Creative design ideas from simple kits to elegant personal waterfalls.
DIY outdoor shower
This weekend project has three basic parts: two wing walls and a center pole with the plumbing attached. All materials are available at the Home Depot.
> More: Tools and materials
Slate corner
After a day of surfing, Dawn Griffith and Phil Morgan like to wash off the salt outside their new San Diego beach house. The shower is tucked into an alcove next to the rear stairs; the slate backsplash and side wall of rounded faux river stone add up to a natural-looking backdrop.
Soothing poolside shower
A soothing spray, backed by yuccas, cycads, and other lush plants, is within easy reach of the pool in this backyard garden. Teak boards mask plumbing, and slotted boards on the floor drain into a hidden shower pan.
> More: 5 dream vacations in your own backyard
Pebble wall
Interlocking 4- by 12-inch tiles faced with pebbles create an eye-catching texture for the back-splash of this outdoor shower in Los Angeles.
Shower deck
Measuring 6 feet by 9 feet, this former light well functions as an outdoor shower off a master bedroom in a San Francisco Victorian. A tall outside wall hides it from view; you get to it through French doors.
Desert simplicity
A copper canopy and cast-earth side wall form an oasis at Anne Schneider's Phoenix home.
Poolside privacy
This poolside shower fulfills many requirements: It offers privacy for rinsing off after swimming but is open to the landscape; it is fun for kids and adults; and it is stylish.
Colorful curve
At their home in Del Mar, CA, John and Carol Vernon used standard indoor plumbing fixtures and had a stainless steel fabricator build the curtain rod. The curtain is made of weatherproof fabric from Sunbrella.
Rugged stone
Bathing outdoors is the height of mountain living, especially when done in a rugged style. With its rough natural textures in concrete and stone, this two-person outdoor shower, tucked under the overhang off the master bedroom, provides a thoroughly invigorating alpine experience.
> More from this Tahoe Idea House
Rustic style
In Boulder, CO, showers beside a big rock in the backyard have become a summer ritual for Jane McConnell and her family. The exposed pipe ties into the bathroom plumbing on the other side of the wall.
Sun shower
The outdoor shower by Orvis makes for easy post-beach-activity wash down. Bike by Fairfax Cyclery.
> More: Step inside Sunset's Summer Retreat Home
Splash of deco
Blue and green ceramic tiles in different sizes make up the backsplash in this Palm Desert, CA, shower.
Creative storage
All you need for an outdoor shower can be tucked into little shelves made from scrap wood.
> More: Scenes from the condemned beach shack that became a dream house
Tucked away
This alfresco shower is hidden behind outdoor lounge-area walls, making it the ultimate private rinse-off spot.
> More: Backyard becomes the ultimate space to unwind
Related:
>Sunset's Summer Retreat Home
>10 inviting outdoor nap spots
>Amazing backyard makeover
