Is the sunken bathtub the new conversation pit?
It’s the bathroom trend that designers and architects are excited about, but are you ready to take the plunge?
The conversation pit and the sunken bathtub – they are both 1980s design ideas that are making a comeback in interiors. Perhaps it is the inherent prudish quality of the Brits, but the tub has taken longer to take off, nodding as it does to ideas of communal bathing. There are examples from designers here that are intended to be enjoyed with family, but you don’t have to be happy to splash about with other to embrace this trend. The sunken bath is also an amazing choice for compact homes, the design making optimum use of negative space. Decide for yourself if you’re ready to dive in.
The updated 70s experience
Brooklyn-based studio General Assembly was influenced by the design of the 1960s and 70s when creating this home by the beach in New York State. We can see the references in its decorative palette, from the sage-green tiles to the touches of timber, but the sunken steel plunge bath is totally cutting-edge. genassembly.com
The space creator
Any person of above-average height who has found themselves cramped beneath a showerhead will know the luxury of space as you wash. By creating a tiled dug-out plunge bath beneath the shower in this Californian home, interior designer Alex Boudreau has created a rustic take on luxury. alexboudreau.com
The communal one
Is it time to rethink bathing as a communal pastime? With an oversized sunken tub like the one in this home on the Oregon coast by Bright Designlab, it could become the bathroom version of the conversation pit, but with more soap suds. brightdesignlab.com
The sleek one
Mariana de Delás raised the floor in this bathroom in order to make room for a sunken tub clad with the same green zellige tiles that are a design thread throughout the rest of this home. The effect manages to be both decorative and brilliantly minimal. marianadelas.com
The one with a view
When the bathroom has a view as dramatic as this one looking over the Tasmanian countryside, you don’t want to distract from it. That’s why FMD Architects created a bath that the owners could step down into and watch the native Coopworth sheep in panoramic glory. fmdarchitects.com.au
The cast concrete one
For a look that is completely contemporary, the best material for a sunken tub is often concrete because it gives a seamless look. It’s a material Australian architecture firm Panovscott has used throughout this home in Sydney. Here, you can see how a sunken tub can turn a narrow corner into a luxurious bathing space. panovscott.com.au
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