Tips for Creating the Outdoor Shower of Your Dreams

An outdoor shower can be both fun and practical. If you don’t want kids, pets and other adults tracking dirt through your house, an outdoor shower is a great way to keep the great outdoors where it belongs: outdoors. Below are some of the biggest trends in outdoor showers, along with tips from experts on how to incorporate them into your outdoor space.

Turn a boring backyard into a relaxing retreat with an outdoor shower. Image: Pearl Remodeling

Tips for installing your outdoor shower

“Outdoor showers are a nice feature for pool owners or beachfront homes,” says Jarret Acevedo, a master plumber and owner of Jarret Acevedo Plumbing and Heating. However, depending on how low your temperatures drop in the winter, you’ll need to take precautions with your shower. “Care is definitely needed to plumb it properly to protect from freezing if it’s an area with frigid temperatures,” Acevedo warns.

Placing your shower strategically kills two birds with one stone. “Depending on your layout, you can punch through the shower wall and build a shower that opens up to another rain shower outside,” says Jonathan Self, a real estate broker for Center Coast Realty.

Cleaning and maintenance for outdoor showers

Even if you don’t have a pool, an outdoor shower can still make a backyard area feel like a private retreat. When constructing your outdoor shower, keep in mind the materials used. “Using materials like smooth river rock helps to hide dirt and sand and keeps the area looking clean so you’re not constantly cleaning after every shower,” Self says.

While outdoor showers aren’t terribly hard to build, Self warns that it’s easy to get them wrong. “Make sure the water from your shower is being drained away from your house,” he recommends. “You’ll also want to make sure the water isn’t collecting when you’re done, as you don’t want the shower to become a mosquito trap.”

Environmentally-conscious outdoor shower construction

That water runoff also has potentially negative environmental consequences, so keep in mind the products you use. Melissa Rappaport Schifman, editor and sustainability thought leader at Rise, recommends soaps and shampoos that are made from all-natural, biodegradable ingredients, particularly if your shower water soaks into the ground. It’s worth checking that your plans adhere to your local municipal codes.

It’s also important to choose an efficient showerhead. “A low-flow showerhead will help reduce the amount of water used without sacrificing comfort,” Schifman says. A standard showerhead uses 2.5 gallons of water per minute, whereas one with the EPA’s WaterSense Label uses two gallons per minute — or less.

In addition to a water-saving showerhead, Schifman recommends using a solar hot water heater in order to save money. “It can be as simple as a suspended bag that absorbs the sun’s heat (good for camping), to a simple outdoor tank, painted black, to more complex systems with solar tube collectors.”

Check out some of the hottest trends in outdoor showers:

This poolside shower is ideal for entertaining outdoors. Image: CG&S Design Build

Make your outdoor shower feel integrated by matching exterior wood designs. Image: Coast View Construction Inc

A concrete shower offers total privacy and is one of the easiest to clean. Image: Rockefeller Kempel Architects

This tropical pavilion shower has a cut-out for soap and other essentials. Image: Maxa Constructions

Consider adding areas to store objects so they can remain dry. Image: David Rolston Landscape Architects

When communing with nature, be a thoughtful guest and choose all-natural products. Image: BE Landscape Design

A shower on the porch (and next to the laundry room) prevents mess throughout the house. Image: Rethink Design Studio

These double doors create a seamless transition from the luxurious drop-in bathtub to the dual outdoor showers. Image: GM Construction, Inc.

Did any of the above outdoor shower ideas inspire you?

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GOLDEN Delivers an Organic, Sensory-Focused Yoga Studio for Warrior One

If you’ve ever taken a yoga class, you know just how important it is to have a calm and inviting feel to the space. Considering just that, Warrior One yoga studio in bayside Melbourne hired GOLDEN design studio to create a space that offered an “organic, sensory experience for guests.” The new studio reflects their focus on holistic health by introducing guests to a peaceful place as soon as they enter.

A large storage cabinet is made of warm walnut veneer and cleverly hides away student’s personal belongings while in class. Dark sisal rugs span the ceiling for added warmth and texture, while cozy seating rounds out the space.

The white counter was custom designed by Melbourne stonemason and artist Den Holm and it takes on a sculptural in the lobby.

Two yoga classrooms offer minimalist surroundings for deeper concentration.

A wooden platform in one of the classrooms marks an elevated spot for the instructor to teach for better viewing, while also housing equipment for classes.

The bathrooms go bold with pink marble, wood countertops and brass fixtures.

Photography by Sharyn Cairns.

from Design MilkDesign Milk https://design-milk.com/golden-delivers-an-organic-sensory-focused-yoga-studio-for-warrior-one/

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10 Clever Ways to Use Ladders in Decor

Over the years, ladders have slowly but surely crept into home decor. They’ve been built into furniture and welcomed into our yards as plant stands. Recently, though, we’ve been noticing more stand-alone ladders leaning against the walls of some of the trendiest homes and apartments. Should all of us be using ladders in decor?

The answer could be yes. While it’s tempting to jump on any decor trend that’s as easy to integrate as this one, using ladders in decor makes practical sense. The slim profile and openness of a ladder makes it extremely useful in a number of contexts. Ladders are a great, small-footprint way to add storage to a room without making it feel closed-in or cluttered. They’re especially helpful in smaller rooms – like bathrooms – where square footage is limited but you need space to hang or store items. Using a ladder instead of hooks is a great solution for renters, too, because it means fewer holes in the wall.

Whether you want to work with ladders because you’re excited about finally being able to reach the top cabinet or you just want a low-investment way to freshen up your space, we’ve got you covered. To get your wheels turning, here are 10 photos of creative ways to use a ladder in your home or apartment.

Check out these pictures of ladders in decor for inspiration

This ladder does double duty. It’s an ideal towel drying rack while helping draw the eye upward. Image: Signature Hardware

A ladder is a convenient place to store magazines and smaller, fun reads. Simply sling them over the ladder rungs. When placed carefully, the rung can even act as a bookmark. Image: Peti Lau Inc.

A ladder is a great way to add bathroom shelving while keeping the space light and airy. Image: Anna Burles

While a bookshelf would have blocked a big portion of the living room wall, making it feel cluttered, the openness of a ladder helps the room breathe even as you add storage. Image: Global Source Lighting

If you’re really ready to jump into the ladders in decor trend, a two-tone piece is just the thing. Image: SF Design Build

This ladder waits for towels but, in the meantime, adds texture and height to the bathroom. Image: Lane Lamerson Interiors

A ladder can offer critical storage while taking up minimal square footage, helping rooms feel more open. Image: Alex Findlater

You won’t be afraid to fill the top shelves of your bookcases when you have a ladder at the ready. Image: Martin Horn

If you’re tired of clambering up onto your counter to reach your upper cabinets, blending a ladder into your existing decor is a perfect solution. Image: Murphy & Co.

If you’re looking for more storage without the extra blockiness that often comes with chests and dressers, a ladder is ideal. Image: Wickenden Hutley

What do you think of this decor trend? Will its usefulness keep it here for the long haul, or is this a fleeting fad? Would you add a ladder to your home decor? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

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Anglepoise Goes Tiny with the 90 Mini Mini Desk Lamp

British lighting brand Anglepoise® has been creating their iconic desk lamp since the 1930s and in that time they’ve gone big and unveiled special designer editions. Never resting on their laurels, they continue to up their game with new designs and reimagining older ones, like their latest release where they go tiny with their bestselling Model 90 lamp. The 90 Mini Mini lamp offers all the features that make Anglepoise lamps so coveted all while shrinking it to its new tiny form.

The 90 Mini Mini stands at half the size of a standard desk lamp making it work in just about any spot you need extra light. While its size is ridiculously cute, it still packs an unbeatable punch with a long-life, dimmable, low-energy LED module that’s integrated into the shade and will last for up to 20,000 hours of usage. If you end up burning it out, you can replace the shade for a new one.

The lamp is conveniently powered by USB allowing for greater flexibility.

The shades fully rotate and tilt up and down, while the entire lamp can spin 360 degrees on its base.

90 Mini Mini launches this week exclusively in Northern America at the MoMA Design Store and online at anglepoise.com and store.moma.org. It’s available in Carbon Black with Black, Steel Blue with Grey, and Warm Silver with Blush for $150.

from Design MilkDesign Milk https://design-milk.com/anglepoise-goes-tiny-with-the-90-mini-mini-desk-lamp/

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