Michael Douglas's '50s Pool Used Timeless Outdoor Furniture

michael douglas in front of the ocean — (Image credit: Andreas Rentz via Getty Images)

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Shop the '50s Pool Edit

Though interior design trends evolve relatively quickly, what's popular in outdoor furniture remains much more constant. For instance, images of Michael Douglas as a child with his father Kirk Douglas at their pool from 1955 could have been taken today, if they weren't in black and white.

As nostalgia overtakes outdoor furniture trends, we're looking to the past to source ideas that are timeless; that look in style no matter the year. The white loungers and armchairs at Michael Douglas's childhood home are the perfect example. Visible between his family's mid-century style home and stylishly rounded swimming pool, they create a striking contrast against the carefully manicured grass. Well chosen poolside plants lean against the house, emphasizing the beautiful brightness of the furniture.

If you have been searching for a classic pool patio idea, look no further. The Douglases' space shows that white furniture plus carefully chosen bushes is the definitive formula to blend your pool with the surrounding landscape, and create a look that feels design-led. To explore this idea, we'll start with a picture of their '50s pool. Then, you'll find an edit of products to recreate the look by your own pool, and expert explanations of why it will never go out of style.

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kirk douglas with his sons including michael douglas

Shop the '50s Pool Edit

On wheels

Reclining Lounge Chair

With scrolled arms and a cross-hatch design, this piece will bring vintage vibes to your pool-side. Pair with white cushions like Kirk Douglas to complete the look.

Perfect for Privacy

American Plant Exchange Windmill Palm Tree

This premium windmill palm tree is carefully grown and shipped by experienced nursery professionals to ensure top quality. Cold-hardy and adaptable, it thrives in USDA zones 7-11, making it a versatile choice for many climates.

Great Deal

Matheny Outdoor Acacia Wood Chaise Lounge, Cushion Included

With a soft, cream cushion and a solid wood base, this Wayfair option is a great dupe for the Douglas's lounger. It has the timeless white color, but with a timeless touch.

Fast-Growing

Ficus Nitida - Ficus 'indian Laurel'

Ficus is one of the most popular privacy hedges in Los Angeles and Southern California. Fast-growing, upright, and evergreen, they stay lush and green all year round.

Chunky

Christopher Knight Home Rossville Outdoor Club Chairs

Designed by Christopher Knight Home (yes, the guy off The Brady Bunch), these solid chunky wooden club chairs bring a traditional yet sleek feel to your patio. I can just imagine curling up with a blanket and a good book in one of these comfy chairs.

Hardy

American Boxwood

The American Boxwood Shrub is a dependable favorite. Easily shaped and trained, it makes a striking foundation hedge when planted in a row or adds year-round privacy and greenery when lined along your porch.

First, white patio furniture is timeless because of its calming properties. This 'blank space' shade gives the mind room to calm down and relax. This creates the feeling of a spa that homeowners are seeking to create in their outdoor spaces. The best pool area ideas are about the emotions they evoke as well as the actual design. Rikke Blaeside, Design Expert at Outdoor Furniture Retailer JYSK explains: 'Who says spa-like spaces have to be limited to the indoors? We expect spa-inspired gardens to flourish in 2026: natural textures and thoughtfully zoned spaces designed for rest, recovery, and restoration.'

Choosing the right pool planting bolsters the effectiveness of this calming technique. Rikke continues: 'Outdoor areas are increasingly seen as extensions of the home, with a growing focus on wellbeing and mindful living. A soft palette, layered greenery, and calming materials help to create an atmosphere that feels both grounding and rejuvenating. As daily life becomes busier, these calming garden sanctuaries offer a place to pause, reset, and reconnect with nature.'

Furthermore, in addition to the color of outdoor furniture, the design of the pieces is essential to creating a welcoming feel. Rikke states: 'Our outdoor seating spaces are becoming more intentional, with homeowners gravitating towards pieces that prioritise complete comfort and relaxation, over spaces for socialising. The classic multi-person lounge set is taking a backseat for 2026, with garden armchairs and love seats taking centre stage. As our lifestyles become increasingly fast-paced, gardens are being reimagined as havens for pause and relaxation, coupled with city-living and compact gardens, the rise of the garden armchair has truly taken hold. Well-chosen seating introduces a softer, considered approach to outdoor design, combining comfort with practicality and durability.'

No matter the year, white furniture will always make an impact at your poolside. It's utterly classic.

Sophie is a writer and News Editor on the Celebrity Style team at Homes & Gardens. She is fascinated by the intersection of design and popular culture and is particularly passionate about researching trends and interior history. She is an avid pop culture fan and has interviewed Martha Stewart and Hillary Duff.

In her free time, Sophie freelances on design news for Westport Magazine and Livingetc. She also has a newsletter, My Friend's Art, in which she covers music, culture, and fine art through a personal lens. Her fiction has appeared in Love & Squalor and The Isis Magazine.

Before joining Future, Sophie worked in editorial at Fig Linens and Home, a boutique luxury linens brand. She has an MSc from Oxford University and a BA in Creative Writing and Sociology from Sarah Lawrence College.