Design Center — wanted to transform this formerly dark and dated, chocolate-hued space into an elegant, water-inspired retreat.

“(The homeowner) loves a little glam, so we wanted to do something dynamic,” Casper says. “She’s out of the box and trusts me to do the fun things.”

Evoking the shimmering hues of the adjacent outdoor pool, Casper wanted something that was energetic but also calming. When she discovered the wallpaper that she eventually used on the ceiling — a gorgeous abstract aquatic print from Harlequin called Reflected Obsidian — the design direction officially set sail.

“That wallpaper was the launching point,” Casper says. “We designed a custom vanity (from Hollywood Cabinets in Shelby Township) in more of a calming palette, so the wow factor was on the ceiling — like an accent wall.”

To add some sparkle, Casper chose cabinet pulls from Sietto that are crafted in a glimmering white glass. High-shine fixtures like the Brizo Invaria faucet, Hudson Valley Harlem sconces, and the Uttermost Lennox mirror deliver just the right amount of glamour, while custom drapery from Anna Elisabeth with a Fabricut trim in Rivulet Sapphire lend a pop of the unexpected. “We played a lot with texture and different materials to give the space cohesiveness,” the designer says.

Farrow & Ball’s Borrowed Light, a tranquil pale blue, was used on the walls and custom millwork, to bring focus to the statement tiles on the flooring and in the shower (both from Viriginia Tile). “We wanted everything else to just be a calming accent,” Casper adds.

While the bath is situated just outside the home’s pool and patio, it’s also in a portion of the residence that can easily be transformed into a mother-in-law suite, if need be. Because of that potential, creating a room that was ADA-accessible was also a priority for Casper. She added a stylish grab bar and a custom floating seat to the shower, and designed the space to accommodate a scooter with a zero-clearance flooring transition and room for maneuverability. She chose materials that are easy to maintain and can withstand moisture, but also “look wonderful.”
Casper is delighted with how the bath turned out, noting that the client hosts a lot of parties throughout the year and people are always like, “Go check out that bathroom!”
Says Casper: “It’s become a conversation point!”

More Information

Ruth Casper Design
ruthcasperdesign.com

Backyard Oasis

A stylish plunge pool with some nifty landscaping injected a big dose of fun and relaxation into this home.

A private little resort” is what Christine Marvin was hoping to create at her home in Saugatuck when she called on Jon Kramer, of Douglas-based Kramer Services, to transform her patio with 700-pound pavers.

“The backyard started as an open, uneven space, and I really wanted it to feel warm and inviting,” she says. “Once (the patio) was in place, the pool eventually fell into place around it.”
And that’s where New Hampshire-based Soake Pools dived in to help. Knowing that she wouldn’t be swimming laps, Marvin said a full-size pool “didn’t feel necessary.” Soake Pools, known for their compact, year-round, pre-cast concrete plunge pools, instead “felt genuinely luxurious compared to a hot tub or swim spa,” she says. “And because it’s in-ground, it blends nicely into the surroundings, rather than feeling like something just set down in the yard.”

Marvin first discovered Soake Pools in 2021. At that time, the company didn’t have a local installer, so the idea of having her own “went on the back burner for a bit,” she says. “A few years later, a friend showed me a Del Prado Pools & Spa installation of a Soake Pools in a local magazine, and I reached back out.”

Plunge-style pools originated in Europe and Asia, and have been trending recently due to their smaller scale and wellness-focused hydrotherapy. Since 2014, Soake Pools, a family-owned and operated business, has sought to bring these revolutionary designs stateside with their original, USA-made, saltwater plunge pools crafted in-house and delivered fully complete and ready to install at your home. Soake Pools works with installers nationwide to help facilitate the final installation, and thanks to their partnership with Del Prado Pools & Spa in Grandville, Marvin’s vision to create her very own retreat was one step closer.

“Tim Walcot and his team were amazing,” she says. “They collaborated closely with the Soake Pools team and all of our subcontractors, and made what could have been a complicated process feel remarkably seamless. It was worth the wait.”

What has really helped Soake Pools’ petite powerhouses gain attention is that not only do their pools offer less maintenance (their plunge pools hold just under 3,000 gallons of water, whereas a traditional larger-style pool uses well above 10,000), but they also make year-round use possible, notes Sasha Mulcahey, director of marketing at Soake Pools. “Some people just don’t want a large pool to take up their entire backyard, and it can only be used for three months.”

The temperature of Soake Pools is controlled from an app and can be altered throughout the day, allowing you to have a cool place to dip in the day and a hot tub at night. “I love that it’s easy and ready to go,” Marvin shares. “I don’t really have to think about it until I’m ready to jump in.”

Soake Pools offers four different sizes; the largest, at 7 by 13 feet, is what Marvin chose for her home. The company also offers a 4-by-4-foot cold plunge. Adding an automatic cover is also an option, and one Marvin selected for peace of mind.

“The decision to go with the automatic cover was multifaceted. There’s the safety side — I have a dog, and we back up to the woods, so there’s no shortage of deer and wildlife wandering through,” she says. But, she notes, “It’s just convenient. It keeps debris out and retains heat so we can use the pool year-round, which we did this winter.”

Every Soake Pool comes hand-tiled, and with countless options to choose from. For Marvin, an ivory and beige check (which appears aqua from the water’s reflection) fit right into her backyard oasis. “Soake Pools had shared a pool featuring the checkered pattern, and I was really drawn to it,” she says. “It’s fun, but still timeless. From there, I worked with my interior designer, Nancy Von Ins (of west Michigan’s NV Interiors), to help me pick out the right tile color.”

Additional options include adding seating, a current, and deciding whether you want the pool semi-raised or flush-mounted, as Marvin chose. “She knew she was going to do a flush installation, which is a little more modern,” Mulcahey says.

To complete her personal sanctuary, Marvin worked with Von Ins to layer in all the details that she says make it feel like a true destination. “Nancy helped me curate the pergola, furniture, and all the finishing touches to help create zones that felt warm and intimate,” she says. For plantings and landscape design, she worked with Scotty Jacobs from ScottyGrows in Fennville.

“I wanted the greenery to add whimsy and joy, and leaned on (Scotty’s) expertise to make sure everything was wildlife-friendly. When it came time to install the pool, Nancy and I worked with the Del Prado and Soake Pools teams to tie everything together. Tim at Del Prado suggested using concrete pavers to connect the patio and pool spaces. It’s simple, but really unifies the yard.”
With her oasis complete in 2025, Marvin was able to host people around the pool this past winter — but she was most excited to share it over the summer, “in the season I really envisioned it for,” she says.

More Information

Del Prado Pools & Spa
delpradopools.com
Kramer Services
kramerservices.com
NV Interiors
nvinteriorsmi.com
ScottyGrows
scottygrows.com
Soake Pools
soakepools.com

Soake Pools’ expert team offers some tips to consider for planning “the plunge”

Location, location, location. “The client should keep in mind the placement of their pool,” says Kristen Stone, Soake Pools’ northwest territory manager. “Where will it be best? Where will it be easiest to get outside on cold days and most comfortable on a super-hot day, too? Should I put it right off a slider? Do I want to be able to sit at my kitchen window and look out at it?”

R&R or movement? “Is the pool more for sitting and enjoying a glass of wine or iced tea after work, or might you want to work out in this pool?” Sasha Mulcahey, director of marketing at Soake Pools, asks. The team notes that Soake’s plunge pools aren’t just for soaking; there are options that transform the pools for active swimming by adding in a slipstream that creates a fully adjustable speed current.

Hostess with the mostess. Interested in hosting guests? The team advises considering how much seating you’ll want. “We have customizable interior seating,” Mulcahey says, adding, “if you have a semi-raise, you can add even more seating around the pool.”

Etcetera. Need the pool by a certain date? Mulcahey notes that while their lead times are only six to eight weeks, “the biggest thing clients should think about is who’s going to be their landscape partner (for installation).” While Soake Pools is happy to offer suggestions on partners in your area, Mulcahey says, “If you have your own landscape contractor, we’ll help (ensure) that team is as educated and trained up as possible.”