Bath Tub Series Part Three: Free Standing Bath Tubs

Bath Tub Series: Part Three

Which Free Standing Bath Tub is Your Favorite?

Are you feeling clean yet? You should, because in this series on bath tubs, I have shown you thirty-two photos of bath tubs with sixteen more in this blog. The bath tubs are all free standing tubs; the last three are soaking tubs. Get ready to marvel at the beautiful bath tubs shown below. Don’t be shy, jump on in!

photo one^

^This photo with a Victorian-ish bath tub and two dozen long stem roses oozes romance. It makes me think of Valentine’s Day. Don’t miss the details on the floor.

(^Photo one from Bathrooms by Chris Casson Madden)

photo two^

(^Photo two from Bathrooms by Chris Casson Madden)

photo three^

^That is a hand painted band around the bath tub above. I would like to see a matching band of color going around the tub base.

(^Photo three from Bathrooms by Chris Casson Madden)

photo four ^

(^Photo four from Villa Decor by Betty Lou Phillips)

photo five^

^Look! The champagne has been poured and there are bubbles in the tub! What are you waiting for?

Note: This bath tub appears to be identical to the bath tub in photo two, though a handsome handrail has been an added to the side of this one giving it a totally different look.

(^Photo five from Unmistakably French by Betty Lou Phillips)

photo six^

^Doesn’t this stone bath tub look inviting?

(^Photo six from French by Design by Betty Lou Phillips)

photo seven^

^Tile that compliments the floor in this bathroom has been applied to the sides of this free standing bath tub creating an upscale look.

photo eight^

^I love how the tile on the floor is shaped to create an area for this free standing bath tub. What is interesting, the bath tub does not touch the floor since it is mounted into a wooden base. Don’t you love the mirror and the tiled wall on which it is hung? Also the great candles. We just need to borrow the champagne and bubbles from photo five!

photo nine^

^The iron feet on this bath tub gives it an old-fashioned/Victorian look.

photo ten^

^Who wants a very chic, transparent, and pink free standing bath tub? I am not sure it is actually pink or if the color changed during the printing process. What a great design shape for a tub.

photo eleven^

^You can even have a free standing infinity tub as seen above.

photo twelve^

^In the photo above, I love the niche created for this free standing bath tub with a convenient shelf at each end of the bath tub.

photo thirteen^

^The bath tub above reminds me of the shape of a laundry room sink that is on legs. Do you know what I am talking about? Though I like having a sliding glass door leading to a deck, photo 13 is my least favorite of the sixteen bath tubs.

Below are examples of three soaking tubs which have gained popularity in recent years. Photo 14 is my favorite of the three. I love the thickness of the wall of the tub. photo fourteen^

photo fifteen^

photo sixteen^

Thanks for viewing my blog. I have one more post left in my bath tub series. It will focus on mistakes to avoid. If you are so inclined or maybe no so inclined, please leave a comment and tell me which bath tub is your favorite.

I have not added the source of some of the photos I posted in this blog because I do not know where it came from. If you will email me and tell me the source or ask me to remove the image, I will take care of it.

Bath Tub Series: Part Three Free Standing Bath Tubs

(Photo from Villa Decor by Betty Lou Phillips, p. 60)




(Photo from French by Design by Betty Lou Phillips, p. 122)

(Photo from Unmistakebly French by Betty Lou Phillips, p. 79)

(Photo from Bathrooms by Chris Casson Madden, p.15)

(Photo from Bathrooms by Chris Casson Madden, p. 123)

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.)

Bath Tub Series: Part One

Whether you are remodeling a bathroom, adding a bathroom onto your home, or building a new home, you will find there are many decisions to be made regarding your bath tub. I will be posting a series of blogs to present the many choices and options regarding the bath tub.

Bath Tub: Part One

There are many different applications for installing a bath tub depending on the type of bath tub you select. The standard application is for a bath tub to be placed on the floor surrounded by three walls with tile or stone installed up the wall. This scenario can be a bath tub only or a bath tub shower combination when a shower head is added. See photo below.

(Photo from boo Bathrooms by Chris Casson Madden, page 69)
Another application is for a bath tub that is mounted below the floor as shown in the next two photos. In the first photo, the bath tub is custom made. In the second photo, the bath tub is mounted underneath the stone on the floor.

(Photo in book Villa Decor by Betty Lou Phillips, page 130)

(Photo in book Bathrooms by House Beautiful 1999 page 69)

Dropping a bath tub into a tub deck is yet another way to install a bath tub. The lip of the bath tub is placed on top of the deck surface as shown in the photo above and below.

Bath tubs can also be mounted into a tub deck underneath the deck surface. This is demonstrated in the photo above and below.

There are also free standing bath tubs options to consider. Below is a free standing bath tub on feet.

(Photo from the book Bathrooms by House Beautiful 1999, page 69)

(Photo from Trend Magazine)

Other free standing bath tub options include a bath tub that sits on it's own tub bottom. Examples are shown in the photo above and below.

(Photo in the book Bathrooms by House Beautiful 1999, page 143)

A free standing bath tub can also sit on a platform as shown in the above photo.

Yet another way to install a bath tub is to drop it into a stand as shown above.

In the photo above and the two photos below are free standing bath tubs surrounded by a tile apron or a decorative wood apron.

(Photo from magazine Dream Baths 2006)

(The source of some photos used in this blog is unknown. If you would kindly provide the source, I will add it or if you prefer, I will remove the photo. )