I wanted to keep it short due to health issues but I ended up being long winded… coming straight to the point - I had recently renovated my bathroom ie. last year inspite of all the problems and my dwindling health so it was natural for my judgement to be clouded but it wasn’t all my fault… there’s so much cheating going on in this world nowadays especially in India that it’s hard to find anything, due to a lack of proper “mentality”, resources or quality issues plus space constraints it’s extremely challenging to lead a normal, comfortable life here. I had opted for an alcove bathtub but little did I know that 1 - the tub would be too small like a kid’s size bathtub or maybe it was looking bigger in images I don’t know… (I couldn't visit the display centre so my parents had gone to see it) 2. The panelling screws look too ugly and they are ruining the whole look of my bathroom, the stand too is not adjustable and there shouldn’t be any gap between the floor and the panelling but this is India, all this is very common, in fact here Bathtubs are not considered a necessity, according to everyone they are a luxury. It’s also difficult to climb and since the height isn’t adjustable... my parents had already reduced the ceiling height to put a tank there :/ so my head is almost hitting the showerhead and since my room and bathroom are in the corner it doesn’t have proper ventilation especially between those three walls where I can’t even stretch my legs and I feel extremely crammed up as a fibromyalgia patient cuz it’s only 4.5 feet that too with a huge back slope which consumes almost 1.5 ft so I’m only left with 3 feet of space… the tub has no finishing, there are bubbles & bumps inside the acrylic and ripped areas/scratches too, they were there right from the beginning… they aren’t that visible though because as promised it has 3 sheets of acrylic, the back is no doubt much more comfortable than Roca which I had 10 years ago but it’s too small and I just hate the fact that it is so heightened that you can neither adjust inside it nor cope with the climbing, it leaves a huge gap near the floor and I can’t take head showers using the shower head. My Kohler’s handshower was already too slow, it would take 30 minutes to rinse the first wash, a lot of people have had pressure issues including Kylie Jenner, being long legged when I stand in this bathtub which is already placed on a metal stand which gives it more height and leaves that gap at the bottom, my head hits the top shower and when I pull out the showerhead to reposition it, the water gets sprayed outside the tub. I couldn’t go to the store otherwise I would’ve myself seen how small it was and then decided, on top of that, there are people on Google and Pinterest who share a lot of unrealistic photos and my mother was telling me I am the only one who isn’t “adjusting” even though she knows about my condition (fibro) and claustrophobia issues… she still compares their bathtubs, some of them only look small, NONE are 1390 mm, they are all above 1550 which is the least possible average length, anyway these are those unrealistic images that people have been sharing worldwide and the other day I saw one woman was literally sitting on the top of the deck with just her her feet soaking inside which shows that no one, no adult can fit into these bathtubs… people do all this just for show in their country/vacation homes for sharing on internet
It’s misleading and extremely impractical, these fancy decks are made using wooden frames which can get termites or mold (fungus) if there is any leakage, that’s why in modern times people prefer tiling but that is not for those who don’t want a permanently fixed bathtub, you won’t be able to shift anything without breaking those tiles, all this also calls for a shoddy job which requires tons of effort and professionals, even in tiling you require more space to fit a rectangular/boxy deck unless it's alcove or fitted between 2-3 walls
This one's a 5 fixture en suite from Ritz - I can't stop admiring their pretty little dome shaped bathing area, looks straight from a Dollhouse
Click on the above images to view them
Thanks to the above hassles people have now resorted to Acrylic bathtubs, they are not supposed to be expensive like Ceramic or Clay, they are usually affordable and you now get loads of sizes too but only in abroad.
In India, maximum places only offer 1700 mm + because they think it’s a luxury item so it’s got to be somewhere in your living room or an *imaginary* open bathroom like some stupid furniture - how very unrealistic, I was appalled when I saw Jaquar having only one size bracket - they were all 1700 x 800 and above. Here are a few things that I’ll like to discuss… I know a lot of people are investing in such huge bathtubs and making extra space for them by choosing smaller vanities which are only meant for storing toilet cleaners… I didn’t want to get rid of mine which had full drawers, the pipe doesn’t obstruct them and where I have kept my hairdryer, mani-pedi sets, nail polishes a mini salon section + face wash, day cream, night cream, scrub, polisher etc. etc. hand towels, a separate section of delicate face towels and grooming accessories, I really couldn’t afford to change that vanity because as girls we require more space… and I have done all my interiors so I know I don’t like bathrooms where it looks like the whole bathroom is made up of one huge bathtub, it’s as if your tub is the highlight of the whole area and it looks like your bathroom solely comprises of that, I wanted it to look more well balanced and spacious wherein I could keep my 60 cm vanity on one side and a bathtub vertically next to it and my 3 tiered bathroom rack in one corner + 2 different frames/paintings and a small stool + bathmat and some LED candles. People are squeezing these tub end to end in whatever size they are getting just to avoid creating a deck or masonry work but some of these bathtubs can look a bit huge in smaller spaces.
All this was extremely challenging… in the limited amount of space that I had, I precisely needed a 1600 to 1650 mm bathtub is that too much to ask for? I mean that’s an average size, they only make 1700-1800 tubs in India where our apartments are extremely small and in US and UK sizes like 1550-1650 are extremely common, my father said we will have to either redo the whole bathroom and put a new ceiling or bison board cuz you put it after putting up all the tiles or carve a niche and take space from the duct on the left and then shift and reassemble the vanity in that small portion and increase the length of the bathroom which would mean removing two tiles and then putting a stripe of tiles in the corner and tiling that mini section again ie. in the additional area, I was like so much jaddojahad (hassle) for a mere 2 inches of space, we had exactly 66.5 inches and their bathtub was 1690 or 66.51 I’ve seen people somehow squeezing these tubs edge to edge between two walls or behind the sink against the back but it would’ve again looked too big, I was appalled when I realised that Jaquar inspite of being an Indian brand had only 1700 mm bathtubs, unlike Duravit and Kohler who do keep 1600 & 1650 mm both. I told my dad that if would look unnecessarily huge, I don’t even think I’ll be needing that much leg space on top of that, their bathtubs are incongruously big from top. Quality is impeccable, it’s great, I have a video which was shot at their orientation centre so that is something I can vouch for, pricing is also comparatively better than a few other “conceited” brands, you do get branded tubs in 1600 mm range and they start from 60k after conversion in UK which is currently my fav place on earth but in India most brands are charging a huge amount for mere soaking tubs (acrylic) because like I said, according to their cheap mentality it’s a “luxury item” like you know “jean-pant vs salwar kameez” I’m too frustrated right now… As compared to ceramic bathtubs acrylic tubs are supposed to be much lighter in weight as well as on your pocket but they are so superficial that for them it’s something “great” Jaquar offers a good discount and their customer service is also good, they do a site visit as well as a follow up, however what I didn’t like was the fact that they had Stock images hence there’s only one pic per product and they’ve also acknowledged that in “fine print” below which says *Images are only for Representation purpose* Eggy is the one which looks the closest to their pics, it’s very artistic but Saipan is a little different and so is Julia and they more or less look the same from top so there’s hardly any difference, you won’t find a huge variety or anything unusual or uncommon here, except for Eggy which offers less basin/bottom area and it might not go with everyone’s interiors or bathroom decor. The issue is not mainly about space but also about how the bathtub is going to look in a smaller bathroom and you know how small our apartments are, a big builder like Lodha also has only tiled drop in bathtubs in their master bathrooms, so honestly Jaquar will have to launch more sizes, I would really appreciate that and also if they would use actual images instead of stock photos. The ideal depth for soaking bathtubs is minimum 14 inches to accommodate an adult and Julia only offers 12-13 because it's pretty short and it tends to get shorter inside, the internal depth is always different and soaking depth is usually 3 inches lesser than the internal depth not overall depth (it is calculated only till the overflow). The only considerable option is Saipan because Alaska is just way too boxy and simple therefore I feel Jaquar needs to launch more designs and sizes because there is hardly any choice. The bathtubs are imported so they require 45 days to get delivered.
Next, I’ll be talking about Duravit inspite of all the misleading ads on Google, Duravit doesn’t have any suitable bathtub for our Indian market cuz even if they have 1600 to 1650 sizes they weigh a ton, 95 kgs minimum, which isn’t ideal for high rise floors, it’s risky because you need to calculate the weight of the tub + one person + the amount or gallons of water it can hold (according to Kohler’s big fat disclaimer and I completely agree 🤷🏻♀️) Not all floors or tiles can bear so much weight and the basin area is very cramped up in Luv, Cape Cod on the other hand was a bit too bulky for normal bathrooms, it’s more of an Outdoor bathtub or the ones you would keep in huge open baths/living areas - again one of those superficial luxury tubs, a lot of foreigners had stuffed it between two walls and sealed it on their floors but it was looking humongous and I’m sorry it wasn’t even going with the overall bathroom because even over there, you don’t have so much space… our homes are getting smaller worldwide due to a significant rise in population and the prices are also equally huge btw. The finishing is matte white which is considered far more sophisticated… well to each it’s own, they do give a “clay or stone tub” kinda look but I prefer glossy… it’s easy to clean and that whole clay tub trend has already passed, it’s all very subjective.
Coming to VitrA they only have one model Cocoon the design was again inspired by traditional Stone tubs, the overall look is great and it is available in 1600 mm but it only has 39 inches at the bottom which is barely 3 inches more than the bathtub which I already have ie. 36 inches, moreover their thick rims have wasted several inches of space from all ends.
Let's look at the fixtures then we'll get back to the bathtubs and all the accessories which I got
I got something special though, I always loved such Victorian style faucets & bath mixers with that telephonic handshower attachment but they were never available in India, Lowes (USA) has relatively lower prices compared to our Indian brands, they have an entire set of bath diverter/mixer with the telephonic hand shower & crutch in gold pvd for 22500/- after converting to INR whereas in India just the mixer is between 22-26k and the handshower and crutch has to be purchased separately. I can’t change my internal plumbing now by installing a new diverter cuz I’ve already fixed the tiles or else I would’ve considered that. I’ve shared a pic below which has those Victorian style mixers but none of our India “brands” have that white lever which they all do in UK & US, over here they just have a mini stick in the same shade.
I wanted something exactly like this, this is my favourite style but they are usually too bulky and most of them are ceramic (heavier) and maximum of them are reclaimed which means people get them when they buy some old property or a bigger estate and they revarnish them to put them on places like Pinterest, I love such bathtubs though, in fact I love the entire bathroom - everything, right from the grooved panelling in that beautiful cream colour to the grey and white tiles at the bottom, everything about this photo (now in full size) its perfect 🤍🛁
There’s one more caveat, they can take upto 60 days if you want anything in gold finish (which is mandatory in my bathroom because everything is in gold PVD) and moreover there's no guarantee or warranty on the coating… so I eventually got the telephonic handshower in chrome, it will fit my existing shower tube and bracket - I’ve already confirmed that in fact the whole beauty of the white and now gold handshower is more visible in the bracket, a normal crutch would've given it that iconic "telephonic look" and although that is what it is supposed to be... this makes my bathroom less antique and more vintage again like the 90s, back then we we had such white and gold traditional round Handshowers which would emit an air of freshness and give you that typical "Bath Time" atmosphere, its looking like all those bathrooms we had in picture books and illustrations, my previous handshower’s pressure was anyway too low, a lot of people had similar complains. I sent it for pvd plating from my end and it was way cheaper. Overall the handshower is good, the pressure is also great and the size is perfect when compared to other telephonic ones which are at times too small, the coating looks more matching in real life (unlike my pics) and it looks beautiful inside the Bathroom.
For now I’m happy with my faucets because I have always admired this style
It has those typical fillers or faucets which are usually there in the Bahamas or coastal areas, this style was originated in those beach shacks and resorts or continental style hotels, I again love the grooved panelling (they have it in pics 1,3 and 4) these are like my Dream bathtubs with all the deck + fixtures but like I said this “deck work” is very tedious and messy. It can also develop mold or termites due to moisture cuz they use wood. I already have a beautiful Bahama style that’s what I’ve been calling it now faucet in my lavatory area with those round mixers for hot and cold water, the shape of the spout is like Bahamas - very continental and the twist knobs give it that Victorian look
Along with that, I have a similar vanity... they don’t have this shaker style available in India so I took the one in high gloss finish/white lacquer which I actually prefer more for bathrooms and I have put golden knobs on the front, I also have the same sink and faucet…
I added this mirror on top to finish the whole look. I am not a huge fan of plastic foil so I would suggest them to use real metal but again, for the bathroom it's fine. I actually loved the semi-modern hexagon shape and I wanted something exactly like this, the size is also perfect for the area above my vanity 'cuz I already have a frosted light there.
Coming back to those fixtures, Victorian is basically Mid-Century whereas Continental is like mid 90s or early 2000s, it makes me very nostalgic and reminds me of all the illustrations I had in my Kindergarten books… it literally takes me back in time, so I don’t mind my shower trim or spout, I’ve recently renovated the whole place and I wouldn’t have spent again even if it would’ve been possible but the telephonic handshower was something I always wanted and the mixers don’t have that lever anyway, I do appreciate the fact that they started this range in India but for now I’ll be sticking to my fixtures which are similar to the Continental Style I was talking about, we had such fixtures in a lot of 5 star hotels as well in the 90s-2000s I find them slightly more vintage compared to these sleek tiny minimalistic ones which you get now.
These are my continental style fixtures
Here are a few types of shapes/bathtubs that I like, you can opt for a Modern Rectangular tub, I love the ones with slightly curved edges like Roca Beyond it’s Chunkier compared to other delicate tubs that you usually get, my personal pick however would be definitely something like this… cuz I love such big white tubs but they require bigger bathrooms
You can also opt for such abstract artsy ones
Or the traditional Claw & Foot but they tend to have iron feet which makes them more on the heavier side and they are a bit more heightened as well. It goes well with those Victorian mixers so if you want that typical vintage look then this bathtub is perfect but I didn’t opt for it because its usually considered a bit “flimsy” and it again has lesser space at the bottom; also I’m sticking to a rustic semi-modern style, I wanted to add Nordic elements and this bathtub would’ve only looked good with a chestnut brown stool or darker furniture and you know how much I love Birch wood (coated obviously) because it adds that Nordic touch
Slipper Tubs which first originated in Paris, France you get a whole lot of variety in this segment, right from Half-Moon Crescent shapes to Modern deep 17 inch soakers
That's Hailey Bieber's bathtub (which is pretty close to mine)
These tubs are usually more heightened than an average bathtub hence they are not recommended for elderly people or those with disabilities, as the name suggests you can easily slip into these tubs and relax on the back slope but the basin length may vary.
Last but not the least the Classic Oval shape… this shape looks very luxurious and almost any oval tub would do if you want a “grande” looking bathroom, as you can see this particular tub is from a local brand so it hardly matters where you get it from, accessorising also plays a huge part but the quality has to be good enough.
I was so stressed out, my anxiety was kicking in and so were all the convulsions, it was very hard to find a proper bathtub in India, I had one bad experience after another. I then decided to opt for a Kohler bathtub… I saw mine with the panelling and realised it wasn’t looking as bad as it did in the pics, it was still looking cute thanks to my interiors especially the bathroom rug & other accessories but there was almost an additional one inch gap between the tub and the surrounding wall tile which means it was a lot smaller than expected and like I said the height especially after going on the iron stand was too much, I was not able to use the showerhead and the slope was so big that the tub almost started after a foot, so the remaining area/the only part I was getting to use was hardly 3 feet small (36 inches) and had it been only for a relaxing soak then it would’ve still been fine but since I didn’t have a separate shower column it was impossible to take a bath there that too in fibromyalgia where my muscles would stiffen up every 5-7 minutes, it almost feels paralysed then.
It would also get extremely claustrophobic within those 3 walls, I had to explain this more than 5 times to my mother because she wanted me to somehow “adjust” and she was repeating that till the very end. As girls we need to stretch our legs at least while taking a shower for shaving or scrubbing…
It becomes highly impossible when the tub is already small and there’s a wall in the front, I was referring to some catalogue and I saw a pic of some model in one of those oval drop in undermount tubs A - they had a window there for ventilation B - that model was so petite, her hands were half of mine in terms of length and structure, I’m broader and my hands are very long, sometimes sleeves don’t even fit me, she had raised one leg in that “fancy” manner with a hand shower on top and her lower leg itself from knee to the ankle was 2 inches shorter than mine, I’m myself not a very tall person but she was so petite that she was able to sit comfortably in that tiny little space… I then remembered another bathtub which I had seen at Kohler, the only reason I had initially cancelled it was the type or I’d rather say the “subtype” Big brands like Duravit and Kohler have now kept different categories of tubs, so their Freestanding tubs are only available in US and that too they have barely 2-3 variants, they start from almost 4-5 lakhs or half a million after conversion to INR - and they go upto 5-7 lakhs (plain bathtubs that too acrylic but with a heavier built lithocast which weighs around 95-150 kgs) and all of their walk in tubs “for the elderly and sick” like me cost almost fortune… 7-10 lakhs. These tubs are extremely heightened and they have a seat inside which you don’t require because the water pressure is so high that a person literally floats, some of them also come with a shower partition but if at all you feel claustrophobic and you panic, opening the enclosure would be no less than opening flood gates… it would be like breaking a dam inside your bathroom. I never wanted a Jacuzzi because I don’t like electrical units inside the bathroom, it can lead to shock circuit especially for someone who remains ill, I might get clumsy and that can lead to more risk, even if that wouldn’t have been the case, it’s highly subjective you know…some people don’t like having water jets all around and they also require a lot of maintenance.
B - I liked Ceric mainly because of the shape but it was for half a million (5 lakhs - list price) I request Kohler and Duravit to please make something for everyone, as in economical as well as luxurious, also something lighter for small-mid sized apartments especially in high rise towers (we can’t carry or keep such heavy bathtubs) not all of us are interested in your shower cubicles, some like me have claustrophobia so we don’t really enjoy steam/sauna or small enclosures like those, secondly bath tubs have gained more popularity now after Pinterest so please launch light weight bathtubs with a sensible price tag. We are not asking for any jacuzzi or whirlpool… just the simple bathtubs. I can literally buy a car in those 10 lakhs (INR) Anyway, if I had to compete with that TV actor I would’ve probably taken Kohler’s River and kept it in the living room, it was only for 18.5 lakhs, that actor would’ve fainted. Well what’s so special about the river? It makes a gushing sound and creates ripples… it’s basically just another jacuzzi.
Keeping aside these effervescent cascades and golden river streams, I will now share the bathtub which I almost got and the things which I liked as well as disliked.
I got something which was exclusively made for our Asian market, I do love the design, the only thing which was putting me off was the fact that even though they say the seams weren’t that visible, you could see the divider at the top so I really request them to add more seamless bathtubs in the freestanding department. It’s basically a Freestanding bathtub with panelling but there are no screws whatsoever, it isn’t rectangle so it doesn’t look like the ones we fit as alcove tubs, it doesn’t have 2-3 separate pieces of panelling from all sides, it precisely has a One-piece skirt/apron in their words (some seller was also calling it a “Bib”) so the apron retains the same shape throughout and aligns with the top and it looks more like those Integrated Jacuzzi freestanding tubs which are detachable inspite of being a plain bathtub for a regular bubble bath. Brands like Duravit & Kohler have both started this variant, the top portion is basically comprised of their drop in bathtubs which is then fitted with clips and other spare parts to support the skirt, they are being too clever, the drop in tubs which aren’t selling are almost recycled with a skirt… some girl was complaining that her panelling/skirt is not fixed properly so her tub is constantly making a squeaky sound, she added that it’s doing that even on touching it which is making it very “cheap”
As per my sensibilities, freestanding bathtubs are supposed to be seamless and plain, they can’t have all skirting or panelling otherwise why would we even opt for them in the first place? And here comes the main part, there is a reason why I wanted a freestanding bathtub and not a drop in one and if the top portion itself is one of their drop in tubs then what’s the point? I’ll be covering that later in the third segment as to why freestanding bathtubs are more preferable over drop in tubs especially in my case or for smaller bathrooms. I was compromising on Sapphire even though it was only 750 mm in width (which gets narrower if it has an hourglass shape and thick rims) moreover it had that “skirting” or apron below, like I said someone even called it a bib.
I couldn’t help thinking:
Their “skirt” literally looks like a piece of fabric which is falling loose from down...
I called up at the orientation centre and they said this bathtub has been discontinued, I told them it was not labelled as "discontinued” on their websites Kohler India & Kohler AsiaPacific so then they told me it’s nonetheless out of stock, after that the girl lured me towards Veil which was for 7 lakh like a senseless person, who would spend a million on a plain bathtub, it’s not even a jacuzzi, when I asked if they could order for Sapphire for me, she said she can get Ceric which was for 4-5 lakhs but ultimately 7 lakhs cuz he was not made for the Indian market so she was ready to procure it from US, I’m not the one to use such expletives that frequently but I only have to say one thing here… “Umm have you heard the word “Extortion” bitch, Extor-tion?” It was quite frustrating, then they started nagging us to buy Evok, I told her Sapphire was also there in the new catalogue so why can’t they get what’s for our region instead of Ceric which isn’t even meant for India (it weighs 150 kgs) she again reiterated “Sapphire has been discontinued” she had earlier said it’s out of stock and then she repeated her first line. Anyway we told them Evok won’t go with my interiors and it was too big 1700 mm we had only 66.5 inches and it was exceeding that yet they were so obtuse they kept nagging me till I told them Evok was also not that appealing, it’s a “freestanding tub” in Kohler’s language but it’s a 3 piece unit which comes with a Drop in (didn’t want any drop in, I’ll be sharing my reason later) + a slant white panel + a black panel I told them several times it will NOT go with my interiors, such a big brand and they don’t understand anything about designing or aesthetics? All other dealers were also nagging us for that lengthy big Evok, we eventually met another shopkeeper who told us that a dealer but say no but a distributor won’t refuse, he took our order even when the rest had shown total aversion to this brand, we discovered more details about them later on, we were told it is because they would get “unrealistic timelines”… they also added, “The company takes prepaid orders and you don’t hear from them for months, at times they conveniently revert back after 2-3 months citing they can’t fulfil it.” Kohler had cut off with China after the outbreak and they were fulfilling all orders from USA, they were claiming even bathtub orders would barely take 30 days to end up here all the way from there. We tried calling one of the girls from the centre who was affiliated with him (orientation centre) but she didn’t answer any of our calls, she just started evading us and she knew he had already taken our order and we had paid him more than a lakh in full advance, she was present at the store on the previous day, he wasted 10 days and when he asked him for an update or order status he called up my mother and started shouting at the top of his lungs, he was threatening us and saying he’ll cancel the order. Then I finally downloaded WhatsApp after 2 long years… I was initially gentle and polite and I’d sent him a message through SMS which he convenu ignored so I texted him on WhatsApp and told him that it’s not that we don’t trust him, we are finding it hard to trust the brand and we just asked him if he had received any order confirmation because it had been more than a week. Even though he knew how to speak in English fluently he started lying by being as incoherent as possible. I told him he had said the order which was placed on Monday (we had given him the cheque on Saturday) would get loaded after 24 hours ie. Tuesday and the confirmation from the company will come on Friday, we texted him up a day later on Saturday so he called up my mother and started shouting at her and said he will revert back on Mon-Tue, when I asked him about the confirmation on WhatsApp he again started putting it on next week and said he’ll simply cancel the order otherwise. I lost it when he threatened me my hands were already trembling I was getting wheezing due to stress and anxiety, I was convulsing but I somehow kept typing, I told him I’ll write about him on my blog… he said “Go ahead” I knew he had inherited the shop from his forefathers so I told him, “Tere baap dada ki dukaan bandh karwa dungi just issue a cheque and refund our money” He reminded me of all those South Asian/Brown men I’d grown up watching who would constantly threaten their wives at the slightest misconduct or I’ll rather say “defiance” you question them anything and they’ll constantly threaten you at the snap of their fingers “Divorce de dunga” that is exactly what he was doing with his clients too, I’m pretty sure his wife must be sick of that at home, whatever you’d ask would get only one reply, baat baat pe he would say “Order cancel kardunga” It was my turn to say “Yes go ahead” when my mother called him up for the cheque he again started saying, “You’ll don’t trust me, I would’ve sent a confirmation by Mon-Tue” so I’m guessing all those were empty threats… we straightaway asked him to issue our refund and cancel the order because Kohler anyway was not in a position to execute it, they keep wasting people’s time and then eventually cancel it from their end. After leaving the world of veils, skirts, aprons and bibs, I asked some dealer to name a few more options, he suggested Colston which again only had a 1700 mm size, umm this is India, why can’t you’ll make smaller dyes, even in USA and everywhere else standard sizes such as 1600-1650 are more commonly available.
Speaking of the difference between Drop in tubs and freestanding ones:
Freestanding bathtubs are floor mounted which means they don’t require an iron stand so they are a little shorter and you can inside with much more ease and comfort as opposed to drop in tubs…
Secondly, they come in a seamless one piece design which requires NO panelling, skirting, aprons or bibs. You don’t have to do any deck or tiling work either.
In case you still want a drop in tub then I would recommend places like Apple and the other brand from where I got my new tub (I’ll be sharing their name with my theme and all) there are older matured people buying brands like Duravit and Kohler which are no doubt great but there are reasons why bloggers of my age are buying these tubs (my previous bathtub had a drop in from Apple along with their own panelling) there was one more blogger in the west who had the same tub as me, she’d done tiling instead of panels but she had taken the tub from a local brand, exact same style and design, she too was a Gen Z/Millennial I’m somewhere in between because they say Gen Z are kids of Gen X and my parents are from Gen X they are not Boomers but I’d rather be the youngest Millennial than the oldest Gen Z The reason I was recommending Apple and all for drop in was because apart from being reasonably priced, they are more appealing than the plain, standard looking narrower tubs that you get in those prominent brands, they have a moulding around the neck which is quite chunky and attractive, it gives it that “ceramic” look, they also have an anti skid area and they all have high gloss, high shine lustre. The back slope is also more comfortable than bigger brands.
Freestanding Vs Drop in bathtubs in smaller bathrooms...
Last but not the least - Drop in bathtubs require more area not only because of a deck or proper tile surround but also because they give a lesser amount of space inside, for example someone like me would easily fit into a 1600 mm freestanding bathtub (depending on the design) but will require minimum 5 inches more if I’m taking a drop in. My older tub from Roca had such huge rims/edges that they had literally wasted 5 inches at the top and 2.5 inches more at the feet + they had lent more space to the sloping area as well which was not at all comfortable, so I was left with hardly anything at the bottom… This is exactly why a drop in bathtub is a no-no for those who want lesser height (no iron stand) and more space on the inside, if you have enough area in your bathroom to fit a lengthy drop in bathtub then it's much more feasible, you can give it a tile surround or a neater type of panelling, the moulding near the headrest looks really good but if you lack space then I would suggest a freestanding bathtub. Apple only had a Claw & Foot bathtub in my size so I asked for other alternatives instead of more wasting time over there because freestanding tubs aren’t customisable.
These are a few more examples of Smaller bathrooms from London and US where people have kept their bathtubs vertically and not in an alcove position
I was recommended another brand and the only downside was - their display piece was making me more and more skeptical because I already had so much bad experience that I strictly wanted to avoid all the anxiety and convulsions now... the guy from their sales department took our feedback constructively and shared it with the MD who immediately questioned his employees, maybe someone from the team had flaked on it because they knew it was for display… or maybe it was kept in a horrible condition; I also saw an exhibition video which had the tub that I had selected and it was looking very good, the quality and make was admirable. I saw a video of the previous tub from Sheraton and they’d also chosen the one without Jacuzzi so it had no skirting or panels and it was looking whiter and glossier than the display piece which had that one piece skirt, even the other bathtub from the exhibition was glossy and white. The panels however leave no gap in between, they fit more perfectly compared to all other brands which is a point to be noted here. I was like it’s well worth a shot so I booked one of their bathtubs from the new range...
They had a few Slipper tubs as well… but maximum were available in bigger sizes and they also had my “Dream Bathtub” (like the one in the above image on the right) and hopefully without any skirting - in acrylic but it was again huge (as noted earlier that particular style requires more space) so I went through their upcoming collection and I found one fancier looking bathtub in 1675 but maximum people use round figures in their Autocad/sketch or the final product so it was around 1680 mm and we only had 1689 mm of space in the bathroom. We knew we had to fit that tub somehow… Luckily the dye was readily available thanks to their exhibition otherwise this bathtub hasn't been officially launched yet and I was the first to buy it. The width is reasonable as per Indian bathrooms, it’s 750 mm and it gets wider at the top because of the slim edges and the base is a lot chunkier so it has this beautiful moulding at the bottom which gives it a voluptuous shape all the way to the top, there’s a small pedestal below which increases the overall height of the tub, it was in fact the highest of all those freestanding bathtubs that I’d seen… but I didn’t want anything very short either, according to me 22 inches is too short, especially if it is not rectangular or square, luckily this tub was slightly more heightened, it is 69 cm or approx 27 inches on both the sides and from the middle it’s a little shorter which makes it easier for you to climb inside the tub, for you to get a better idea it’ll just reach the upper drawer of my floating vanity… its not as huge as you might think but its not that shallow either and in case if I’ll need a stool then I already have a step stool ready which would match all my interiors and other bathroom furniture, it’s got that same Nordic style (real coated wood) I was already admiring their design as well as the overall make in the exhibition video and they have an impressive clientèle list… they’ve supplied their bathtubs commercially to Lodha and other builders for their master bedrooms, even Taj Vikhroli for their upcoming hotel and Sheraton, Marriott, the list goes on and on… you’ll see it in their brochures. I’ll be now sharing my moodboard, as well as the whole concept. The only con - their numbers don't work and it's almost impossible to get in touch with them and relying entirely on the dealer is not agreeable to everyone, luckily our dealer was good and we contacted Mr. Rahul from the company. We also managed to call up Mr. Ullas who looks into export and he reassured us regarding the tub, you'll find a few numbers in the new catalogue, they have all kinds of designs be it modern or traditional, you'll get a huge variety to choose from and in bathtubs itself they have more than 50 different styles so I would totally recommend it. Ask for Mr. Rahul Tiwari who's in charge of Mumbai, he looks after the sales... he can guide you with everything and also help you with the dealership, he took all of our feedback constructively and shared it with the relevant team, he is also very much eloquent when it comes to conveying our messages to the company. Unfortunately our tub was slightly bigger than we thought, the catalogue said 1675 and it turned out to be 1695 :/ it gave me a lot of stress and panic attacks but won't blame them, the width was slightly smaller which turned out to be good because otherwise the tub would've looked too big for my bathroom, it didn't affect the internal measurements which were more or less the same - a comfortable 17-18 inches in breadth, luckily our skilled plumber somehow fitted the bathtub cuz the shape was not exactly rectangular, it went inside thanks to the rounded edges. Like I said I won't blame them entirely because I'd already been through so many disappointments thanks to other brands/dealers that I was even more anxious about the size and in India they will have to be careful because the bathrooms here are too small. The quality and make is good and it comes with a full kit with the entire drainage system below (under the tub) for overflow they've given a slit at the top and a push/toe tap drain in the centre. I didn't want to reveal anything much because I know a lot of people who didn't name them considering how competitive and elusive it is in India but I have shared it below, I have covered everything as in the dealer as well as the brand so keep reading. It is a heavy built solid bathtub, value for money, looks thick like ceramic but it's lightweight due to the acrylic material, it is sturdy too and although it's minimalistic, the edges are not wafer thin, it's a very beautiful bathtub. They have even won an award for the design which I picked... I got mine from a nearby place and I was really assertive about that because I shared more affinities with this particular store, most other dealers were relatively not that responsive or helpful and I wanted someone reliable… my mother also pointed out to something in the invoice even though she doesn’t believe in numerology, she said the bill amount had my Birthdate in it, we were offered the best price and the final quote had a 35% discount. Thanks 🤍🛁 They have two stores, the other one is in Thane and they are very fast in assisting you, they are diligent and prompt and they make a note of all your requirements. My bathtub would take 20-30 days for production and 10 days for transport. The bathtub is from AcquaViva and I got the dealership from Waterways.
I recently came across this blogger who had also shared a collage to explain everything and it reminded me of a similar phase, I used to create a lot of moodboards, I’d made several… almost around 100 collages to do away with Covid stress. To give you a quick summary, this blogger has opted for Minimalist Modern-Aesthetic interiors (she’s not from India) and she has chosen white Calacatta marble with (concealed) warm flooring but it’s almost like putting detonators if you are buying a steel bathtub, it is enamelled so I’m praying & hoping that everything would be fine, it’s not something I would recommend though, other than that as of now Calacatta & Statuario are the top running Italian marbles in black and white (I love Carrara too which is grey) but if you belong to team Beige like me then there are again two options, they both look very sophisticated and give your bathroom a warmer ambience, Créma Marfil & the Coffee like Bottoccino it has brown veins and darker scratches with a tinge of white shading, I have the latter in a high gloss finish. The shading and veins on my Bottoccino especially now when rearranged in longitude along with my glossy cream/ecru vanity + golden knobs and other elements throughout the bathroom and all those frames reflects that old Italian Renaissance architecture because of the Gold & White concept + horizontal shading... when it comes to my vanity the matte finish was pure white but I chose glossy which is more sustainable in bathrooms cuz it has an acrylic layering and I thought it looked better because its not as white as the matte one, its more of a cream white.
They have kept an aesthetic theme and she has explained whatever she had in her mind below, her bathtub image is only for reference, she has one from a different brand as she’s not from India. This is NOT my collage, you can see her link at the bottom of the page but I just wanted to give you an idea of how collages work, it’s basically an Inspiration board where you pour all your ideas along with references and footnotes.
I got a few accessories for my bathtub but I couldn’t put all of them in my moodboard (the one below 👇🏻) due to lethargy so I have shared some of them here:
A lot of bathtub companies are keeping this footstool as a reference and coincidentally I’d seen it the same morning just a few hours prior to their photos so I knew where to find it. It has real coated wooden slats, I returned the bigger size cuz as opposed to the reviews it was too big, the smallest one was 30 cms and I got it for 690/- I won’t be making it that wet cuz treated or untreated, it’s still wood.
Next, I got this neck pillow from Kohler accessories for a whopping 7000/-
It came with a travel case and a mesh bag for washing it in the washing machine, I actually got it for 1890/- but I had seen something like this at Kohler with the same Chevron design so it was like “pre-approved” you don’t get Kohler accessories here and their’s was anyway too expensive. The washing machine pic is just for reference, you get a mesh pouch along with that.
Luckily they have fixed the pressure issue in this hand spray which is great. But they still have to come up with more delicate, vintage looking designs... they are treating our market as an alternative, off-grid segment where they are either flaking on it or just sticking to their "bold" theme even when they clearly know it's not going work, they think we have no theme/concept of our own while designing a bathroom? You think we buy these products "SIMPLY out of need?" Any random thing that fulfils our purpose? As if we'll easily buy whatever basic looking bulky masculine stuff they'll sell without giving it a single thought? In US & UK they have better collections (like I said delicate, antique looking pieces) cuz they know very well that people will stop buying from them if they won't keep up with whatever's currently trending, everyone's going back in time, people want vintage stuff not whatever's on the website as of now. I still managed to get a lot of things from their previous range.
I love Apothecary jars and I already had two crystal cut ones where I had kept Cotton balls and Q-tips luckily I got them as a set of 2 for 499, I wanted to add a bigger jar for soaps now so I got this for 799/- (with delivery/COD charges 90) the size is perfect although I don’t know how many bars I’ll be able to fit, the one in the png only has 3 bars lol, nowadays you don’t get those small, fancy handmade soaps, I remember my grandmother always had a fish soapbar near the wash basin and at times she would get roses. You don’t even get that French style Savon bars here… I saw one blogger who was from a snow clad region (I love her work) she has her own decor store over there and she takes up all these interior projects, she’s like my senior she’s a professional and she’s more matured too so I instantly fell in love with her idea, she had kept Dove 🕊 soap bars and I was like, why not? Dove is a good brand I love that miniature dove carving on top, it was challenging to miniature Dove bars so I got 50 gm and although I use shower gels, I got the imported Warm Vanilla scented Dove in 100 gm it was only available in a bigger size. I spent ₹ 750 + 50 shipping on these 10 soap bars lol 6 regular and 4 Vanilla I’ll fit as many as I can in my jar They had better offers & smaller sizes in these value packs so I got 10 in all.
I was busy making this moodboard in the middle of the night even though I’d just recovered from some real bad life threatening issue, I would’ve ended up in the hospital (not covid) so I couldn’t create a png for the apothecary jar, I prefer using pngs and I had to create the rest of them on my own because I’ve used my own stuff so I couldn’t get anything from the web, I wanted to add an Angel sticker so I made one using a Christmas Greeting card but it required a lot of precision… especially near the stars and her hair, I removed merry Christmas and the rest of the background cuz like I said I just wanted to add a cutout because it went with my colour scheme. The apothecary jar is a little different I got that from the web cuz I was too tired to create more pngs. I have shared my swatches next to the referral pic, it encapsulates the whole Continental theme in one photo, my bathtub is on the right and X Jacuzzi stands for No Jacuzzi just Bubble Bath
My website is not able to load the moodboard in HQ so for better quality please open the image in one of these links: https://twitter.com/DutchessTruffle/status/1570061252172578818?s=20&t=8-_OUSRSCviRx9mNYlACEA & https://at.tumblr.com/kissofcashmere/the-moodboard-is-in-regards-to-my-article-which/j611dtvblewn
Changes I’ll be making in my bathroom to accommodate the bathtub:
I’ll be shifting my towel rack to the right corner or else it’ll hit my head… and then concealing the drill holes in the tiles using one of Claude Monet’s paintings, I refurbished/edited it before converting it into an art print it, also rendered it with the mount to put it inside a golden frame, I’ll shift it from the right to the left, where I already have one more small frame (both of them will look wonderful around the bathtub) the golden one has been stuck on the time using an adhesive hook so it will not leave any hole behind and I can shift the white one a little closer at a certain angle to frame them around my tub. Next, I’ll be shifting my hand shower bracket to the left and putting that other frame from my moodboard, it’s in the smallest size possible to cover the bracket hole, I’ve seen people keeping frames on the deck and everywhere around the bathtub too especially such small ones. I will have to move the bracket because my wall fixtures are coming slightly towards the edge of the tub and to make them look more aligned in the centre, so that it looks well balanced... I’ll be shifting the bracket on the left otherwise everything would look towards the right and I’ll be putting the smallest frame in faux nickel (which is slightly ornamental (pic in moodboard) on the front wall which would be now almost vacant. I’ll have to shift my grab bar too but I will give the modern one to my mom and put the vintage looking one from my moodboard below "Bubble Bath" since my Bathtub has a traditional shape this time and I will add a golden soap tray in the same area where I had my hand shower bracket, I got it for 1000/- bucks 24 hr delivery.
The Hot Bath 25 c. will be without a mount because I only have one small frame left 14 x 18 cm (used a different frame here for reference) so for now it'll be without that... haha back then Hot Bubble Baths were chargeable at 25 cents lol with soap and towels additional.
I’ll be placing my bathroom rack in the corner which will cover all the holes there which I’ll be filling with same coloured grout anyway.
Alhamdullilah I have all the accessories from my moodboard in my bathroom, it is all my stuff right from the towels to the fixtures and stool, jar, bathmat, bathtub etc. I returned the towel ladder cuz it required more drilling and I needed a spacious bathroom to keep candles and stuff. I know that bathtub selfies are mandatory on Pinterest, especially the ones with bubbles and foam & soaked knees, where people sit with a book or tray and keep several candles all over the place… but for such small, enclosed areas I would only recommend LED candles, I’m not a big fan of surrounding myself with real candles while I’m inside a tub that too in a small poorly ventilated place like a bathroom, it’s a huge hazard. Please don’t copy them, I’m an Aesthete too and I think LED candles are a much better alternative, some also have that “waxed effect” which makes them more realistic.
I got this for my room because I wanted something like this since long, I have winter flowers & leaves on my wallpaper which would look great with this stool, it has those Nordic - Woodland vibes, it’s extremely beautiful, pure raw pinewood… very soft to touch, uncoated hence you cannot use it in the bathroom. I’ll be storing my candle jars inside for now, they all have that vintage packaging and they’ll look great here.
It looks a lot like the one in this pic (the photo is old) but it's slightly different, it has storage space and it's not meant for bathroom use
I got this which is similar
... I know the post was lengthy but I had a lot to say and it was extremely important for me to share all that because as a country we need to grow and flourish not in population where homes are getting smaller and lives are getting shorter but progressively, industrially and most of all for any change to take place we will have to change our "mentality". This goes to everyone, we have good quality Brands for daily household needs and then there are luxury brands who hire designers (even in this arena, I’m not talking about fashion) they can get pretentious and quote exorbitant prices which only look "cool" in magazines and AD but one would never expect that from regular, reputed brands like Kohler, Roca, Jaquar, Duravit or Hansgrohe, they aren't one of those exclusive European “niché brands”, they've successfully expanded their businesses and they have bigger manufacturing facilities, they have all the resources in bulk to offer better pricing. Last but not the least, India is no more a country for "Lota Baldi" and having a bathtub is NOT some Luxury or privilege, it's a mere household item. We all have a right to have the kind of homes and bathrooms we’ve grown up watching or reading in our books, in those illustrations, a comfortable sustainable lifestyle… as children we don’t think much but by the time we grow up, we wonder if we’ll ever be able to fulfil those dreams? I mean if not now then when? In India, these concepts are only a prerogative of the select few - Movie Stars & Business Associates, as if others have no right to live and then we are looked down upon by them and treated like untouchables which shows that their mentality is equally poor, even if they seem rich. This also sheds some light on one more aspect which we’ve been ignoring since long, something we were taught in school… the reason why we are not able to bridge the (vast) gap between the rich and the poor is because over here wealth is only concentrated in the hands of a few and hence, there is a lot of inequality.
There's one more thing I'll like to add, although I'm not in the position to write anything more I don't keep well... it's extremely frustrating to see all those Kohler shops in the rest of the world. Look how dull Indian Kohler is, no Vintage collection such as Purist or Artefacts, just those stupid Modern-Masculine boring designs, all the edgy, ugly stuff ends up getting launched here, there's nothing aesthetically appealing or delicate for your Indian clients. I have seen Indian designers by the way, *cheap labour* they are hiring uneducated incompetent people. The other day I was compelled to tell my mother - "Kohler is only good at selling toilets and taps here!" Why should I even call them faucets when they are nothing fancy? I do love my Bath Spout, Diverter & head shower but you'll keep discontinuing all the good stuff, why? Please launch more vintage looking items, you'll know what's currently in trend and yet you'll are going on selling those heavy, bulky masculine designs. Also your golden hardware is never easily available, everything’s in basic chrome like your very basic presence in India, you think we Indians are not into design or architecture? We will use something plain and simple or boring like that? Just for the sake of it? I had a hard time collecting everything in gold, orders on Amazon never get cancelled but it was extremely disappointing when they did because you’ll didn’t have any stock. You’ll barely have 1-2 products in every category that too in Chrome finish... Either keep the entire range available or leave, stop selling souvenirs. We do want this brand BUT we will not compromise on your bulky designs and that basic chrome finish. We want delicate vintage looking stuff that you have in USA, I'm an aesthete too and for me all this is very crucial, why don't you'll have it in India? Because you think we can't keep up? Hahaha You should be able to make out from the moodboard comparison (above) no offence... if I can design something better than the one from UK that too when I'm awfully sick then you should be more aware of our potential & taste.
It’s a common myth that you need Pedestal fillers for such bathtubs… to install one of those you also require a pipe connection from the floor and even though you do get Victorian fillers with the twist knob and telephonic crutch, it’s not easy to find them in Gold finish especially in India, you can try the same brand from where I got my bathtub because they’ve launched a new range of fixtures (as for me, I didn’t want any pedestal filler, I have already done the tiling and to each it’s own) but speaking of other places… not all of them keep gold. In abroad, these fillers are available sometimes even in gold pvd for only 10k (after conversion to INR) and in India, as opposed to that we get them from 70000/- onwards that too in mere chrome simply because according to most of these brands we haven’t moved on from Lota Baldi yet, they believe we are still stuck in that era so for them “comparatively” these bathtubs and their fillers are all - amenities & Lux-zharis you get that “pronunciation” right? This is how their CEOs might be calling them. Maximum fillers look very urban/modern and I prefer spouts especially those which you mount on the surrounding deck but if it’s a freestanding bathtub then I love the wall mounted ones provided they are fancy and vintage looking… they say “Shakkar khode ko shakkar hi milta hai” and luckily *touchwood* I already have what I wanted that too in gold.
Xoxo
Zara Sauleh
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