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Original poster

Freestanding bath - who has one and what do you think?

45 replies

Vijac · 20/05/2012 19:22

We're updating our bathroom and adding a shower. We really like the freestanding baths with feet that are made of stone but have a few qualms about it-our bathroom isn't huge so it will have to be near the wall, will it be a nightmare to clean? No storage around the sides for shampoo etc. Is stone dangerous for kids and would acrylic be better (but don't like the feel). Does anyone have one and what do you think of it? Also, where did you get it? Thanks!

OP posts:
minipie · 20/05/2012 19:27

My parents have a freestanding bath near a wall. You do get quite a lot of water going down between the bath and the wall so have to be sure the floor is very waterproof. The shampoo thing is ok as their bath has a wide lip for perching bottles on, but ideally there would be a shelf on the wall (reachable from the bath) for putting shampoo etc on more permanently.

Never tried a stone bath...sounds gorgeous but no idea about cleaning! would the edges be sharp or rounded?

minipie · 20/05/2012 19:29

sorry, meant to say - personally I wouldn't have a freestanding bath if it was going to be used every day and with small children, I'd only have it as something that would be used occasionally or by adults/older children only. but that may be being over cautious!

ToryLovell · 20/05/2012 19:33

Friend has one and hates it as all the dust collects around and under it - she is a self confessed lazy mare though Grin

Original poster
Vijac · 20/05/2012 20:13

Edges would be roll top but made out of stone resin and can be white or painted any colour. Not sure I'd be that great at cleaning all the time! The reason we're replacing the bathroom is to stop a leaking floor so that doesn't sound great. Do you think water would spill over even I'd it's not used as a shower?

OP posts:
TondelayoSchwarzkopf · 20/05/2012 20:23

I have a freestanding stone bath from Victoria & Albert. And a toddler. No idea it was a dangerous combination! He uses it the most as we have a separate shower. I suppose it is quite deep and slippy but he is closely supervised. I don't fill it up deeply. I have found it easy to keep clean.

To be fair I have it mostly for aesthetics. Our floor is reinforced and watertight but water doesn't go everywhere.

LovelyMarchHare · 20/05/2012 20:34

i have a free standing roll top bath which the children love but, in reality, I don't think is as comfortable as a bog standard one. It isn't quite right for lying back and reading in somehow. It may be that you need to be taller (I am 5'7'' so not that short). I rarely go in it now and just use the shower. It looks nice though and fits with the house/bathroom. Easy enough to clean.

discrete · 20/05/2012 20:42

I have one, mostly used by the children who greatly appreciate the ability to splash water in ALL directions. Am looking forward to getting the next bathroom done, which will have a bog standard bath, in order to limit the flooding.

Original poster
Vijac · 20/05/2012 20:45

It's more the material it's made of that I though may be a bit more dangerous. Yes, I'm nor sure it was quite as comfy when I tried it out in the showroom (haha!). But I love the look...decisions, decisions. What colour do you have from V & A and is it comfy?

OP posts:
slightlycrumpled · 20/05/2012 20:53

We have a cast iron French slipper bath, which is freestanding and beautiful. I love it. We have a seperate shower cubicle the other side of the bathroom though so not too much water spillage.

It can collect dust around the feet but a quick wipe soon solves it.

slightlycrumpled · 20/05/2012 20:54

Ooh meant to add ours is very comfortable, I can laze in it with a good book and a glass of wine for ages.

bigTillyMint · 20/05/2012 20:56

We have one - a modernish style, acrylic or stone resin I think. Roll top and feet.
It is very big and deep which is a bonus when you have small children / want to share!

out2lunch · 20/05/2012 20:57

we used to have one it was much admired and i do miss it
water not a problem as it was quite deep
we painted outside a lovely teal blue colour - i used wet wipes to clean feet and outside

Original poster
Vijac · 20/05/2012 21:07

Anyone with a comfortable one, where is it from? Also, those who painted the bath, did you do it yourself/how much did it cost for someone else to paint it?

OP posts:
bigTillyMint · 20/05/2012 21:21

Ours was from Bathstore, about 6 years ago?

out2lunch · 20/05/2012 21:21

we painted it ourselves - spray paint iirc
and bought it from someones back garden

NorksAreMessy · 20/05/2012 21:25

Ours is very beautiful and comfortable but a PITA if you want to rinse your hair (water all over). Plus there is nowhere to stand soap or shampoo or anything, so we have a HORRIBLE sort of stand thingy next to it full of bathroom crap.

We sort of use it only for FUN Blush or reading in the bath or bubble bath relaxing type occasions.

We use the real bath for really bathing and keeping coal in, obviously

Jux · 20/05/2012 22:09

We have an antique roll top bath and I am saving desperately to get rid of it. Loathe it with venom, like I never thought it would be possible to loathe a bath.

Looks great, it helped sell the bloody house to us, but bloody hell it's awful awful awful.

Ispywith · 20/05/2012 22:46

We have one in a small bathroom but it has a flat back edge! So it is right up against the wall as a standard bath would but to look at it it looks like a roll top with feet etc. love it!

Nancy66 · 21/05/2012 09:08

I think they only look good in really big bathrooms.

In small bathrooms they look silly and a bit naff.

They've become the bathroom equivilalent of the kitchen island - everyone wanted one - and you saw them in piddly little kitchens where there was barely room to move and they looked daft.

Original poster
Vijac · 21/05/2012 14:47

In one way wish I had someone to make the decision on my behalf! I do really like the look of them but can't completely visualise it in our bathroom and don't want to make the wrong decision as we'll be stuck with it for years. Replies seem to be polar opposites, I guess it's a roll-top bath is the bathroom equivalent of marmite! Hmmmmm....

OP posts:
BlossomHarper · 01/11/2016 13:41

My bathroom is tiny. I've seen people with small bathrooms have a roll-top, free-standing bath in their bedroom. The taps go up the side of the bath and all the plumbing is under the floor. Feels like an amazing compromise but not sure I'd dare!! Think I'll wait until the kids are older....or I'll end up with a soggy bedroom carpet.

Just had a quick Google and found this article about it:
www.castironbath.co.uk/blog/a-cast-iron-bath-in-your-bedroom/

scaryteacher · 01/11/2016 14:08

I have a cast iron freestanding roll top bath in my house in Cornwall and I love it. It's near a window seat where my glass of wine/mug of tea/cat perches, and it is blissful. Sadly, I currently live in Belgium with a modern bath, which is too long for me.

HellsBellsnBucketsofBlood · 01/11/2016 14:20

We have a bath store Cambridge freestanding bath. I love it, but I would caution that the legs on ours were a pain and kept works loose (design flaw as far as I'm concerned). We've solved the issue with super strength gorilla glue...but you might want a different model. Smile

Mummydoodie · 29/12/2018 11:15

Are the uncomfortable ones the straight across style? Are slipper baths more comfortable?

Glitteryfrog · 29/12/2018 15:16

I think they only look good in really big bathrooms

DH had one in a house he rented with a group of friends.
The whole house was style over substance.
They had an enormous bathroom (big double bedroom size) with the sinks in one corner, bath in the middle and toilet on the other wall and now shower.
It was totally stupid and really annoying to have no shower.