Sand and beach homes go together like paper and glue: They're inextricably-linked facets of coastal ...

1. Prime Real Estate: All About Outdoor Bathrooms
Sand and beach homes go together like paper and glue:
They're inextricably-linked facets of coastal living. If
you're lucky enough to live within walking distance of
your own beach, the route you take from your front door
to the bathroom is probably caked in a permanent layer of
sand and mud during the swimming season. Fortunately,
there are a range of tasteful outdoor bathroom options
designed specifically to keep that beach mess outdoors.
Read on to learn more about this hot new design trend.
Form and Function
The most common outdoor bathroom design features two rooms, one housing a toilet and washbasin
and the other a shower and related facilities. Both are open-air, although the toilet area is usually
fully-enclosed and features a solid wood or tile floor, depending on the specific design. Since indoor
space constraints don't apply in the great outdoors, these rooms can be far larger than a typical in-
home bathroom.
Most outdoor shower rooms are built to resemble a natural environment. They're often roofless and
well-vegetated, with stone flooring only in the immediate vicinity of the shower and natural ground
cover elsewhere to promote effective, environmentally-friendly drainage. The best outdoor shower-
bathroom complexes have dual entrances that permit entrance from the outdoors into the shower
area as well as from the house into the connected toilet area.
Go Local
If you live near the ocean or a major lake, there's probably a wealth of old maritime equipment,
nautical construction materials and seashells not too far from your home. Consider building at least
part of your outdoor bathroom out of these recycled, locally-sourced materials. You can rig up a
conch shell for use as a showerhead and build the shower's enclosure with old ship timber, for
example.
Invent a Theme
Keep your outdoor bathroom in tune with your house's architectural and interior-design elements by
assigning it a specific theme. For a Pueblo-style southwestern flair, use pastel clay, tasteful floor
tiling and patterned wall tiles. For a beach theme, you might want to incorporate the
aforementioned seashell showerhead and other touches like nautical-themed shower curtains and
brightly-painted floorboards.
Be Two Things At Once
Take your outdoor bathroom's shower off the grid by making arrangements for natural drainage.

2. This works especially well in dry climates or sandy soils, which readily absorb excess water. If you
have neither, don't worry: Plant some native vegetation around your shower, along with some
natural ground cover, and let nature take its course. As a bonus, you'll have a lush garden to enjoy
while you get clean.
Pamper Yourself
Even if you don't host guests at your beach house every weekend, you can turn your outdoor
bathroom into a high-class spa without breaking the bank. Buy a few plush robes and towels that are
consistent with your bathroom's design and stock it with oils, salts, herbal soaps and anything else
to make the experience of using it more memorable. When your guests finally do arrive, they won't
ever want to leave.
No matter where you live, outdoor bathrooms are an innovative and tasteful way to make your
private time more interesting. They can also reduce your home's impact on sensitive coastal or
desert environments without costing you an arm and a leg. Design your new outdoor bathroom today
and start living better.
Jacob Walker is a guest writer for www.bathroomrenovationsperth.net and for
www.kitchenrenovationsperth.net where you can find design ideas for bathrooms and kitchens.
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