Great Outdoor Showers

Photo by Thomas J. Story

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.

Time: One weekend (4 hours of labor, plus drying time for sealer)

Difficulty: 3 (on a scale of 1–10; requires modest woodworking skills)

Cost: About $170

Full article with tools and materials list

Photo by Art Gray; written by Kathleen N. Brenzel

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

John Durant

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 ( Eldorado Stone, 800/925-1491) add up to a natural-looking backdrop.

Design: Adams Design Associates, Solana Beach, CA (858/350-8166)

Norm Plate

Desert simplicity

A copper canopy and cast-earth side wall form an oasis at Anne Schneider's Phoenix home.

Design: Woolsey Studio, Tempe, AZ (480/945-3440)

Barbara White

Splash of deco

Blue and green ceramic tiles in different sizes make up the backsplash in this Palm Desert, CA, shower.

Design: Francisco Urrutia, Urrutia Architects, Palm Springs (760/327-6800)

Art Gray

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 (336/227-6211).

Jenifer Harrington

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.

Design: Geoffrey B. Harris, Boulder, CO (303/442-2642)

Art Gray

Pebble wall

Interlocking 4- by 12-inch tiles faced with pebbles (Zation Stone, 323/342-0178) create an eye-catching texture for the back-splash of this outdoor shower in Los Angeles.

Design: Justin Davis, True Design Build, Los Angeles (323/664-8853)

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.

After owners Alison and David Cameron moved in, they hired a plumber to hook up the shower. The redwood 2-by-6 decking serves as duckboard: water trickles between the boards and falls to a lower area with a drain.

The deck opens to the sky and makes a welcoming, wind-sheltered location for houseplants that periodically come out for a shower of their own. A shelf along one wall provides extra space for smaller plants.

Thomas J. Story

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.

Interior designers Angelique Swingle and Marcy Voyevod made it happen with Lightscreen panels. Lightscreens are a modern take on traditional stained-glass windows. They employ translucent marbles suspended in an aluminum grid to block views ― but not light. "The manufacturers let you pick marble colors and levels of translucency," Swingle says. "We selected colors based on the colors of the surrounding landscape."

Lightscreen panels are available through Architectural Systems (800/793-0224).

Design: Marcy Voyevod Design, Oakland, CA (510/433-0724), and Angelique Swingle.

Thomas J. Story

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.

Rustic materials
Board-formed concrete and a stone floor accentuate the rugged outdoor theme.

Privacy and convenience
The reclaimed-redwood screen lets in light and air yet supplies ample coverage while showering under Moen fixtures. The low retaining wall adds further privacy and a place for accessories.

More: Tahoe Idea House

E. Spencer Toy

Sun shower

The outdoor shower by Orvis makes for easy post-beach-activity wash down. Bike by Fairfax Cyclery.

Next: Meet the interior designers, get a resource list, and see more affordable homes.

More: Step inside Sunset's Summer Retreat Home

Thomas J. Story

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

Thomas J. Story

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

14 refreshing outdoor showers

DIY outdoor shower

Soothing poolside shower

Slate corner

Desert simplicity

Splash of deco

Colorful curve

Rustic style

Pebble wall

Shower deck

Poolside privacy

Rugged stone

Sun shower

Creative storage

Tucked away