Bathing in Elegance
June 18, 2010 4:07 AM   Subscribe

10 Exotic Wooden Bathtubs: if I had the space and the money I would definitely get one of these gorgeous tubs; I particularly like the Maax Viaggi, Sasso Ocean and Adagio.

Related: Badkast by Anna van der Lei (slightly NSFW), Cocoon tub by Marco Tallarida, among freakier choices.

Also: Japanese style; one made from a giant boulder by Stone Forest; and a bunch of free-standing stone bathtubs.
posted by bwg (31 comments total) 8 users marked this as a favorite
 
Cool and all, but I'm not sure that I agree with the opening sentiment:

Wood has always been an icon of essence, style, aristocracy, and aesthetic pleasure for eternity.

I'm pretty sure wood has connotations of rural or rustic settings, while stone, metal (brushed steel, chrome) or ceramic has been an icon of style/aristocracy/etc. The last one on that list, from Teak Tub pretty much seals the deal. It's evoking a wooden barrel, and if that doesn't scream haute-hillbilly-couture, nothing does.

The Viaggi tub reminds me, more than anything, of a boat. Hardly the "exotic, modern" aesthetic they're hawking here.

I don't mean to threadshit, because these are pretty cool. I only wish the article had said, "here are some cool and weird tubs," rather than trying to aggressively change my tastes with false associations. I'd only be mildly surprised if the website also hawked exotic hardwood Adirondack chairs for $5,000.
posted by explosion at 4:28 AM on June 18, 2010 [1 favorite]


Do they come with matching giant salad tongs?
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 4:30 AM on June 18, 2010 [14 favorites]


Do they come with matching giant salad tongs?

This.
posted by Fizz at 4:37 AM on June 18, 2010


Pepsi Teak.
posted by Electric Dragon at 4:38 AM on June 18, 2010 [1 favorite]


Grar. Then you go to the Adagio website, and do they sell this tub? No. It's just a showcase item for what they do sell: wooden sinks. This is my sad face.
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 4:44 AM on June 18, 2010


The 10th Regiment of Foot: "2Do they come with matching giant salad tongs?"

Feeds 100. For an extra $1,000 you can add the giant matching pepper mill.
posted by bwg at 4:49 AM on June 18, 2010


I am not sure the "health aspects" of cypress are supported all that well, although perhaps you would be lest likely to be attacked by dermestids while bathing. Which would, of course, be a problem only if you had wooden limbs you wore while bathing. Since this is MetaFilter, I am not ruling anything out, but it seems a tad unlikely.
posted by GenjiandProust at 4:50 AM on June 18, 2010 [2 favorites]


Cypress makes it disinfection and insect repellant.

Well, as long as it's repelling the disinfection, I'm happy. Last thing I need is a clean bathroom.
posted by explosion at 4:59 AM on June 18, 2010


A person who wants a wooden tub is a person who has never taken a bath.
posted by DU at 5:08 AM on June 18, 2010


DU: "9A person who wants a wooden tub is a person who has never taken a bath."

So you're saying the Japanese are either very dirty people, or they only take showers?
posted by bwg at 5:18 AM on June 18, 2010


MMMMMMMMMMMMMM... Can't beat the silky smooth texture of polymeric cross-linked bisphenol A.
posted by Tube at 5:23 AM on June 18, 2010


Cool, I could sit in the Adagio one and pretend my canoe is sinking.
posted by the other side at 5:46 AM on June 18, 2010 [1 favorite]


I suspect the he leaky boat aspect of a wooden bathtub would make it very difficult for me to relax.
posted by thivaia at 5:49 AM on June 18, 2010


DU: "9A person who wants a wooden tub is a person who has never taken a bath."

So you're saying the Japanese are either very dirty people, or they only take showers?


I don't recall saying "9A".

But you are right, I should amend my comment: A person who wants a wooden tub is a person who has never taken a splinter-free, hygienic, leak-free bath in smooth comfort.
posted by DU at 5:55 AM on June 18, 2010


Hey DU, I was just teasing (and that 9 was from a Greasemonkey comment numbering script I just disabled because it was getting included in the quote and I didn't notice at first).

These tubs look like splinters wouldn't be an issue, at least not if they're well maintained. I was thinking after posting that it probably wouldn't be impossible to coat the interiors with a thin layer of clear acrylic to prevent rot and leaks.

Or maybe just opt for the stone tub, although I wonder how comfortable that would be.
posted by bwg at 6:01 AM on June 18, 2010


Well, I'm mostly kidding too. Although I do seriously find it annoying when someone makes the wrong initial decision (wood for a bathtub) and then has to go through all kinds of contortions to patch up that mistake (acrylic, maintenance, etc, etc).
posted by DU at 6:12 AM on June 18, 2010


DU: "9A person who wants a wooden tub is a person who has never taken a bath."

I kinda like it with the 9A in there. It's like it was chosen from an AI script of all possible responses.

(I imagine it ends with "14B Fuck You Asshole.")
posted by rokusan at 6:13 AM on June 18, 2010 [5 favorites]


Japanese baths kick ass. Though it's mostly because they're large enough to accomodate tall people (baths are no fun with limbs sticking out of the water) and the cover which keeps the water hot.
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 6:21 AM on June 18, 2010 [1 favorite]


rokusan: "DU: "9A person who wants a wooden tub is a person who has never taken a bath."

I kinda like it with the 9A in there. It's like it was chosen from an AI script of all possible responses.

(I imagine it ends with "14B Fuck You Asshole.")
"

Shades of the Terminator.
posted by bwg at 6:31 AM on June 18, 2010


It is the paragraph where no paragraph, with one board the hole passes from the chart to the reverse side. Thing of this paragraph is called the paragraph which lives.

I think that automated translation software may still have a ways to go.

Some of them were really beautiful. Probably not so practical (the Japanese soaking tubs excepted), but beautiful enough to make up for the annoyances. Really, these are just the reverse of wooden canoes -- whether made of solid wood or built up from small pieces, the only difference is in keeping the water in or out.
posted by Forktine at 6:35 AM on June 18, 2010


Stewart Brand had a nice design for a hot tub made of plywood. I still occasionally consider making one. That boulder tub is very beautiful, but would be cold.

This is an odd post for MeFi; we don't have many home product design posts, but it's not a bad post; kind of interesting.
posted by theora55 at 8:09 AM on June 18, 2010


My Reason For Living and I stayed here for a week last fall, the bathtub ("furniture" tab, "bathtub" on the drop down) was big enough for both of us to submerge all our limbs. I was worried about water spots, but Chris says it's not a problem. I like the big tub but I was well past al dente afterwords.
posted by Floydd at 8:17 AM on June 18, 2010 [1 favorite]


It would appear that all but two of those wooden bathtubs brings some element of woodishness into your bathroom. A fact I'd have thought didn't need repeating in a post about wooden bathtubs...

* Viaggi - "Made entirely from wood", "sensual wood offers [..]"

* Arteggiando - "tied with the natural luxury of wood"

* Ocean Shell - "brings a touch of wood into your bathroom"

* Hinoki - "A pure indulgence in wood"

* Markus Farner - "the elegance of wood"

* Madera Wood Bathtub - "bring the beauty of wood right in your bathroom. Their look in beautiful natural wood creates"

* Laguna - "the cozy atmosphere of wood"

So, is the blogger a lazy copy thief or just a god-awful writer?

Don't get me wrong, I'm getting serious bathtub envy, but I hate sites like this...
posted by sodium lights the horizon at 8:25 AM on June 18, 2010


Floydd, I love that Lakeside house. Now I just need to rob a bank.
posted by arcticseal at 9:10 AM on June 18, 2010


I'd soak in it.
posted by clearly at 10:08 AM on June 18, 2010


Do they float?
posted by anshuman at 11:06 AM on June 18, 2010


A person who believes a wooden bathtub must give them splinters, be unclean and leak doesn't understand wood.
posted by Kid Charlemagne at 1:53 PM on June 18, 2010 [2 favorites]


Except for the cypress tub, it looks like most of these tubs are in fact waterproofed.

The advantage of wood is that it is a poor conductor of heat, and so keeps the water hot while avoiding the freezing porcelain to the butt sensation so typical of modern tubs.

It would not be terribly hard or expensive to build a practical tub out of thick (say, 3/4 inch) plywood. Fit together with pegs, glue with generous epoxy and wipe excess as it cures, then seal with multiple coats of clear polyurethane.

This is another cool idea I absolutely did not need to get.
posted by localroger at 3:27 PM on June 18, 2010 [1 favorite]


Cool and all, but I'm not sure that I agree with the opening sentiment:

Wood has always been an icon of essence, style, aristocracy, and aesthetic pleasure for eternity.


Agreed, explosion. High-paid marketing bullshit is bullshit.

But you have to expect that, I suppose, on a site aimed at the truly wealthy. They like their bullshit spread thick & smooth. See Architectural Digest for more bullshit.

And DU's problems with wooden bathtubs are his and his alone. Millions disagree.
posted by IAmBroom at 6:28 PM on June 18, 2010


DU, there is a whole ritual involved in taking a bath in Japan which includes soaping up and rinsing off before you get into the tub. The tub itself is usually very deep and more like sitting in a hot tub except that the water is drained off and the tub cleaned out daily.

I thought I coveted the wood bathtubs, and then I saw that giant boulder.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 6:38 PM on June 18, 2010


"I was thinking after posting that it probably wouldn't be impossible to coat the interiors with a thin layer of clear acrylic to prevent rot and leaks."

Probably epoxy resin over clear fiberglass cloth. Sort of an inside out strip canoe/kayak.
posted by Mitheral at 6:56 PM on June 18, 2010


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