Rub-a-dub-dub! It’s time for a new tub.
Modern bathtubs have come a long way from just being places to get ready for the day. Master bathrooms are becoming more and more like private retreats and sanctuaries, complete with the luxury amenities usually found in hotels and spas. In addition to new shapes and styles of tubs, new materials are being used for tubs. Stainless steel, stone, and concrete are examples of some of the materials being used in custom designed bathrooms as a way to make them more unique. Gone are the days of tile upon tile in bathrooms as people are opting for a variety of textures in the bathroom.
Sunken tubs
Pretty? Yes. Practical? Probably not. These tubs are typically recessed into the floor or sometimes into a slightly elevated platform. Though visually interesting, these tubs are difficult to get out of and easy to fall into in the middle of the night.
Overflow tubs
Similar to infinity pools, these luxury tubs continually re-circulate and re-heat water that spills over the edge. A way to continually keep the water warm, this style of tub is often recessed into the floor.
Soaking tubs
While whirlpools still have quite the following, soaking tubs are showing up more and more in bathroom remodels. Instead of behemoth whirlpool bathtubs, people are deciding on smaller, more sculptural soaking tubs that don’t take up as much space in the room. Soaking tubs are designed to be a little deeper that traditional tubs, allowing your entire body to be immersed in water. Plus, these are actually relaxing since there are no noisy jets to interrupt the silence of the room.
Freestanding tubs
Though not a “new design”
per se, freestanding tubs have made a comeback. Once popular in the 1800’s, freestanding tubs are breaking free from walls and platforms, and are standing on their own once again (sans the cast-iron claw feet). Some freestanding tubs are elevated on legs, but one of the hottest trends is for the base of the entire tub to be flush with the ground.
Walk in bathtubs
Accessibility counts, and walk in tubs are the way to go if a traditional tub poses too much of an obstacle. Taking a cue from the Japanese style of soaking tub, called an ofuro, these tubs are narrower than American style tubs, and are much deeper, allowing the user to sit comfortable on a platform within the tub while soaking.
