Ah, the humble shower. It’s the way most of us choose to get clean every day, but it’s usually a pretty simple affair: you stand and the water pours over you. If you wanted to lie or sit down in the shower, you would end up with a face full of water and would probably end up just choosing to take a bath.

Luckily, there’s a (luxurious) solution: Meiré und Meiré, a German company, offers “…a private spa, presenting the architectural inspiration for a tour through water competence.” They even have a solution for anyone who has wanted to lie down and take a relaxing shower.

What do you think? Would you ever want something like this to give you more showering options?

Images courtesy of Meiré und Meiré.

Home design and decorating website DigsDigs does a great job of digging up some of the greatest finds in the world of modern design, interior decor and architecture. If you’re interested in modern style, you could spend hours clicking through the site’s many categories and photos and blog posts.

Today, though, we’re going to focus on just one small segment of DigsDigs’ modern tastes, sharing some highlights of the site’s finds in for the bathroom. Specifically, we wanted to share some of the great modern tubs and showers the site has featured.

For starters, check out this shower and bath combo from Twinline2. It’s certainly stylish, but it also deploys a rather simple element of universal design: a full-length door that eliminates the need to step over the high tub wall, a common cause of bathroom accident.

This freestanding oval-shaped tub from Castello certainly looks elegant, but that’s arguably more due to the color — sleek, shiny black — than the shape. As DigsDigs writes, “Black bathtubs always look very elegant and refined. Such bathtubs attract an attention and make people to dream about bathing in them.”

For fun, here’s a rather similar tub in bright, bold red, and another made of wood but with a pattern that makes it look like black marble.

This white tub with a wood “skirt” does a great job of marrying sleek, modern elegance with a more traditional (by way of the wood) feel that’d fit just about anywhere.

Speaking of wood tubs, here’s something from the funkier side: a wardrobe combined with a bathtub. DigsDigs explains: “Thanks to the specially designed joints that expand when they become wet the bath closet remains fully watertight. The wood, taken from a single larch tree, can be used in combination with water and gives out a pleasing pine aroma when the bath is filled.”

Could you ever see yourself using something like this?

Thanks to DigsDigs for digging up all of this great stuff!

It’s ironic that a thing that exists to clean you can get dirty and disgusting so fast. A fresh, clean shower can make the entire bathroom look sparkling. A grungy shower can make the whole room look dingy. If you’re tired of pulling the shower curtain closed when guests come over, you’ll want to check out Apartment Therapy’s post on how to clean your shower without the use of harsh chemicals. Here are a few tips:

• You’ve got some choices on green cleaners. Apartment Therapy recommends either a tea tree cleaner, white vinegar cleaner, citrus juice cleaner, hydrogen peroxide cleaner, or borax and vinegar cleaner.
• Clean after your shower–steam helps loosen any gunk on the walls.
• Let your chosen spray sit for a few minutes and then scrub with a stiff brush. And old toothbrush works well for getting in the grout.
• If you have a fan or a dehumidifier, run it to get rid of extra  moisture-causing mold in the bathroom.

And to prevent mold in the first place, check out Apartment Therapy’s post on that topic.

Photo courtesy of jfpeck on Flickr.

Our home-blogging friends at Charles and Hudson tipped us off to a great slideshow of open-air showers at Dwell. Don’t laugh. You know it’d be fun — depending on the weather, of course.

And to be sure, the setting makes a difference. If you live an urban area without much of a backyard, your desire or needs for an outdoor shower will be miles away from what you might go for if you live in, say, this gorgeous place.

To top it all off, Charles and Hudson also offer some guidance on building your own simple outdoor shower.

Photo courtesy of Jurveston on Flickr