Some of the best pool designs start with a simple question. For Starr Tingle of Sanctuary Pools, that question is usually “where does the sun rise and set?”
That question shaped every part of our August 2026 Pool of the Month. Sanctuary Pools, based in Shelbyville, Kentucky, installed The Celebration 40′ in Ice Silver by Imagine Pools on a sprawling piece of farmland in rural Henry County. The result is a full outdoor living space that feels less like a backyard pool and more like a destination.
a better spot than the backyard
The homeowners are a large family who had settled on a beautiful stretch of Kentucky farmland. Their backyard sat low between the tree line and the back of the house, without much of a view. So, instead of forcing a pool into a spot that didn’t work, they got creative.
About a football field’s length from the main house sat an area that had once been cleared and leveled for a tobacco barn. It was open, it was flat and it had sky in every direction.
“I thought it was really smart of them to say, let’s shift gears,” Starr said. “We’ve got all this land. Let’s go to a different location where we can enjoy more of the sky.”
a pool designed around the sunset
The family came to Sanctuary Pools with a clear wish list. They wanted the biggest pool available, a tanning ledge, a spa, plenty of shade and a bathroom, since the pool would sit a good distance from the house. They also needed storage and a spot for a small refrigerator.
Starr started with the sunset. She knew the spa needed the best view of it and that nothing should block that view from the pool. From there, everything else fell into place.
“I literally sat down and scratched it all out on a piece of paper,” she said. “They looked at it and said, yeah, that’s what we want.”
That rough sketch became the plan, and there was a reason behind every placement.
The pool house went on the east side of the pool, where its covered center offers a shady spot to escape the afternoon sun while keeping the sunset in full view. Rather than running the bathroom and storage across the back like a traditional pool house, Starr put a full bathroom with a shower at one end and storage at the other. That left the center wide open, so the family can look straight through the structure to the woods beyond.
The Mystique Spa sits on the opposite side of the pool, positioned so the family can soak and watch the sun go down.
a pool house made for gathering
The open center of the pool house is where the family really lives. A fireplace anchors the space, surrounded by a dining area and a living room setup. A countertop with a sink and a refrigerator underneath makes it easy to serve food carried up from the house, and a grill is tucked behind the bathroom.
The stone around the fireplace matches the stone on the spa and water feature, which ties the whole space together. That stone has its own story, too. The homeowners had leftover manufactured stone from the fireplace in their recently built home and asked if it could be used outside. Starr tracked down more of the same stone to make it happen.
Between the pool house and the poolside seating, the family has two separate places to enjoy meals and refreshments.
the celebration, inside and out
The Imagine Pools Celebration 40′ gave this family the big pool they asked for, and the Ice Silver finish looks crisp against the green Kentucky landscape.
At the shallow end, a tanning ledge gives the youngest kids a safe place to splash alongside the adults. Behind it, a double water wall spills into the ledge. That feature does more than look good. A neighbor’s driveway had a line of sight into the pool area, so Starr used the water wall to block the view, add privacy and bring in the relaxing sound of moving water.
The Mystique Spa spills over into the pool, which is saltwater chlorinated and heated. The family can control the pool’s features right from their phone with automation.
smart finishing touches
The homeowners originally wanted pavers, but with everything else on the project, the cost added up quickly. Always available with a solution, Starr suggested carrara marble coping instead.
“It’s not ever going to be hot,” she said of the material. “You can always sit on it. It’s not going to hurt your skin or snag your suit, and it feels really high end.”
The marble also continues onto the lid of the automatic safety cover, a detail the family loves. The cover adds safety and peace of mind, which matters with little ones around.
Starr also broke up the concrete deck with patches of artificial turf where the lounge chairs sit. “I am not a fan of a big sea of concrete,” she said. The turf gives the deck some softness and signals exactly where to sit down and relax.
The homeowner handled the landscaping herself, which she loves to do, and the finished space has beautiful views in just about every direction.
not without a challenge
A wide open site made delivery easy, but digging was another story. The crew hit hard rock, including some very large pieces. The team even considered using the rocks as flooring in the pool house before deciding the labor would be impractical. They pushed through and kept the project on track.
meet sanctuary pools
Sanctuary Pools grew out of Sanctuary Homes, the custom home building company Starr and her husband Tony have run for many years. Around 2017, their home building clients started asking about adding pools. Tony, who Starr calls the consummate “I can figure that out guy,” handles the production side while Starr works out the design and planning.
They installed a handful of pools for customers without any advertising. By the summer of 2019, Tony realized how much he enjoyed building pools and suggested they start a separate business. Sanctuary Pools officially launched in January 2020, just before COVID hit. After a few uncertain weeks, demand exploded, and the team installed 42 pools that year.
Other builders were amazed, but Tony and Starr took it in stride. They had built 35 houses the year before, so the pace felt natural. One of their suppliers connected them with Imagine Pools, and the partnership has been going strong ever since.
Today, Sanctuary Pools is truly a family business, with family members involved in everything from design and project management to excavation and service. The company offers the full outdoor living experience, from pools and spas to pool houses and fireplaces.
congratulations, sanctuary pools
This fiberglass pool installation shows what happens when a designer asks the right questions first. Every piece of this project has a purpose, and together they create a space this family will enjoy for years.
Thinking about a pool of your own? Reach out to Sanctuary Pools in Shelbyville, Kentucky, at (502) 398-7070 or find an Imagine Pools dealer near you.
