It’s a great time of year to be thinking about spas – the nights are getting chilly and it’s a great chance to sit back, relax and forget all those garden problems.
There are lots of reasons why people install hot tubs in their gardens: they can be used as swimming pools for small children, or as a luxurious way to treat yourself at the end of a hard day.
And that’s before you even get started on how useful it might prove when you have friends over.
However, not everyone likes the idea of having an obtrusive steel structure dominating their garden. If this is your view, then there may well be another option for you – installing a smaller version as part of your landscaping could make sense too.
Here’s a selection of our top 10 small garden hot tub ideas:
1. The Contemporary Corner Soak
This is a really neat idea, which means you’re still going to have plenty of room for other things in your garden as well as finding ample space for the hot tub itself.
In addition, because it looks like a natural extension of the rest of your landscaping it’s not going to look out of place – even when someone is using it.
How To Do It
In order to make this work, you will need your yard or patio slabs and possibly some kind of ornamental edging in a contrasting color – all available from any good home improvement store along with most large DIY chains these days.
The spa itself can be anything from a small, simple model to a deluxe number with all the bells and whistles – so you can tailor it to your tastes.
2. The Stylish Cubed Hot Tub
This is an example of how you can make very clever use of space in your garden by creating elevated areas with the hot tub as part of them.
This one has been tiled in dark green squares which match both the rest of the brickwork around it and indeed, parts of the building work done too.
There are also some surprisingly large plants growing alongside this stunning outdoor bath providing yet another layer of interest for anyone looking at this corner.
If you have the available space, then doing something similar but using different colors or even patterns might be well worth considering.
How To Do It
One of the most important things here is that your bath needs to be elevated from the ground by at least a foot or so, as otherwise you run into all kinds of problems with flooding and drainage as well as being able to use it comfortably.
This type of thing can also work equally well for any species of the hot tub – not just those found in garden centers. So if you fancy something different, look around and see what you might be able to come up with.
3. The Dinky Decked Hot Tub Area
Not everyone has a huge amount of money to spend on their landscaping: some people like many others may feel they need to make do with less than perfect conditions. Which means having puddles, moss, and moss in the wrong places.
This is where this idea comes into its own – it’s small, practical, and lets you still enjoy the dream of having a hot tub in your back garden even if you can’t afford to do too much about it.
How To Do It
One way around this is to lay some decking over an existing area – whether it’s a patio or not. This means that you can still have all of the benefits of a solid surface underneath even if everything else doesn’t look quite as perfect as you would like.
In addition, there are some really nice ideas out there for how to make use of your outdoor hot tub – why not take a look at them?
For example, one very simple option might be to run a wooden plank roof over the area and let someone relax on a chaise longue or even a sunbed right above it.
4. The Corner Hot Tub Hideaway
This is a great example of how you don’t have to stick to small hot tubs if you don’t want to – in fact, if space is at a premium, then why not go for something which doesn’t take up so much room but still gives you everything that you crave?
This corner installation has obviously been very well designed with its own alcove and seating plus some wonderful plants growing around it highlighting just how attractive this can look in your garden. Make sure that yours does too.
How To Do It
The best way of doing this is of course to give some thought to exactly what you are doing. You need to be aware that even a small hot tub takes up about 4 feet in every direction – so look at this carefully before you get started, decide where it is going, and then get on with the project.
5. The Marble Hot Tub Gazebo
If your outdoor area is big enough for it, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t think about getting yourself a gazebo in which to accommodate your garden hot tubs – even if they happen to be small ones like these ones.
They still look pretty impressive when they are set against attractive glass doors and great stonework like this one here has got – but when was the last time you saw someone using a tiny hot tub? It’s probably not going to happen too often, is it?
How To Do It
The truth about this type of thing is that marble and other types of stone look their best when they are as clean as possible – so before you get started, spend some time getting rid of all kinds of problems.
If the surface isn’t perfect, then things will never look as good as they could do so make sure that everything is just right first: otherwise your hard work will have been for nothing and you’ll still be left wondering why nobody ever uses those two lovely little round tubs in the corner by the hedge.
6. The Hot Tub Island Surrounded By Water
Another great example of how even if space is at a premium and you can’t afford to spend a fortune, it’s still possible to make the best of all of your various ideas.
Like this one for example: if you check out the foreground here, you’ll see that there’s not actually too much going on – just some rocks and some grasses growing around them which is pretty low-key but in the background, we have another wonderful sight.
What is it? Well, just look at that island all surrounded by water with its own little hot tub, dining area, and even an outdoor fireplace – plus look at how nicely everything has been put together.
How To Do It
So what is involved in something like this? As ever, design plays a huge part: think carefully about what you want and then get to work on the planning.
You might need to use some fairly heavy equipment so be prepared – although with something like this, even if you mess up a little bit, it will still look good.
7. The Tartan Hot Tub
Are you looking for something which is rugged and rustic but with a slightly more distinctive look than just plain wood provides? Then check out these two round tubs which should tick all of your boxes.
They are literally made from tree trunks sourced from the woodland behind this home and they have been put together very nicely indeed – particularly when it comes to their roofs.
Look at the clever way in Which tartan has been used as part of the structure here: doing that, not only does it look pretty cool but it also gives this whole area a more comfortable feel – especially when combined with that rather lush looking seating.
How To Do It
While there are probably times when you might be able to get something like this all put together on your own, on other occasions, it’s almost certainly going to be better if you employ some outside help.
With the right tools and the right materials of course anyone could do it – but does it really make sense for you or would you be far happier letting someone else take care of this aspect?
8. The Hot Tub Hut
One thing which lots of people don’t consider very often is making use of existing structures in their homes and gardens to create new features out of them.
One good example of this is the hut which we can see here: it has been turned into a sort of hot tub cabin complete with all kinds of wonderful features – including a brand new wooden floor.
The whole thing looks great and yet if you check out the size, it doesn’t look too big or imposing either which is pretty impressive really.
How To Do It
As ever, getting things right from the start is key to success and in order to do that, there’s a lot more going on than just making sure that you have your overall design down properly before you get started.
You should also think about where you are going to place everything in advance because if they don’t fit then no amount of money spent will make any difference at all – so plan properly and measure everything to make sure it all fits.
9. The Lodge Hot Tub
Another really great thing which you might be able to do in order to turn a simple little lodge into something special?
Why not add a hot tub on the patio! After all, what better way is there for spending some quality time with your family than by avoiding the bustle of life inside and instead of retreating outside, where everyone can relax in comfort?
This is exactly what has happened here: look at that lovely rustic wooden construction underneath the water – it’s almost like another world.
How To Do It
Although there are times when you’ll be able to fit your hot tub in without too much trouble, other occasions will require a bit more effort, care, and consideration.
In this case, for example, the designers made use of a really clever design which actually has the hot tub sitting on top of the patio itself rather than in it – meaning that there’s no need to worry about grass removal or anything else like that.
10. The Backyard Hot Tub
For a lot of people, backyards are far more important than front gardens: after all, they’re often going to be bigger, have better views, and simply offer more room to do what you want while being protected from prying eyes at the same time.
With this in mind then you can see why something like a strategically placed hot tub here would work so well: not only does it add an extra dimension but it also looks really good too.
How To Do It
The first thing you should do before getting started is to think about where the hot tub should go: don’t just stick it anywhere because that could end up being a bad idea.
Instead, consider your options carefully because there may be certain areas that are better than others and with that in mind, always take into account things like privacy as well as views before making any kind of final decision.
Conclusion
Remember, whether you have a small garden or not, hot tubs are something worth thinking about.
If you have one, the joy of having your own personal spa is one that can’t be matched by anything else.
Before installing any of these designs in your garden it’s important to get planning permission from your local council.
Not doing so could result in some hefty fines being imposed on you if ever they come across it.
