It’s a breeze

From the Resene colour inspiration – latest looks gallery

Create an outdoor shower inspired by the sea.

When you’re at the bach, traipsing sand and water throughout the house when you return from a dip in the sea is a no-go. Which is why, when you’re in your togs anyway, an outdoor shower is the perfect addition to any beach-side holiday home.

But don’t just settle for a showerhead on the side of the wall, make this outdoor bathroom a destination. Resene Green Meets Blue – a soft grey green with a hint of blue – is a beautiful colour to apply to tongue-and-groove walls. Evoking the deep colour of the ocean on a sunny day, this elegant aqua hue will transform your outdoor shower into a room in itself.

Outline your shower area with a fun, striped shower wall painted in Resene Nepal and Resene Sea Fog. You can re-create this look yourself with a tall piece of wood, ruler, pencil and masking tape. Paint your base colour first – Resene Sea Fog – allow to dry completely and then carefully and accurately mark out the lines with a pencil and a ruler. Stick down masking tape over these lines, ensuring there are no air bubbles, and then paint over with Resene Nepal. Allow this to dry completely before carefully pulling the masking tape off. You’ll have a classic and enduring feature under which to rinse the sand away.

Underfoot, add some dark pops of colour to your outdoor shower with Resene Woodsman Pitch Black on the shower stand. It creates a striking contrast against the wooden decking in Resene Woodsman Uluru, which brings warmth to the space. More anchoring black accents appear in the floating shelf and peg stool, which are painted in Resene Pitch Black. Pops of lighter blues – a great way to ensure a cohesive look – are found on the mirror, which is painted in Resene Breeze, and the wall rack, which is painted in Resene Nepal and handy for airing out towels.

Privacy is one thing you will be lacking in an outdoor shower. If it’s tucked neatly around the back of the house, you shouldn’t have too much to worry about, but it’s always a good idea to have some measures in place, just in case. In lieu of any permanent feature, stacked breeze blocks, painted in Resene Sea Fog for a striking contrast against the wall in Resene Green Meets Blue, make the perfect privacy screen. Plant some structural plants behind the breeze blocks to add even more height and privacy, but also to add in some visual and textural intrigue. Soft, green and leafy ferns will also make a beautiful statement as they, too, will make the many sharp lines and angles of this space a little gentler.

If breeze blocks aren’t available to you, invest in a bamboo room divider, or even make your own plywood privacy screen and paint it in similar colours to your shower wall in Resene Nepal and Resene Sea Fog. If you want your screen to blend in, consider creating one in the same boards as the main wall, and paint them in the same colour as your main wall, Resene Green Meets Blue. From a distance, you won’t be able to tell them apart.

Style your outdoor bathroom with some graphic black and white towels for a practical yet cosy touch and decorate a shelf in seashells to celebrate the beach nearby. You’ll have a modern, bach-worthy space that might just rival your indoor bathroom.

Project by Kate Alexander. Images by Bryce Carleton. 2021