Splash out on an outdoor shower

It used to be that unless you lived in Bali, owned a sauna or were one of those hardy, cold-water types, an outdoor shower was about as appealing as flip-flops in February. But it's time to reconsider: our summers are getting warmer – we're growing accustomed to sporadic week-long heatwaves; our gardens are increasingly serving as extensions to our homes as we become squeezed for living space; and the more we travel to exotic climes, the more our homes, for better or worse, are reflecting the tropical, Ibiza-in-the-suburbs vibe. Above all, though, there are few things more pleasurable, invigorating and fun than showering under the sky, a soft breeze on your face. At its most basic, an outdoor shower is a nozzle attached to an outdoor tap, with all the attendant glamour. No plumbing is required beyond basic drainage into a gully and some sort of privacy (or not). A hot shower is more appealing, and requires a touch more planning. The best place to install one is on a kitchen or bathroom outer wall: that way, you can simply run the hot and cold water pipes outside, says Matt Bedale, a plumbing and heating engineer at Pimlico Plumbers who has installed three outdoor showers this summer already. "Drainage is important, because you can't contaminate a standard gully with soapy water," he says. "Most people run a separate drain into a manhole." For showers on roof terraces, a pump is often required to combat gravity, he says. "People don't realise how easy outdoor showers are to install." Things get more complicated – and costly – if you want a stand-alone shower away from a house, Bedale says. You need a trench for the water pipes, drainage, pumps and pipe lagging for cold weather. Once the basic fittings are in place, the fun can start – styling your shower. For a surf shack feel, try weathered tree trunks for seats, scattered sea shells, painted clapboard and corrugated iron. A bamboo screen and pebbles under foot lend a touch of the tropics. Towels can be draped over wooden tables or hung on trees. Or, for the truly creative, paint a reclaimed oil drum and cut a door in the side. Showering will never be the same again. Outdoor shower toolkit Simple mobile shower that attaches to a garden hose, from Atelier Tradewinds . Sleek shower that also operates from the hose, £698, from Made in Design . Wall-mounted, cold water garden shower in brushed stainless steel, £345, from shoppingbank.com . Rubber tube and shower head – the cheap option – £52.95, from Waudby's . "Gekko" dark-stained bamboo curtain , £20, from Habitat . Mango wood bath mat , £45, from Toast . Bag of white stones , £3, from Habitat .