Creating the perfect home for you and your family is a never-ending project. You’re always completing projects, upgrading furniture, and modernizing your design styles.
One of the most important rooms for interior design in your home is the bathroom. You want it to be a retreat, and if you’re one that enjoys long baths, that’s even more true. When it comes to your bathroom, your bathtub is one of the most important aspects of your design.
While built-in bathtubs are still common, freestanding tubs have long been a sign of luxury. As important as the style is, there are plenty of other benefits to a freestanding bathtub to consider.
Benefits of a Freestanding Bathtub
There are pros and cons to any design choice, and a freestanding tub is no exception. Here are the benefits you can look forward to:
1. More Flexible Arrangement
One downside to a built-in bathtub is that it needs to go in a corner of the room. Depending on the features of your home and the shape of your bathroom, this could be a restricting challenge.
With freestanding tubs, on the other hand, you have a lot more flexibility. All four sides are finished, so you can take advantage of any angle and positioning you want. The only restriction is that the tub needs to go near a plumbing source so it can be hooked up correctly.
2. Unique Style
There’s an undeniable sense of style that comes with freestanding tubs, and they can be tailored to fit your look. Clawfoot tubs have a vintage, romantic style, and you can go here to check out the variety available today.
If you want a more modern look, there are freestanding tubs with clean lines and artistic designs. In some cases, your tub can look like a sculpture in the middle of your bathroom.
3. Less Opportunity for Mold and Mildew
Staying on top of mold and mildew with a traditional built-in tub is a constant battle. There are so many crevices where water can hide and form mold. This is especially true for tile enclosures.
A freestanding tub doesn’t have as much of a problem with this. Instead of an enclosure with caulking and other crevices, a freestanding tub is open to the air. Water that escapes can dry more quickly and is less likely to lead to mold growth.
4. Installation Process May Be Easier
Installing a built-in bathtub is a time-consuming endeavor. An experienced professional needs to hook up the plumbing, set the tub itself, and install the tile or other enclosure. When you’re living in your home during a remodel, every bit of added construction time counts.
With a freestanding tub, however, the installation can be easier because there’s no enclosure to install. It’s all a matter of hooking up the plumbing. While the plumbing aspect may be more challenging depending on your home, hiring a plumber who is experienced with installing freestanding tubs can keep the time to a minimum. As an added bonus, less installation times translates to a lower cost in most cases.
5. High End Look
Every homeowner wants to increase their home’s value, even if they aren’t planning to sell it for decades or if they want to pass it along to future generations. One of the best ways to increase your home’s value is to add design features that give it a high end look and feel.
A freestanding tub certainly fits the bill for luxury. There are plenty of style choices so you can choose the one that fits your aesthetic. Regardless, these tubs can add to your home’s value by bringing you up to a luxury buyer’s expectations.
6. More Flexibility for Upgrades
If you’re one of those homeowners who’s restless with their style and always wants to change up their design, a freestanding tub is a great choice. Let’s say you wanted a claw foot tub when you first bought the home. Now it’s a few years later and you want a more modern look.
Depending on the new tub you choose, the plumbing may need minimal changing to upgrade your tub. If you want to update a built-in tub, on the other hand, you need to rip out the entire enclosure. Depending on the layout of your bathroom, you may even need to change the walls’ layout to get a good fit.
As an added bonus, you can uninstall a freestanding tub without damaging it. Because these tubs hold their value well, you may be able to sell your old tub so you can recuperate some of the upgrade cost.
7. Easier to Switch to a Built-In Tub Later
If you’re not sure whether you want a freestanding tub or a built-in tub long-term, freestanding is the way to go because it’s easier to change later. If you decide to swap out a freestanding tub for a built-in one, it’s a matter of reworking the plumbing and building the enclosure.
If you start with built-in tub and change to a freestanding one, though, it’s much more complex. You need to rework the plumbing as well as rip out the old enclosure. Then, you need to re-paint or possibly re-drywall the wall where the enclosure used to be. It’s a more complex process for a bathroom decor change.
8. Long Life
We’ve mentioned how much easier it is to change from one freestanding tub to another as well as switch from a freestanding tub to a built-in tub. However, if you decide to keep your existing tub, a freestanding one tends to last longer than a built-in one. This is great to know when you want to protect your investment in your home.
Choosing a Freestanding Tub vs. a Built-In Tub
A freestanding bathtub comes with plenty of benefits and advantages, as well as a style all their own. At the end of the day, though, it’s about choosing the best fit for your unique home.
If you’re ready to install a new tub or make other design changes, check out our interior design blog. For more hands-on help or specific questions, reach out to our interior design experts.