Embrace the elements

Bring a resort-feel to your backyard and embrace the elements with an outdoor shower.

Creating a little more luxury at home doesn’t have to be complicated – outdoor shower zones are a fantastic way to blend functionality with luxury, and of course, a connection to nature. Incorporating breezy blues like Resene Half Baltic Sea and Resene Nebula will soothe the mind and set the scene for a destination shower zone.

Memories of spa days and hours spent soaking up sun by a pool at luxurious resorts can be recreated at home with a little design flair. Outdoor shower set-ups are incredibly practical for those close to the beach (who wants wet togs and sand dumped inside), but whether your home is coastal, city-central or suburban, resort-style interior design is a versatile trend you can embrace anywhere.

At the heart of resort-style lies a deep appreciation for nature. Inspired by the landscapes of warm and tropical destinations, this design style embraces the soft, earthy tones of sand, driftwood and sea-foam green. Think hues like Resene Green Meets Blue, Resene Half Joanna, Resene Nebula and Resene Villa White. These tones serve as a tranquil canvas to build on; memories of sun-kissed beaches and lush tropical gardens won’t be far away with these colours on the wall. The key to a classic beachy resort-feel is considering what natural materials and colours reflect your surroundings. How much light reaches the outdoor zone you are painting? If it’s a smaller, darker area, you’ll want to opt for lighter blues and whites. Lean into materials like wood, bamboo or teak when it comes to furniture and crisp, light accessories.

If you’re set on creating an outdoor shower area, don’t just settle for a shower-head on the side of the wall. Soak up inspiration from resort-style interiors and take time to make your outdoor bathroom a destination. Your choice of colours plays a pivotal role in setting the tone for the outdoor shower zone. In this dreamy shower setting, we painted our groove walls in Resene Half Baltic Sea. This Scandi-grey has an ancient rock feel, cool and salty and the ideal backdrop for a calming space. A shower screen in Resene Pale Slate adds a contemporary touch, offering a subtle contrast while maintaining cohesion with the natural surroundings. These cool, stony hues evoke a sense of relaxation, elevating the outdoor shower experience.

Privacy is one thing you’ll need to consider in an outdoor shower. If it’s tucked neatly around the back of your home, you shouldn’t have too much to worry about, but if your garden is a little more exposed with neighbours close by, this is where a shower screen will come in handy. Large planter pots painted in the bright Resene Villa White can be moved for more privacy. The curves of this screen in Resene Pale Slate add visual and textural intrigue also, and soften the space, which is otherwise quite sharp and linear. Greenery and daisies overhanging the Resene Villa White pots also make a beautiful statement, as they work to make the sharp lines and angles in this outdoor space a little gentler.

You can get creative with the design of your divider. You could DIY a bamboo or breeze blocks divider, or even a plywood privacy screen and paint it in similar colours to your shower wall like we did with Resene Pale Slate. If you want your screen to blend in, consider painting it in the same hue as the wall. From a distance, the two will merge.

For the decking, our wood stain finish in Resene Uluru with its warm, brown-blonde, earthy tones echoes the hues of soil, seamlessly integrating the shower zone with its outdoor setting. Resene Uluru's rich colour adds depth and character to the space, as well as creating an inviting zone to go barefoot. Incorporating a bench seat painted in Resene Nebula, a dreamy pale blue, not only adds a pop of colour but also serves a very practical purpose. The vibrant hue injects energy into the space while creating a space to stack towels, clothes or shampoos. Resene Nebula strikes the perfect balance between boldness and sophistication, enhancing the visual appeal of the outdoor shower zone without taking away from that relaxed, resort feel.

For a funky touch, we added round cut out wall features with hooks for towels and bags in Resene Nebula and Resene Villa White. These accents offer a striking contrast, drawing attention to the details of the space. Incorporating Resene Villa White on select elements also adds even more brightness, creating visual interest against the darker Resene Half Baltic Sea on the walls.

To complete the outdoor shower zone, we added practical accessories like a towel crate in Resene Villa White and a stool in Resene Bask. The crisp white of the towel crate lends a clean, minimalist look, while Resene Bask – a warm, honeyed hue – infuses the space with some warmth and comfort. An outdoor shower zone may be something you haven’t thought of incorporating in your home, but it may be just the DIY you need to create a space to unwind, recharge and enjoy your natural surroundings.

Colours mentioned in this article

Styling by Melle Van Sambeek. Photography by Bryce Carleton. 2024