We renovated a 12x4m concrete pool on a rural property in Coatsville, near Riverhead, and added a sprayed-concrete sun shelf inside the pool. The shelf and waterline were tiled in Bisazza glass mosaics, finished with natural stone coping and new lighting and filtration. Total project value was around $62,000 + GST.
This was a renovation, not a new build. We worked with the existing 12m shell and built the new sun shelf into it, which is a great way to add a modern feature without starting from scratch. Artisan Stone & Tile handled the whole job in-house.
The pool itself was in good enough shape to keep, but the client wanted a feature that older pools rarely have: a sun shelf. A sun shelf (sometimes called a tanning ledge) is a shallow, partly submerged platform for sitting in a few centimetres of water, and it’s one of the most-requested additions we get.
Retrofitting one into an existing pool is real construction. We had to form and spray new concrete inside the shell, tie it into the structure, then tile it so it looks like it was always part of the design.
We formed the shelf and applied sprayed concrete to build a solid, structural platform inside the pool. Sprayed concrete compacts as it goes on, which gives a dense, strong shelf that becomes part of the pool rather than a loose add-on.
Once the concrete had cured, we tiled the whole shelf in Bisazza glass mosaics so the surface is smooth underfoot and matches the waterline. The finished shelf sits under a shallow layer of water: ideal for kids, for cooling off, or for a lounger in summer.
We tiled the sun shelf and the new waterline in Bisazza glass mosaics, an Italian brand known for consistent colour and quality. Carrying the same tile across the shelf and waterline keeps the pool looking like one considered design rather than a patchwork of old and new.
Every tile went down on an epoxy grout system, which resists chemical attack and holds up far better than cement grout in the water. More on our process on the swimming pool tiling in Auckland page.
We finished the edge in natural stone coping, which suits a rural property with plenty of landscaping around it. Stone gives a warm, natural look and holds up well outdoors. We prepared the bond beam and set each piece in a splash-zone adhesive. See our pool coping stones page for the range.
At the time, we finished the interior in Hydrazzo polished plaster marble, which gave a smooth, deep surface across the pool and shelf.
We’ve since stopped using Hydrazzo. The supplier is discontinuing it at the end of 2026, so we no longer recommend it. On a job like this today we’d specify one of our two current plaster finishes – Quartz Pool Finish by Oceania or Ultra Plaster by SSL Distributors – which are harder and more resistant to chemical etching than older plaster marble, or a fully tiled finish. See our pool renovations Auckland page for current options.
We upgraded the lighting and filtration to match the new layout. A sun shelf changes how water moves in the pool, so proper filtration keeps the whole thing clear, and new LED lighting picks out the shelf and tiling at night.
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Pool size | 12m x 4m concrete shell |
| Addition | Sprayed-concrete tiled sun shelf |
| Tiling | Bisazza glass mosaics (shelf and waterline) |
| Coping | Natural stone |
| Grout | Epoxy grout system |
| Upgrades | Filtration and LED lighting |
| Location | Coatsville-Riverhead, rural Auckland |
| Project value | ~$62,000 + GST |
Coatsville and the Riverhead area have larger rural sections where pools are a real feature of the property. Owners here often use a renovation to modernise an older pool with the features newer builds have, like a sun shelf, rather than replacing a shell that still has decades of life.
We work across greater Auckland, including the North Shore, with recent projects in Waiake and Birkenhead. Every job is trade-certified, uses BRANZ-appraised materials, and is backed by 35+ five-star Google reviews.
Want to add a sun shelf or modernise a rural pool? We’ll assess the shell and show you what can be built in, then give you a fixed-price quote after a free site visit.
or call Mario on 021 123 8672.
