Bath time

zoom

zoom

Bluemoon by Duravit.

zoom

Ideal Standard.

zoom

Opalia Wood by Jacuzzi.

zoom

Thalassa by Roca.

zoom

Whirlpool by Kos.

zoom

Sleek modern curves from Kos.

zoom

Seadream by Duravit.

stop

Today, the bath is not only a functional space for cleansing, but also a retreat that's critical for one's mental and spiritual well-being. In many ways, the bath is really the only [place] in the house where we can maintain privacy and have time to contemplate and pontificate on important life decisions," says Andreas Dornbracht, when asked about the historical relevance and cultural significance of the bath.

The evolution of bathtub design has seen heavy cast iron claw foot baths popular in the Victorian Era morph into plain rectangular acrylic tubs, before maturing into the myriad of designs, materials and features today's bathtubs enjoy. Size-wise, a standard tub is only 14-17 inches deep, a European style is 18" deep, and a Japanese or Greek tub is 22" deep or more, and with companies such as Kohler now offering the ‘infinity swimming pool experience' in its Sok overflowing bath and Dornbracht's Taralogic Contrast bath, total immersion is being taken to new depths.

In addition to an increase in tub sizes, it is also now commonplace for bathtubs to have whirlpool functions as standard, no doubt both changes are direct results of the ‘wellbeing' trend that has swept the global bathroom design industry. In terms of tub trends, built-in shapes are being overtaken by free-standing styles. Top manufacturers are seemingly undecided whether to focus on offering luxurious vintage styles reminiscent of the era when roll-tops were de rigueur, or if designers and consumers will be swayed by the crisp contemporary angles of industrial-esque square baths. Hence both contrasting styles are emanating from the same bathroom factories across the globe. Over the next few pages, CID has collated a guide to the materials to choose from and we have also collected together our favourite designs from bathroom giants in the various different styles.

Material Guide

Acrylic

Thermal formed acrylic is vacuum-moulded with fibreglass strengthening the acrylic sheets. It is cheap, lightweight and easily maintained.

Print | Email | Discuss this article |

USER COMMENTS (0 COMMENTS)

POST A COMMENT

CLICK HERE TO POST A COMMENT

Add your Comment All posts are sent to the administrator for review and are published only after approval. ArabianBusiness.com reserves the right to remove any comment at any time for any reason. Please keep your responses appropriate and on topic.
Name *
Remember me on this computer
Email *	(Your email address will not be published)
City
Country
Subject *
Comment *
Notify me of further comments
Security Code *
Please click post only once - your comment will not be published immediately.