Buyer's Guide: Terrific Tubs

From family friendly to wonderfully luxurious, beautiful baths come in all shapes and styles

- Kylie Jackes

A bathtub often tops the wish list in bathroom design, as it ticks multiple boxes. If you have children, they’re a practical choice. If you’ve got a compact space, you can opt for a shower-over-bath set-up – and if it’s wow factor you’re after, their organic, sculptural shapes can create a scene-stealing focal point. Before you splash out on this key bathroom piece, consider how much space you have, where it will go and who’ll be using it.

SAY IT WITH STYLE

Freestanding baths exude day-spa luxury and epitomise elegance. “As they don’t need wall support, they can be placed anywhere in the room even in the centre for dramatic impact,” says Daniela Santilli, bathrooms and kitchens merchandising leader at Reece Bathrooms. The simplistic shape of a freestanding bath can also make a room feel larger, and they’re often cheaper to install as they don’t require additional framing, waterproofing and tiling. A drawback is they can be a little space-hungry. While compact freestanding styles start at 1200mm long, the standard size sits at around 1750mm and needs to be positioned at least 500mm from the wall to allow for cleaning.