If you are considering a bathtub as part of a bathroom remodeling project, you have plenty of options. However, your personal selection might be limited by your available space or style preference, so it's best to research the most suitable bathtub style for your family's needs.
Before you perform your research, though, make sure a bathtub is a viable option for your bathroom. Your first consideration is space. It might be best to ask a professional if a bathtub is a reasonable option for you.
Second, consider costs. Many homeowners wish to replace a bathtub without renovating the rest of the bathroom, yet this can be a costly job with little appreciable ROI. As the popular remodeling site This Old House writes:
"Most tubs are set in an alcove or corner, lapped by the flooring and wall finishes to create a watertight seal and tied down in at least two places by plumbing. If you're ready for a full-scale bathroom remodel, replacing the tub makes sense. If you're not, you're looking at creating a real mess and spending $2,000 to $3,000 for little visual change."
If a bathtub is in the cards for you, check out our handy bathtub style guide below.
Clawfoot Bathtubs
You've probably heard of the famous clawfoot bathtub, the oldest and most elegant bathtub. Clawfoot tubs are designed with deep basins and high, sloping backs for supporting your arms and back. The front is often straight or flat.
Clawfoot tubs get their names from their free-standing supportive legs, which are often designed to look like "claws." As Gabriel Garcia Marquez wrote memorably in his famous book, Love in the Time of Cholera:
"The house was modern and did not have the pewter tub with lion's-paw feet common in the mansions of the old city."
As the quote implies, the clawfoot tub can lend an elegant, vintage appeal to your bathroom.
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| We love a good clawfoot tub at MKBD. In this Abington, PA project, we installed a clawfoot as apart of a French country theme. |
Freestanding Tubs
Like clawfoot tubs, freestanding bathtubs are simple bathtubs that stand independent of surrounding walls. Unlike clawfoot tubs, the sculpted basin rests on a solid base. The faucets might be mounted on the tub or a nearby wall.
If you have the space, and you like the appeal of a bathtub that stands independent of your bathroom's surrounding walls, yet you don't like the antiquated look of a clawfoot tub, you would do well to research freestanding tubs. You will find many options for simple freestanding tubs made in a variety of materials from porcelain to cast iron, and even acrylic.
Drop-in Tubs
Drop-in tubs are installed in an enclosure that can be finished to match your bathrooms cabinets or vanity: At MKBD, we're partial to this bathtub style. We've successfully installed many drop-ins for happy clients.
In the above MKBD project, a full-scale bathroom remodeling in Huntingdon Valley, we installed a beautiful air bathtub surrounded by custom panels from Decora Cabinets. Imagine sitting in this tub with the twilight streaming over your shoulders as warm jets massage your back!
Corner Tubs
A variation of the drop-in design, the corner tub is a tub that is simply designed to be installed in the corner of a bathroom. Like the drop-in tub above, a corner tub can be placed beneath a window to maximize the bathing experience. At MKBD, we've also successfully installed plenty of corner tubs:
In this MKBD project from Vorhees, New Jersey, we installed a Toto soaker tub surrounded by columns for a Roman bath feeling.
Alcove Tubs
Most Americans are familiar with the popular alcove tub, the style found in most bathrooms, tucked into a three-walled enclosure. With added tiles or shower panels, the enclosure can also include a shower. With a standard length of 60 inches, the alcove tubs maximizes space, although alcove tubs can also include options like the drop-in and corner tubs pictured above.
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If you have any questions about your next kitchen remodeling project, please feel free to call MKBD for an individualized consultation. Let's talk budget and more! Call now! 215-355-4747.
Better yet, check out our Free In-Home Remodeling Estimate on this very blog!
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