The beauty of free-standing bathtubs

IF YOU love taking a bath, you will enjoy that luxurious feeling that comes with wallowing in hot water.

And what better way to enjoy that feeling than with a free-standing bathtub?

Manufacturers have come up with very attractive designs for the bathroom, bedroom or even the living room.

Taking a bath has developed from a matter of looking after personal hygiene to a form of deep relaxation.

The best place to appreciate that is when the tub is not flush with the walls, but set a little way into a room.

“A free-standing bath needs lots of space,” says interior designer Ines Wrusch. “The room must be at least two by three metres.”

That’s not uncommon in upscale homes these days.

The most important thing about having a free-standing bath is having the feeling of space. You can only do that if there is enough room to walk around the tub.

“A standard bathtub is 1.75 metres long and 75 to 80 centimetres wide,” explains Wrusch.

You need a minimum of 60 centimetres space right around the tub. Not much else will fit in a small bathroom.

Usually, it’s no problem to design a free-standing tub into a new home. In most cases, it should be easy to adapt the pipes and drain needed for the bath.

But it’s a different matter in a pre-existing house.

“You can have a tub installed in your bedroom but that’s going to be really expensive,” says Wrusch.

That’s because there is more to do than just selecting a tub and then building it in.

A free-standing bathtub will need a free-standing faucet and the pipes for water and a drain will have to be installed.

“You always need a slight incline of the pipes under the floor for the drain,” says Wrusch.

The area directly beneath the tub will also need to be made waterproof to handle any water that overflows.

“One solution is to mount the tub on a 20cm-high platform where the pipes and waterproofing are installed,” says Wrusch.

“The best place for a bathtub is a bathroom,” thinks Maritta Goldmann, owner of a bathroom supplier.

Modern bathrooms are getting bigger than their predecessors, leading to a merging with the rest of home life.

“You often see a table and chair placed beside a tub so there is space to chat, read or just relax with a glass of wine,” says Goldmann.

The range of tubs on the market is enormous. The classic tub made from steel and enamel remains popular and you can also choose from a wide range of tubs made from acrylic, stone, wood and even concrete. A very high-tech acrylic material to choose is Corian.

“You won’t go wrong if you pick white enamel in a classic shape with a matching faucet,” says Goldmann.

If you’re aiming for a timeless, classy look you should choose a tub with clear lines in a natural colour such as white, cream or grey.

That will help create a relaxed atmosphere and won’t go out of fashion too fast.