Bath Tub Series Part Two: Tub Deck

Bath Tub: Part Two

If you are like me, when I see a photo of a bathroom in a magazine, in an interior design book or actually see a bathroom at a friends's home or on a tour of homes, my mind immediatly goes to this opulent lifestyle with thoughts of taking a bubble bath with a glass of wine or champagne, music, candles, and perhaps that special person sitting there with me. There is something about seeing a beautiful bathroom with an incredible bath tub that takes me away from real life. Perhaps this blog showing beautiful bath tubs will give you that escape as well.

Although free standing bath tubs have been gaining popularity in recent years (part three of this series), having a tub dropped into a deck or mounted underneath the surface of the deck is very functional and still a popular approach. A bath tub that is surrounded by a deck will create many opportunities for the homeowner to personalize and customize their bathroom. Imagine sitting on a heated tub deck. What about water in your bath tub changing colors based on your mood. Have fun with the many options shown in the photos below and let me know which elements you would choose for your custom bath.

Tub decks ususally run parallel to a wall and are often located under a window. The view out of a window can be as spectacular as shown in the photo below or it can be a view that you customize when landscaping. In this particular photo, I love the shelves on each end of the bath tub, though I would have preferred a little more deck space between the bath tub and the shelf.

(Note: this tub is dropped into the deck, the lip of the tub rests on top of the deck)

Another tub that has been dropped into the deck is shown below. There is most likely a decorative column on each end of the tub, though not seen in this photo, as if to hold up the arch at the ceiling which creates an alcove in the tub deck area. Just imagine soaking in this tub with your back and head on a pillow and being hynotized by the flames in the fireplace.

In this particular photo, the tub is mounted underneath the tub deck and the fireplace is parallel to the tub. Note the thickness of the stone on the deck.

Yet another location for a fireplace is in the corner of the deck. Note the overhang at the ceiling creating an alcove for the tub deck area.

If you want the ambience of a fireplace but it does not fit your budget, there are several clever yet attractive designs for using candles, in the photo above and the two below.

Above, in this photo there is greenery in the niche but could easily be replaced with candles.

Above is a simple recess in the wall to hold a candle.


Depending on the height of your tub deck, you might want to consider a step along side the tub as shown above. Though steps can be convenient for getting in and out of the tub, they can also be a nice design element as well as be used to hold a decorative accessory. The two photos above show two different applications for a step. Additionally, there is always the single step that runs the length of the side of the tub. If you have small children, kneeling on a step when you bathe them makes the task a little easier.

(Photo from Elle Decor spring-summer 2006)

Note in the top photo is an infinity tub which allows the water to spill over out of the tub into an area that is actually a part of the tub. It is much like an infinity swimming pool.

The photo above shows a step on each end of the tub deck so that the tub can be entered from both sides of the room. I love the idea of using a screen for privacy. Wouldn't it be wonderful if the screen were a water element with water running down the glass creating the n.oise of water as well as serving to give the person taking a bath privacy

Two photos below, I typically prefer the bath tub to run parallel with the wall and not perpendicular. If you are trying to distinguish the his and hers sides of the bathroom, a perpendicular tub and tub deck is one solution.

Another element to point out in the second photo below is the deck leg. Though I am not particularly a fan of this one, there are many design options that can be used when creating the apron of the deck.

(Beautiful Baths magazine)

Though I am not a fan of the leg that was used in the deck in the photo above, there are many options to consider for the apron. Some are made of the same stone or tile as the tub deck and some are made of a completely different material as shown in the photo below (granite on the deck top and a cherry wood for the apron). Some deck aprons are one single piece cut from a stone slab and others are small individual pieces of stone or tile.

In the photo above, there is a small shelf above the deck on three sides of the tub. The decorative bowl under the window has been placed on this shelf.

(Beautiful Baths magazine 2008)

Adding mirror along one of the walls of the deck or on all three walls of the deck is a popular design element. Sometimes the mirror is placed flush with the top of the deck which gives a clean look. However, I would want to take all precautions to make sure any water splashed out of the tub does not puddle along the tub deck and mirror. I do love the mirror on mirror look in the photo above. Additional photos of tub decks are below.

(The source for many photos is unknown. If you will contact me, I will add the credit or remove.)