33 Stock Tank Pool Ideas and Design Tips

Paint the Stock Tank

Paint your stock tank to make it completely your own and personalized. Here, Kelli and Kristi of Lolly Jane Blog transformed the look of the stock tank by spray-painting it a metallic champagne shade.

The stand-alone umbrella, inflatable swan, and stenciled concrete add equal mixes of fun and elegance, creating a relaxing space for all ages.

Step It Up

Make a stock tank pool easy to access with a set of dual stairs, as Crystal Capps Cole did here. The large deck has plenty of room for lounging and relaxation, and the wood slat back wall is a perfect addition to add plants and hang towels.

Notice the blue pool noodles covering the rim—they add some extra padding for relaxation purposes instead of the usually exposed metal.

Keep It Polished

Place your stock tank pool somewhere secluded to keep your yard looking polished. Here, a stock tank from Harvey House is perfectly hidden inside a garapa wood deck, giving the backyard space a sleek look.

As a bonus, this stock tank isn't just for a cool, refreshing dip on a hot day—a pool heater helps transform it into a hot tub to enjoy year-round.

Decorate the Bottom

Don't forget the bottom of your stock tank pool as a spot to add a personalized touch. We love what Hannah Reesor did by changing things and imprinting a message at the bottom of the liner using a stencil painted with a flex seal. Not only does the result look great, but it serves as a reminder that these pools are for relaxing, not diving in headfirst.

Keep Things Cohesive

Keep with the style of the rest of your home when adding a stock tank pool to keep everything cohesive, just as Suburban Pop did here. They added mid-century modern features, such as butterfly chair seating, to have the stock tank pool complement the rest of the 1960s ranch-style home perfectly.

Build a Custom Bench

Add a custom bench to make relaxation easy. Nashville-based best friends and bloggers Savannah and Casey of Hey Wanderer set up a stock tank pool with this idea to build a DIY bench around the top.

Add Tropical Plants

Add greenery to make your stock tank pool the perfect hideaway, as Andrew and Mallory Hunter did here. The stock tank pool, flanked by greenery and a high fence, offers a dedicated relaxing space.

The half-moon deck surrounding the stock pool allows space for lounge chairs shaded by the giant plant fronds above. As an added feature, an outdoor shower was installed for a quick rinse after a long day.

Paint It Black

Remember that not every stock tank has to be metallic or white. This setup from Carrie Divin on Life My Style Carrie is the perfect dose of dramatic flair and relaxation.

This corner has all the essentials for an ideal summer evening: a table with stool seating, lush greenery, a built-in firepit, and an all-black stock tank. The black fence with string lights as the backdrop sets the tone and invites you to stay in the pool even after the sun sets.

Give It an Elevated Deck

Add an elevated deck for more space to relax. The owners of this stock tank pool have made it such a feature of their yard that they've established the Stoneway Swim Club.

With an elevated deck outfitted with matching loungers, this swim club is worth a visit. Incorporating the half-deck look, the style is an excellent way to show off your pool and still have a space to lay out and sit when you're ready to get out.

Design an Oasis

Work with the space you have. Bamboo walls and a water-patterned lining make this stock tank pool look like a natural part of the environment. Cuckoo4Design positioned it in the side of the yard and built a rock feature to curve around the pool, which also serves as a spot to sit and dangle your legs into the water.

Solar lights make this oasis accessible day or night. The combination of stone and bamboo creates a tranquil, spa-like atmosphere that anyone would love to relax in.

Make It Kid-Friendly

Feel free to take some creative notes from Nat Davis to add extra fun to your stock tank pool. The established treehouse and slide were already a delightful playground for the kids to run around, yet adding the stock tank at the slide bottom is a bonus. The results can be fun for the whole family.

Furnish Shade

Add design features that make shade a possibility. This stock tank setup by Carolina Stovall of Denver eXp Realty is a perfect example of keeping cool and collected.

The galvanized stock tank is the ideal distance away from the fire pit and seating area to ensure no giant splashes will affect other guests, but close enough to allow for conversation and interaction. The entire space is ideally situated beneath a flowy white material cover to filter the harsh sun's rays.

Make It Pool-Party Ready

Design your stock tank pool and surrounding area with function in mind. Fiber artist and textile designer Erin Barrett of Sunwoven turned her stock tank pool into a feature of her ready-for-company backyard. It's the perfect summer party centerpiece with colorful yellow siding and a swan float.

You can obtain a similar look by adding outdoor string lights, a collection of lounge chairs, and an umbrella or other shelter to provide some patio shade.

Customize With Wood

Customize a stock tank pool to your preferences, such as using wood. For this pool from Chloe Elgar, the surrounding deck with stairs makes for easy access—whether you're human or pet. The wood panels surrounding the tank give the impression of a spa-like atmosphere, and building the structure to rest against the house means the pool is never too far for a quick refresh.

Feature Privacy and Seating

Build a covered deck for both shade and added privacy, as Melissa Wyckstandt did. The built-in bench at one end of the deck adds plenty of optimum seating, and the four posts at each corner allow for a tarp to cover the entire expanse.

Hide the Plumbing

Something to remember about owning a stock tank pool is how to store mechanisms like pool filters and other accessories such as hoses, pool brushes, and cleaning supplies. The duo behind Real Sisters Fixer Uppers built a nifty bench-deck combo to hide the unsightly plumbing.

Build a Backyard Beach

Dig down into the ground, situate your stock tank accordingly, then add a wood platform and sand: You've got a backyard beach. A few rolled towels, a spa-worthy water tray, and snacks make this stock tank pool setup from White Cactus House into a desert oasis.

Make a Bamboo Border

Try covering your stock tank pool in bamboo rods like this one from Home by Hiliary. Zip ties hold together the bamboo to keep it in place, and the darker stain color adds extra depth to the decor. Placing the stock tank at the corner of the patio allows it to feel connected to the rest of the outdoor space and keeps it level.

Light Things Up

Create a dreamy ambiance with string lights, just like The Yellow Door House. The square concrete stepping stones and the long strands of string lights create a perfect path that leads directly to the stock tank, which has plenty of privacy thanks to the high fence and sizeable outdoor umbrella.

Additionally, a few smaller stock tanks surround the back part of the pool and boast small trees—proof that stock tanks can be for more than just swimming,

Create Easy Access

Add stepping stones for easier access to your stock tank pool. The Sommer Home has the perfect solution: placing concrete slab stepping stones around for easy access and egress.

Designate a Lounge Space

Lisa Martinez made her stock tank pool into a transitional space. You can take a dip in the pool, grab a towel from the basket, drip dry on the patio, and then kick back in the butterfly chair with your feet up on a pouf. Adding a side table to place a drink and a book makes for the perfect summer day.

Hardscape It

When working with an area that isn't grassy or an outright deck, some creativity has to come into play. This stock tank arrangement from Willa DiTaranto uses concrete patio slabs in neat rows to allow a person to move across the gravel and dip in the pool whenever they feel like it.

Serve Up Personal Touches

With privacy walls up, this stock tank pool from Kari Johnson is for the invite-only crowd. Add personal signs and signature seating—like those adorable hammock chairs—are unique touches that make your backyard feel like an entirely different place. A nice added touch is keeping a stocked bar area nearby to create refreshing beverages while relaxing in the water.

Shield From the Sun

If you live in an area surrounded by towering trees, an umbrella won't keep unwanted leaves from cluttering your oasis. This shelter's solid rooftop keeps the swimmers cool and the pool clean of falling debris. The wood planks on the siding make the pergola more of an architectural feature.

Paint a Colorful Backdrop

Personalizing a stock tank pool can be as simple as adding a fresh coat of paint—or matching it to your shed. This colorful backyard from Jenna Hazel boasts a serene blue for the pool, which already changes the feel. Yet, the back of the shed showcases a mountain sunrise mural that is whimsical and colorful, and the color palette is a perfect fit for the stock tank.

Create a Minimalist Feel

You don't have to go all out when deciding how to decorate; sometimes, simple is best. The small privacy screen for the stock tank pool by Hannah Reesor may not be necessary for this fenced yard, but it's a great addition. It provides a spa-like atmosphere and even offers swimmers some shade. Add a few hooks, and double its use as a spot to hang towels.

Decorate With Stripes

Painting your pool only one color doesn't have to be your only option. This striped stock pool from Danielle Dunn was a DIY masterpiece, boasting brown and white stripes all around. The neutral color scheme matches the rest of the deck space and ties everything together.

Add Stenciling Details

Focus on the little things to create the ideal ambiance for your stock tank pool. Here, Holly Valdivia decided to add some stencil work onto her pathway to the tank, proving that the little details truly matter when creating an atmosphere. "Just Keep Swimming" signage on the hedges surrounding the pool brings everything together.

Paint It a Bold Color

Erin Barrett of Sunwoven shows us how versatile and stunning stock tank pools can be. We love this bright orange one, which adds vibrant cheer to the backyard space. Barrett notes that she switches the paint color of her pool to refresh her backyard every year.

Add Ambient Lighting

Make sure to include ambient lighting to make your stock tank pool the perfect spot to relax, especially in the evenings. This patio space from Belle of Designer Mum Etc. is incredibly cozy. The stock tank is nestled right into the patio, surrounded by candlelight and plant life. The pergola above is covered in string lights that help illuminate the evening space.

Landscape the Area

While adding a stock tank to your yard, it's easy to focus solely on the tank. However, the landscaping surrounding it can make all the difference. Lisa Stephenson transformed her backyard by including a 9-foot stock tank and surrounding it with plants galore and neatly streamlined patio stones amongst the pebble gravel.

Go Oval

Short on yard space? Try making your pool out of a slender oval stock tank. This one fits in well right at the end of the yard between flower bushes. A few paver stones in front draw your eye to the area and make it feel special. Plus, if your pool is surrounded by gravel or small rocks, the stones provide a nice place to stand with wet feet.

Take In the View

Position your pool where you'll enjoy the best views, just like Dazey Den did here. The design duo turned their dusty slice of desert into a desert oasis by elevating the tub on a strong redwood deck finished in Danish oil and painting the tub orange to match the house.