22 Pool Cabana Ideas for a More Luxurious Backyard

A pool cabana is traditionally a semi-enclosed poolside structure that has three walls and is open to the water on the fourth side, built for shaded lounging. But the term “cabana” has evolved in recent years to encompass everything from canopied daybeds to pergolas, gazebos, pool pavilions, and even enclosed pool houses, which designers often nickname cabanas because of the term’s on-trend ring.

Definitions aside, allow these pool cabana ideas in a range of budgets, settings, and styles to inspire your own private poolside oasis.

01 of 22

Pool Cabana With Curtains

Design by Niche Interiors / Photo by Brad Knipstein

This California wine country home from Niche Interiors has a poolside cabana with a covered roof and back. Long white billowing curtain walls on either side can be adjusted according to the strength of the sun or the state of the weather, and an open front faces the pool. A pair of outdoor love seats facing one another creates an intimate conversation space or a perfect spot for introverts who like to read together in silence.

Continue to 2 of 22 below
02 of 22

Pool Cabana Mini Me

Fantastic Frank

Building a pool cabana in the same style as your home creates a cohesive look that will make your property look more like a compound. This poolside cabana from Fantastic Frank is a mini version of the main house, with the same salmon pink stucco siding and terracotta roof, and a matching chimney for the outdoor fireplace.

Continue to 3 of 22 below
03 of 22

Wood Slat Pool Cabana

Michelle Boudreau Design

Michelle Boudreau Design built a multifunctional two-sided wood slat pool cabana that helps turn this California backyard into an entertainment hub. The cabana includes a lounge and TV area, a sink and refrigeration for refreshments, and a waterfall edge bar counter that seats four.

Continue to 4 of 22 below
04 of 22

Pagoda-Style Pool Cabana

Soake Pools / Kittery Point Landscaping and Stoneworks / Photo by Jon Caron

This tranquil backyard from Kittery Point Landscaping and Stoneworks includes a plunge pool from Soake Pools, lounge chairs for sunbathing, and a pagoda-style pool cabana that is open on two sides and includes a semi-open pergola-style roof.

Continue to 5 of 22 below
05 of 22

Outdoor Kitchen Pool Cabana

Brian Brown Studio / Photo by Jenny Siegwart

Brian Brown Studio added an outdoor kitchen with bar seating in the corner of this multipurpose pool patio. The structure has open sides with a pergola-style roof and includes a tiled backsplash with a wall-mounted TV.

Continue to 6 of 22 below
06 of 22

Stucco Pool Cabana

MMB Studio / Nickolas Sargent Photography

This pool cabana from MMB Studio has a tropical vacation feel, with yellow paint on the stucco exterior, porthole windows, an indoor-outdoor living room, and a lounge space facing the pool that is partially shaded by a pair of massive black-and-white-striped umbrellas.

Continue to 7 of 22 below
07 of 22

Mini Pool Cabana

Design by House of One / Photo by Lifestyle Production Group

Many outdoor furniture companies market canopied outdoor daybeds as cabanas. This spacious outdoor daybed with tie-back curtains functions like a mini cabana nap spot on this Florida backyard pool patio from House of One.

Continue to 8 of 22 below
08 of 22

Pavilion-Style Pool Cabana

Matthew Murrey Design

This pavilion-style pool cabana from Matthew Murrey Design includes integrated ceiling lights that add balanced light to make it comfortable to use in the evenings. The semi-open covered space includes an outdoor fireplace, seating, and a wall-mounted TV for outdoor movie nights.

Continue to 9 of 22 below
09 of 22

Dining Room Pool Cabana

Fantastic Frank

This Mediterranean pool cabana from Fantastic Frank provides shelter for a dining table so that meals can be enjoyed in the shade with a view of the pool and backyard.

Continue to 10 of 22 below
10 of 22

Minimalist Pool Cabana

Design by Cathie Hong Interiors / Margaret Austin Photo

This minimalist Northern California pool patio from Cathie Hong Interiors includes a large teak and black metal structure that houses a comfortable white outdoor sofa with rounded back cushions. The cabana creates a focal point in the backyard and creates a place to lounge or entertain.

Continue to 11 of 22 below
11 of 22

Beach House Pool Cabana

PhotoTalk / Getty Images

This beach house pool area has a small cabana-like shaded structure built into the shallow end of the pool. A pair of lounge chairs are set just above the water so that you can dangle your toes in the water while being shaded by an A-line thatched roof.

Continue to 12 of 22 below
12 of 22

Bar and Grill Pool Cabana

Fantastic Frank

This spacious Ibiza backyard pool area from Fantastic Frank includes a freestanding pool cabana with an outdoor bar and grill that is set on a slightly raised deck and open on two sides. The structure is built to mimic the contemporary Mediterranean style of the home and the nearby covered patio lounge space for an integrated look.

Continue to 13 of 22 below
13 of 22

Hawaiian Pool Cabana

Thomas Barwick / Getty Images

This Hawaiian oceanside resort includes a private cabana with just enough room for two, equipped with a pair of armchairs in front of the infinity pool, just close enough to hear the waves crashing in the ocean.

Continue to 14 of 22 below
14 of 22

Rustic Pool Cabana

Fantastic Frank

While cabanas are generally free-standing structures, this rustic Mediterranean pool cabana from Fantastic Frank is attached to the side of the stone house, and covered with the same roof tiles for a cohesive look. Knotted gauzy curtains soften the edges and a hammock is strung up from the roof beams, adding a shady poolside spot for a siesta.

Continue to 15 of 22 below
15 of 22

Berkshires Pool Cabana

Design by Crisp Architects / Photo by Rob Karosis

This Berkshires pool pavilion from Crisp Architects functions like a pool cabana with a semi-enclosed seating area that is steps from the pool but shaded from the sun.

Continue to 16 of 22 below
16 of 22

Pool Pavilion Fireplace

Design by Crisp Architects / Photo by Rob Karosis

Crisp Architects added a rustic outdoor fireplace to this Berkshires poolside pavilion that gives the semi-open structure a grounded focal point and makes the outdoor space cozier on the region's sometimes chilly summer nights.

Continue to 17 of 22 below
17 of 22

Canopy-Style Cabana

Perry Mastrovito / Getty Images

This poolside deck in Quebec, Canada has a cabana-like gazebo with a canopy roof to shade it from harsh rays and simple outdoor lounge furniture backed up against the wood fence that gives it a protected feel. You can improvise a similar look using a pop-up canopy that can be put away when the season is over.

Continue to 18 of 22 below
18 of 22

Pool Cabana Shower

Design by Crisp Architects / Photo by Rob Karosis

Crisp Architects added an outdoor shower on the back of this poolside cabana that adds extra functionality and means that you won't have to spend all summer cleaning up sand in the main house.

Continue to 19 of 22 below
19 of 22

Poolside Dining Cabana

Portra / Getty Images

This poolside dining room in South Africa is set to host a crowd, with integrated ceiling lights and pendant lights that create a warm glow in the evenings, and double columns on the four corners of the flat-roof open gazebo-like structure that give it heft.

Continue to 20 of 22 below
20 of 22

Cabana-Style Lounge Space

Maite Granda

Interior designer Maite Granda created a cabana-like outdoor lounge space that is built on a raised platform beneath an upper-floor terrace, making the most of a relatively compact outdoor space. Cozy seating, an overhead ceiling fan, and a pair of curtains give it a private VIP cabana vibe.

Continue to 21 of 22 below
21 of 22

Caribbean Pool Cabana

isitsharp / Getty Images

This gazebo-style shingled roof poolside cabana in the backyard of a Caribbean home is accessed by a wood deck that hovers over the middle of the pool.

Continue to 22 of 22 below
22 of 22

Pool Cabana Fireplace

Fantastic Frank

This pool cabana from Fantastic Frank turns into an al fresco lounge space after dark. Lit up for nighttime use with a fireplace and extra-tall floor candelabra, the cabana is decorated with seating to make it perfect for after-hours entertaining.

What should go in a pool cabana?

Depending on the size of your pool cabana, you can add seating, a bar, a TV, a dining table, an outdoor shower and lockers, or anything else that will help you enjoy your time in the backyard by the pool.

What's the difference between a cabana and a pool house?

A pool cabana is generally a three-sided structure with an open side facing the pool. A pool house is a small poolside house with four walls that can be closed up at night or when guests stay over if it doubles as a guest house. The term “cabana” is often applied to furniture like canopied daybeds and designers often nickname pergolas, covered attached porches and decks, permanent or pop-up gazebos, pool pavilions, and even enclosed pool houses as cabanas because of the term’s alluring and on-trend ring.

12 Swimming Pool Types to Consider