Outdoor Showers

Via Emmas Blog

I'm a water baby. I swam competitively for twelve years and love flopping around bodies of water. But one of my favorite water-related activities is showering outdoors. What a treat (one I don't get very often, I might add)! Nothing brings a better conclusion to the end of a long day at the beach than a cool shower in a little enclosure open to the sky. It doesn't have to be fancy, it just has to be outdoors.

Last night, as I peeled sweat-drenched clothing off my sticky body after coming home from dinner with friends, I couldn't stop thinking about how I could really go for an outdoor shower. (Note: I'm not complaining; I totally love the heat of the summer. I've been waiting to sweat profusely all winter). I began to look at some images of outdoor showers that I'd come across before and decided I'd write about it today.

This morning outdoor showers took on a whole new meaning. While there was still a slight chill in the air, I decided to go for a morning run, even though I knew it might rain. Now, I've always enjoyed running in the rain – it cools me down, making me less aware of how sweaty I actually am, and makes me feel a little hardcore with a hint of "eye of the tiger," if you will. Usually, I find myself in a light rain or a drizzle.

But this morning's rain was no drizzle. Today's weather left me trapped twenty minutes from home in a downpour. Yeah, at first it was refreshing for a minute, but it kept coming down harder and harder, until the squishing sound of my soaked sneakers was louder than my heavy breathing and the fear of electrocution by ipod made the jog markedly less head-clearing.

Not me

When I got home, Oliver took one look at me and knew to stay away. I went straight into the (indoor) shower and when I came out (visibly less irritated) he trotted over and told me how when I came home I looked like a wet cat.

Funny, right? HA HA.

It was as if I took a shower outdoors, but I came out dirtier, sootier and not feeling very at one with nature. So now, as I wait for my sneakers to drain and and my clothes to dry before putting them in the laundry basket to rot, I present to you some undeniably luxurious outdoor showers, which scream summer leisure, warm breezes and beachy-ness. And I'm not talking about a pool-side hose-spout, here. I'm talking about gorgeous, landscaped showers nestled into lush greenery or on stunning (but private) decks overlooking the ocean. Something like that.

Via Country Living

My good friend and collaborator, Thomas Jensen, was part of the design team responsible for the gorgeous outdoor showers (among other amenities) at the Harmony Hotel in Nosara, Costa Rica:

Images courtesy The Harmony Hotel

Rarotonga Beach Bungalow, Cook Islands

Courtesy Sunset Magazine

Via Urban Homestead

Unknown hotel in Rincon, PR

Travel photo from Baghvan Resort in Pench National Park, India via JohnnyJet.com

Look beyond the irritating "effect" of the tilted camera (hate that) - the beauty of the setting speaks for itself:

Source unknown – therefore I can be snarky about the photo quality.

Via Coastal Living

A little less enclosed, I suppose:

Via Domino

Via Met Home

Via Bijou Kaleidoscope

Via Marie's Marche

A more modern take at Casa De Campo Resort, Dominican Republic:

Via Garden Fresh Living

Via Marie's Marche

For those who like the idea of bathing outdoors, but don't actually want to do it. Still gorgeous:

Via Elle Decor

The last few images are from The Outdoor Shower book, which is now on my Amazon wishlist: