Bathtub design is reaching new heights — and depths
love bathing more than anything else,” says Yael Alkalay, founder and CEO of Soho-based beauty company Red Flower. Ten years ago, while renovating their downtown apartment, Alkalay’s architect husband Scott Adams Kruger surprised her by building a Japanese-inspired bathing room, carefully crafted from reclaimed wood and fitted with an internal heating mechanism. “The ability to have something reminiscent of a Japanese bathhouse in a New York City apartment never seemed possible. It was such an incredible gift,” Alkalay says. Now, even those of us lacking a similarly enterprising spouse can pick from a wide range of luxurious tubs, spanning aesthetics from art deco to space age and offering shelving, multiple water temperatures and even space for two.
“Most New Yorkers live with standard alcove bathtubs with a low overflow drain, so you can’t get much of your body into the water without being a contortionist,” says Andrew Raemsch, US sales manager of Drummonds, the UK company that debuted a New York showroom in the spring. Drummonds’ Wye, a French bateau shape, has an 18-inch overflow — which allows complete submersion — and is made of cast iron, a great heat conductor (from $9,450; Drummonds-USA.com). It’s also roomy. “The Wye is designed as a twoperson tub, or a very greedy one-person tub,” Raemsch says.
There’s another way to get a deep clean — and that’s completely horizontally. The 1 percent no longer need to book a spa appointment to enjoy a Vichy shower, because luxury appliance company Dornbracht’s new offering has six ceiling-mounted shower bars that vary in temperature and intensity. The streams of water massage users from their heads to the soles of their feet, and can be turned on in three settings: energizing, balancing and de-stressing. They promote circulatory and immune health, according to Ingolf Matthée, president of Dornbracht Americas. Ideal for harried New Yorkers, the horizontal shower programs take only five to six minutes. A few lucky residents of One57’s high-end condo tower already have the showers; presumably, they used the de-stressing program after paying the $40,000 bill ( Dornbracht.com).
Then there’s the escapist’s option, perfect for that vacation vibe. Created by design superstar Philippe Starck, Dura
vit’s matte finish Cape Cod tub uses a proprietary cast mineral material that masks any joints or seams (from $4,390; Duravit.
us). The tub surface is also warm to the touch, eliminating the distinctly unpleasant sensation of bathing against cold porcelain. Starck has added a built-in headrest, an elegant option to encourage indolence. For antique lovers, UK-based company Water Monopoly restores antique tubs to order, sourcing French art deco and Edwardian canopy styles — even a Napoleonic tub on wheels, which a Parisian client rolled onto his balcony for an outdoor soak. The company says it has sent a number of French copper baths to Manhattan and the Hamptons. “Some of these baths are over 120 years old and have truly stood the test of time,” adds Justin Homewood, Water Monopoly’s director. “With their ability to heat up quickly and wonderful glow, they are the jewel in any bathroom setting, be it traditional or modern.” Prices start at $4,900, but that doesn’t include shipping to the US ( TheWaterMonopoly.com).
Are you a stickler for aesthetics? Then pick a bathtub that’s also a striking piece of furniture. “We’re seeing a strong resurgence in the tub as a statement piece, rather than solely a necessity,” says Tim Schroeder, president of Duravit USA, which recently launched the Paiova 5 model. Created by Austrian design trio EOOS, the tub fuses form and function (from $1,970). Nearly pretty enough to be displayed as modern sculpture, the Paiova 5 has two ergonomically advanced backrests, sloped at 40 and 46 degrees, and a low side height — just under 23 inches — to make getting in and out easy.
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