Even in a small abode, you can bathe in Style
There are times when we all wish that we had a spa-like bathroom. It's easy to be covetous of a giant soaking tub for two and a shower large enough so that you don't have to pretend you are a flamingo. In a space-challenged room, you just have to work a tad harder to arrange for a delightful and serene experience.
A divine, long soak is right up there next to glorious sunsets on the list of life's simple joys. When you live in a smaller home, the challenge can be how to arrange your place to include the experiences that bring daily pleasure.
The standard builder's-size tub is typically shallow at about 14 inches deep and 5 feet in length. Most tract homes of the 1950s included these as the main tub. It is hard to get these types to feel like a Japanese soaking tub because becoming totally submerged is difficult for most adults in just 14 inches of water.
Nevertheless, you still can get a caddy to hold your glass of wine and spread candles around the room. You can use delicious oils and scrubs.
Know that there are smaller specialty tubs on the market that allow for the more exotic bathing ritual. Consider corner tubs as a way to achieve a spot for two bathers at once in relatively compact space.
You can achieve a decent depth with various models. Investigate the Aquatica Idea freestanding, triangular-shaped tub that is a proud 25.25 by 59 by 35.75 inches. Signature Hardware has another freestanding model called Angelique that is 21.5 by 52 by 56 inches.
The Greek by Kohler comes with integral armrests and is furnished with a White Repose vinyl bath pillow. Overall dimensions of this model are 48 by 32 by 23⅜ inches. In a remodel situation, replacement of a standard 60-inch long tub with this one could yield about 12 inches left over. Precious space could then be allocated for a tall, narrow storage cupboard or open shelves designed to hold folded towels.
Featured here is the exotic Eau Soaking Tub, hand-carved from a solid block of Carrara marble. This tub was introduced at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair and the Interior Design Show 2012 in Toronto. The dimensions are what catch your attention because the tub is 42 by 48 by 38 inches.
The impulses to savor a good bath go very far back: Bathing customs in ancient times were both ritualistic and public. The Greeks, Egyptians and Romans were famous for their baths at a time when Judaic religious bathing occurred.
The “hammam” or Turkish baths were the Middle Eastern equivalent of the Roman baths and became popular in Western Europe during Victorian times as a sort of wet sauna. Equally notable were the ancient baths of Japan, a culture that has remained obsessed with cleanliness and washing habits.
We in the West have evolved into a civilization that recognizes water and cleanliness are critical to good health, and Americans look at bathing in a basically practical way. Thankfully, indoor bathtubs are no longer only for the affluent and in a unique way; each of us can arrange our bathing experience as a daily pleasure instead of a chore.
Regardless of the size of the room available to you or whether or not you own or rent your home, you can splurge on small ways to build a special ambiance for your bathing experience. Dreamy lighting can be accomplished with either battery operated candles or wax candles. You can buy luxurious towels and soaps. If you own your place, think about a rain dome for your shower.
You might add a hand-spray in the tub area for easy hair washing or air jets in a tub so that you might use essential oils without ruining the jets. Towel warmers can be mounted to any wall and plugged into a regular duplex outlet.
• Christine Brun is a San Diego-based interior designer and the author of “Small Space Living.” Send questions and comments to her by email at christinebrun@sbcglobal.net.
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