ROOM ELEMENTS
Soak the day away in a modern or traditional tub
invest in a freestanding bath
and a bathroom becomes an indulgent and relaxing haven, always ready to offer a leisurely soak. the traditional cast iron roll-top is one of our best-loved bathroom centrepieces; the quality material and glamorous good looks make it an enduring and striking addition to a bathroom. sitting on gleaming claw feet and completed on the inside with glossy porcelain enamel, the bath can be painted to chime with your decorating scheme. A variation on the theme is a slipper bath. this neat design has one raised end to rest your back. Freestanding baths are also produced in lighter-weight materials such as enamelled steel, copper or brass. Copper has an enticing shine, and a protective finish will ensure no polishing is needed. It is used mainly for bateau baths with sides that reach the floor to hide the plumbing. When plated in nickel, it positively gleams.
many contemporary baths are in composite and Solid Surface materials,
made from a mix of ground stone or minerals and hi-tech resins. these can copy traditional curvy shapes or invent dramatic new ones. they retain heat well and scratches can often be polished out, as the colour goes right through. Acrylic baths are light in weight and warm to the touch, and retain heat well.
if money is no object,
consider a tub made from traditional fireclay or carved from stone, but bear in mind that these are heavyweights. teak baths have a lovely organic look – William Garvey (01404 841430; williamgarvey.co.uk) makes them from a marine ply core with a thick teak veneer, then they’re sealed with lacquer and given a glass-reinforced plastic (GRP) layer in the base to keep them watertight.
1 Space maker
‘the trick with a small space is to maximise the visible area of the floor as this creates the impression of extra room,’ says Phil etherden, managing director at the Albion Bath Company. ‘A slipper bath on feet works perfectly; it has a gentle upswept end and generous depth, and can be teamed with an over-bath shower for day-to-day practicality. When planned carefully, the bath can be placed even in the trickiest of rooms, such as a loft conversion.’
2 In the navy
‘A few baths can be hailed as classics and the boat bath, with its distinctive high sides and roll-top, is a deserving candidate,’ says Barrie Cutchie, design director at BC Designs. ‘Baths with this design longevity lend themselves to both traditional and contemporary settings. Based on an original bateau bath, the first of which is believed to date back to the end of the 19th century in France, our acrylic version has an almost chameleon quality which allows it to fit in anywhere.’»
3 Luxurious gleam
‘the beautiful silver finish on this bath has been achieved by polishing raw cast-iron,’ says rita rendo-castro, head of marketing at Catchpole & rye. ‘It can take up to a week for one of our skilled craftsmen to polish and buff the surface to a glimmering sheen. to maintain this finish, we carefully seal every bath with a strong, durable lacquer so it will never tarnish and requires only a wipe with a cloth to maintain its gleam.’
4 Marvellous metallic
there’s no stopping the trend for metallics and their shiny surfaces seem to sing out in a bathroom setting. ‘tin baths create bags of wow factor,’ says Joss thomas, founder, managing director and designer at Indigenous. ‘our design is made from copper which is beaten and then plated with tin. It comes in other finishes, too, including antique bronze and nickel. A big plus factor is that the baths are a lot lighter than cast iron, hence they’re very easy to install.’
5 Fine lines
Bring sculpture to the bathroom with a shapely composite-stone tub. ‘one of the benefits of this material is that it lends itself to a wide variety of modern or traditional shapes, as the liquid mix of stone and resin is poured into moulds to form the final design,’ says Gary moores, regional designer at Fired earth. ‘It is lighter in weight than cast iron and keeps the water warmer for longer, too. the bath can also be painted on the exterior to match your bathroom colour scheme for a bespoke finish.’
Mirror the warm wood of the tub’s legs in the shelving and vanity to draw the room together and give it simple, spa-like style.
6 Pure pastel
‘A bathtub is an ideal focal point in a bathroom and choosing a distinctive colour can dramatically alter the ambience,’ says Paola tanini, co-founder and creative director at Devon & Devon. ‘this elegantly shaped double-ended bath, coated in the softest of pinks, provides a sophisticated elegance and gently feminine feel, which is accentuated by the curvy Deco feet in pure white.’ the bath comes with or without tap holes, so that, if wished, taps on floor-mounted standpipes can be used instead.
7Natural warmth
All too often contemporary bathrooms can seem clinical, but a good dose of oak is an excellent way to capture the country spirit and bring in character. ‘this freestanding bath will become a real centrepiece in your bathroom,’ says Claire Gay, marketing manager at roca. ‘Instead of having classic feet, the bath is held on a platform made from natural American oak, creating a softer and warmer feel that’s a perfect contrast to the cool look of the white steel bath.’