A rustic outdoor shower in Idaho’s scenic Sun Valley takes its inspiration from the surrounding landscape.
Photography courtesy of Ben Young Landscape Architect, except where noted.
The freestanding shower is sited at the edge of a terrace near the master bedroom.
The Structure
Photograph via Amazon.
A 156-long roll of 39-inch-high Willow Fencing And Screening is $47.35 from Amazon.
“The key is to design the space so you’re working with the full panel size so you don’t have to cut these willows,” says Young.
Photograph via J&W Lumber, which sells Rough Douglas Fir timber in various sizes ranging from 2-by-2- to 12-by-12-feet dimensions; for more information and pricing, see J&W Lumber.
Young specified beams of Douglas fir, a long-lasting hardwood readily available on the West coast.
“If you’re on the East Coast, you can use light oak or locust instead,” he says.
A slatted matt that also serves as drainage grate is made of cedar.
Fixtures and Fittings
A Marlin Stainless Steel Outdoor Shower With Foot Shower is $599.95 from Signature Hardware. For year-round use, Young specified a water-evacuation system to force water out of the pipes and into the same drainage system as the main house.
A wood slat grate serves double duty as bathmat and enables water to drain directly into the earth. Clear-surfaced Western Cedar measuring 1-by-6-by-10 is $20.98 from Lowe’s.
Adjacent to the shower is a pathway edged by two ground covers, sweet woodruff and lady’s mantle.
Hardscape and Plants
Deer-proof and suited to shade, Sweet Woodruff is $7.95 apiece from Great Garden Plants.
Photograph by Erin Boyle.
“We just used the two different kinds of ground cover, sweet woodruff and dwarf lady’s mantle, to make a nice carpet,” says Young.
A Lady’s Mantle plant is $12 from Monticello Shop.
Photograph via Monticello Shop.
Photograph via Hedberg Supply.
Irregular Bluestone Flagstones are available with a natural cleft surfaces in various thicknesses ranging from 3/4 inches to 5 inches; sold by weight at Hedberg Supply.