Spa-Like Bathroom Setting

Atocha Soaking Tub by Diamond Spas definitely takes bathing up a notch

What does it mean that, these days, even the most staid homeowners are eager for the pleasures of a spa? Is it a sign we are becoming more cultured -- or more hedonistic? The bath historically has been associated with both good health and good fun. So it's entirely fitting the concept of the spa is influencing the design of baths in the home.

Question: I love to take a bath; it's my favorite way to relax. I hate the look and the feel of what we call the "bathroom." The materials are usually cold to look at and to the touch, and the space is usually small and antiseptic. We're building a new house, and I have expressed a desire to install a bathtub in the master bedroom, which will be softly carpeted and will have a large-screen TV. Everyone thinks I'm crazy. What is your opinion?

Answer: I don't think you're crazy, and I think you should do it! Some years ago a client told me that he wanted to have a large soaking tub recessed in the floor of his bedroom. I thought he was crazy. But as the project developed, I wished I had been able to duplicate this idea in my own bathroom.

I'd like to bring up some issues that you should consider: First, be sure to carefully calculate weight of the tub when full of water, so you can make sure your bedroom floor is structurally sound enough to accommodate it. Also, if the room is going to be carpeted, make sure the flooring material immediately around the bottom of the tub is waterproof.

You might enjoy the photo, which shows the Atocha Soaking Bath by Diamond Spas, which manufactures a line of soaking tubs clad in a variety of materials. This elliptical version is placed in a room with a fireplace. So how about a fireplace under the large-screen TV?

 

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(Readers with general interior design questions for Rita St. Clair can e-mail her at rsca(at)ritastclair.com.)

(c) 2010 DESIGN LINE, Rita St. Clair