Why the water takes on the tile colour
Clear water absorbs a little more red light the deeper it gets, so every pool reads slightly bluer and darker at the deep end than at the steps. On top of that, the surface reflects the sky. The tile underneath sets the base colour, and those two effects shift it.
White and pale tiles: bright, clear water
White and pale tiles give the brightest water. The pool picks up the sky and reads as a light, clear aqua, and every step and edge shows crisply. This is the classic resort look.
Blue tiles: the classic pool
Pale blues keep the water bright and sky-coloured. Mid blues give the familiar pool blue most people picture. Deep cobalt and navy make rich, dark water that reflects the sky. See blue pool tiles.
Green tiles: a lagoon
Green tiles give the water a natural lagoon colour. Mint and sea greens read fresh and tropical, and deeper greens suit gardens and planting around the pool.
Grey tiles: calm and modern
Light grey tiles turn the water a soft blue-green that suits contemporary houses. Darker greys move toward a deep, reflective finish.
Black and charcoal tiles: dark, mirror-like water
Black and charcoal make the water dark and reflective, mirroring the sky, trees and the house. Dark pools also tend to look more natural in a landscape.
Mixing colours
A contrasting waterline band frames the pool and hides the water line. Glass mosaic blends, like the Paradise range, mix several shades on one sheet, which makes the water look more alive than a single flat colour.
How to test a sample
Order a sample and put it in a white bucket of water outside, in full daylight and again in shade. Look at it from standing height, the way you will see the pool. The colour you see there is much closer to the finished pool than the colour on screen or in your hand.