Freestanding tubs

I love the look.  Freestanding tubs are gorgeous.  Modern, sleek, angular, clean, peaceful.  I need one.  I just can't do a jetted tub.  Something about it makes me feel like I'm in a communal hot tub in Lake Chelan or a hotel suite in Vegas.

Okay, back to freestanding tubs... why are they so expensive?  The one in this picture is nearly $8,000.  No, not $800, that isn't a typo.  I said, $8,000.  And it isn't tough to find a freestanding tub in the $10,000-15,000 range.  Darn, that isn't going to work.  That's more than my entire kitchen cabinet budget!  (And yes, we're doing IKEA cabinets... one thing IKEA does well, besides toddler ball pits and toddler shopping carts, is kitchen cabinets.)

And do you see that floor-mounted tub filler?  That's another $2,000 or more!

As much as I want a fabulous master bath, I cannot justify spending $10,000 on a tub and tub filler (at least not with two kids to send to college).  I'm going to have to try to "design on a dime" and create the same look and feel without the same price tag.

Here is what I'm thinking:

First, the tub doesn't have to be ceramic.  In fact, acrylic is lighter and will be much warmer to the touch.   Who wants to get into a cold tub?  The acrylic tub below is from Home Depot - yep, that's right. In the picture, it looks great.  Up close, it looks pretty good.  But hey, it's $1,399!  (Rumor has it that Costco also sells acrylic freestanding tubs for $1,300 (including FREE shipping)... no surprises here, they sell everything.  When clients ask me where to look for a casket, my answer is "Costco."  Don't believe me?  Check their website.)

Second, do I really care how the water gets into my tub?  Do I care if the water comes from a freestanding tub filler on the floor or just... from the wall?  Nope, this is something I am willing to compromise on.  Cha-ching.  I can buy a set up similar to the one below from Kohler for approximately $400.  I think it looks better anyway.

The only problem with this set up is that it would be very difficult to turn on the water without actually climbing into the tub.  A better option is to put the water spout front and center and the water control knob on a side wall.  (Same thing goes for showers.)

It took a bit of research but it was fairly simple to bring the cost of our modern, freestanding tub from about $10,000 down to $1,800.  Sold.

Our Inspiration

About two years ago, Ben and I came across some photos of a house in Vancouver, BC - the Kerchum Residence.  We loved the windows, the extended soffits, the clear cedar, the lighting, the roof line, the zig-zag steps...  The house looked modern and welcoming, and seemed to fit comfortably into a Pacific Northwest neighborhood.

Our Inspiration: the Kerchum Residence

We printed the above photo for our architect (Michelle Linden - Atelier Drome LLC), and asked her to convert our outdated and inefficient 1940's box house into a much larger and more open space that looked similar to the Kerchum Residence.  And she did.  She understood the importance of creating something modern, yet timeless; and interesting, but not interesting enough for our neighbors to hate.  

From the beginning, we knew we didn't want to end up with a predicable, traditional/contemporary design. And although Craftsman homes are stunning, they cannot be created in 2013.  Period.  That's a type of home that was born when it was supposed to be born and cannot be recreated.  Sorry, Mr. Redmond Ridge, you are not a Craftsman.  

So, without changing much of the original footprint (but for adding an entry), Michelle was able to create this:

Very Kerchum-esque.  

Our 3 main goals for the remodel are: (1) to add more square footage for the kiddos to roam; (2) to create a better space for entertaining; and (3) to define a comfortable and private guest area.  We love entertaining so we want our new home to be fun and interesting for guests; we're already planning a room that will make most of you stand there and stare and think, what were they thinking.  Keep staring - then talk about it in the car on your way home.  It's much more interesting than talking about whether the kids ate a good dinner for the babysitter.