Last Friday I headed out to the lake front construction site of a new McSpadden home being built on the NC side of Lake Wylie – technically Charlotte. And I knew it was the indoor pool I was going to check out.

Now tell me: what do you picture when I say “indoor pool”? Me? Well, a rectangle shape pool with stripes on the bottom – for laps. I was sure it would be super nice but

that was my picture of an indoor pool in a custom home. Think again. This pool is amazing! The first thing I noticed was the shape – it looks like an outdoor pool with beautiful curves and lines. The project manager is there with me so I start asking questions. And he promptly pulls out the house plans so I can get the complete picture.

We learned a new word on Friday folks! Natatorium. NAT-A-TOR-I-UM. The definition varies a little: either the building for an indoor pool or an indoor pool. But that doesn’t touch it. Imagine a beautiful curvy (basically a figure-8 shaped) pool with a sitting ledge hugging the interior walls, decorative rock formations, a swim-under waterfall with a ledge to perch on, a cozy hot-tub over by the window on the lakeside and a waterslide behind the waterfall. Now imagine the ceiling – high and expansive with generous skylights spaced throughout. NOW imagine one entire wall being all glass looking out through the trees to the lake. Are you getting there? Now finally imagine the air feeling just like a lovely summer’s day: 78 degrees with low humidity. Yes! Low humidity. And the water? Only 2 degrees warmer than the air to feel perfect when you walk right in. This thing deserves a cool name like natatorium!

And the building/construction details for the natatorium are interesting too for sure – the building materials are mostly not wood so that you have no rot issues over the years and there is this special grounding thing that has to happen so that there is no chance of an electric current ever posing a threat. And the low humidity is due to a huge monster dehumidifier in the machine room that runs the length of the back of the natatorium to keep the air feeling perfect. Truly the room itself – a year-round oasis in your house – is nothing less than spectacular. I want one.