Fountain Design Ideas

Design accents are materials that help create the ambiance and "world" of the water fountain, while concealers are objects that creatively hide the pump and any related mechanics, such as tubing or piping. When design accents and concealers are well chosen and arranged, even the most analytical minds won't be tempted to mentally deconstruct the fountain.

A water fountain's design can actually be quite versatile. By changing the accent materials from time to time, a totally new and refreshing look may be achieved. Materials may be changed to mesh with the home décor, holidays or seasons of the year.

Design Motivations

The basic elements of design in the art world also apply to indoor and outdoor fountains. These elements are line, shape, color, texture and a few lesser ones.

Design elements in fountains do so much more than just look pretty. They actually serve as clever ways to disguise the mechanical elements mentioned above. A good fountain should look as though the flowing water is com pletely natural, and design elements help do that. Virtually anything that won't dissolve in water and can withstand the pressure of having a hole drilled through it for tubing is fair game. Pretend you're going on the world's best scavenger hunt. Use your imagination and your sense of adventure to design your own water fountain.

Finding Stones and Rocks for the Water Fountain
Stones and rocks work well as both accents and concealers. The natural vari ations in their sizes and shapes allow for easy and flexible maneuvering- they can be built around virtually any pump, or simply scattered around a finished fountain as last-minute natural touches. Don't limit yourself to what's in your back yard when in need of stones and rocks. Garden centers, gem shops, and aquarium shops often have unusual selections. When shop ping for special rocks, look for crystal formations, natural weathering, and veins of secondary minerals that add visual interest. If you've narrowed it down to two or three types of rock and you're having trouble deciding, pour a few drops of water over them and compare the changes. Some rocks just glimmer when wet, while others look exactly the same.

If you will be purchasing special rocks for a fountain, add ordinary yard rocks first, then disassemble the fountain and bring the rocks shopping with you so you'll have a fairly accurate idea of how many rocks to buy. In many fountain designs, only the top layer of rocks shows in the fin ished fountain. For these water fountains, it makes sense to use ordinary, inexpen sive rocks in the under layers to minimize expenses.

Marbles and Glass in the Water Fountain

Marbles make wonderful concealers: they're colorful, reflective, and glim mer like jewels when in water. Antique marbles can often be found at yard sales and in antique stores, while newer marbles can be found in any number of sizes and colors in larger gift and toy stores. Glass stones, which look like flattened marbles, make good substitutes. Look for them in craft stores and in the aquarium section of pet stores.

Available in a multitude of colors and sizes, marbles and glass gems stones make won derful additions to fountains, either to fill awkward gaps or to fill an entire bowl. Right: Mul ticolored glass shards that have been tumbled until their edges are smooth are available.

Most garden shops offer an incredible variety of stones and rocks, many of them tumbled to enhance color and patterns. Consider giving your stones a quick makeover with a coat of polyurethane. A visit to a gem or rock shop can spur ideas for dozens of fountains. Marble scraps are a great material choice for covering mechanics. Stacks of slate make a lovely, natural touch to any fountain as well as providing a nice surface for water to spill over. Volcanic rocks make a good rock choice when you're trying to minimize weight. They also-reputedly-serve as natural water filters.