Pool leisure
Poolside chill-out area design and build across the Costa del Sol. Shaded terraces, fixed and retractable sun shades, paving, outdoor kitchens and lighting.
Costa del Sol team
Since 1996
The space between the back of the house and the pool is where Costa del Sol owners actually spend their time, and a chill-out area that gets the shade, the paving and the layout right turns a flat patio into the room of the property that gets the most use. We design and build poolside chill-out areas across the coast from Nerja to Gibraltar, with fixed and retractable shade, paving, lighting and outdoor kitchen work bundled into the same job. EnviroCare has been working on coastal villas out of Mijas since 1996.
Most coastal chill-out areas fail on one or two of these four. Get all four right and the space gets used every day of the year, not just in August.
Fixed shade structures (timber pergolas, aluminium frames with louvred roofs, solid tile-roofed extensions) give certainty: the shade is there every day at the same hours and the structure ties into the architecture of the villa. Retractable shade (cassette awnings, fabric pergola systems, sail shades) gives flexibility: the shade is up when the sun is overhead and away when the household wants the open sky. Most villas we work on end up with a fixed structure over the main lounging area and a retractable shade over the dining table, which gets the best of both. We design the structure to fit the orientation of the property and the time of year the area gets most use.
Paving is the part most underestimated in a chill-out area design. The two factors that matter on the Costa del Sol are surface temperature in direct sun and slip resistance when wet. Darker stones (slate, basalt, dark porcelain) reach 50 to 60 degrees in July sun, which is too hot for bare feet. Lighter stones (travertine, light limestone, light porcelain) stay closer to 35 to 40 degrees and are usable barefoot through the day. Anti-slip ratings of R11 or better suit the wet zone around the pool. We specify the paving alongside the layout rather than as an afterthought.
Most chill-out builds we do include a small outdoor kitchen run with a sink, a built-in barbecue, a fridge and a worktop, plus warm-light strip lighting set into the underside of the pergola and bollard lighting along the pool edge. The electrical supply for kitchen, lighting and any retractable shade motors runs from a sub-board on the patio side of the consumer unit, with the boletin de instalacion electrica updated to record the new circuits.
Survey, quote and installation
Step 1
Send photos of the existing space, a sketch of what you have in mind, or both. We visit the property to measure the area, walk the layout with the owner and discuss the practical options. Site visits are free across the Costa del Sol.
Step 2
We send a design with a layout sketch, a 3D render where the job justifies it, a paving and shade specification, and a written quote with the labour figure. No deposit until you accept it.
Step 3
Most chill-out builds run two to four weeks on site, depending on the scope. Shade structures, paving and electrical first-fix run together where possible. We protect the rest of the garden and the pool through the work.
Step 4
We commission any retractable shade motors, test the outdoor kitchen and the lighting, walk through the controls and finish snagging on the day. Three-year EnviroCare warranty on parts and labour starts that day.
Why EnviroCare
Close to thirty years on the Costa del Sol working on villa upgrades, swimming pools and outdoor spaces for British and European homeowners.
We start with the layout and the shade orientation, then specify the paving and the lighting. Most failed chill-out builds skip the design step and pay for it in unusable space.
Shade, paving, lighting, outdoor kitchen and pool-side work are all part of the same job and we handle them under one quote rather than juggling three trades.
English, Spanish and Dutch across the office and field staff. Quotes, invoices and warranty paperwork issued in your preferred language.
Related help
Questions customers ask
Two to four weeks on site for most residential builds. Larger jobs with substantial civils, structural shade and outdoor kitchen work can run four to six weeks. We confirm timing on the design quote.
Fixed pergolas give certainty: the shade is there every day at the same hours and the structure ties into the architecture. Retractable awnings give flexibility: the shade is up when the sun is overhead and away the rest of the time. Most villas end up with a fixed structure over the lounging area and a retractable shade over the dining table.
We build outdoor kitchen runs with a sink, a built-in barbecue, a fridge and a worktop, normally tied into the existing water and electrical supply. The build is part of the same job as the shade and the paving, so the trades coordinate rather than running back to back.
Yes for most jobs. The pool sometimes goes out of use for parts of the build, depending on the proximity of the work to the pool edge. We discuss the disruption on the design visit.
Lighter stones (travertine, light limestone, light porcelain) for surface temperature in direct sun, with anti-slip ratings of R11 or better for the wet zone around the pool. Darker stones reach 50 to 60 degrees in July sun and are too hot for bare feet. We specify the paving alongside the layout on the design quote.
We can sketch a budget quote off photos and rough measurements for smaller shade-only jobs. Anything involving paving, structural shade or outdoor kitchen work needs a site visit and a proper design, because the design choices materially shape the cost.
Tell us what you need, where the property is and whether the work is urgent.
