Dan's Papers - October 5, 2007

Imagine taking a bath - your eyes are relaxed in a dim light and your body feels weightless in a tub of warmth. You smell sweet like French soap and lavender bath salt. You are alone for the first time today. Not only are you taking this bath to clean yourself but more importantly, to relax.

The ritual of bathing has come a long way from Roman times. Prince Bladud, would not dream of rolling around with his pigs today. He would have a customized air-massage tub, or possibly an antique cast iron claw foot tub.

A bathtub is not just a bathtub anymore. There are hot new designs, textures and air-massage systems. You can choose to have an all-natural bathtub made of wood, or Eco-Fashionable one (Eco-friendly!)

Some designs highlighted on HGTV hip bathtubs are Japanese style tubs that sit you upright to lay down tubs with clean edges. Trendy Tubs get you to the ultimate place of relaxation.

If you want to go crazy about your tub, instead of buying that brand new BMW, think about throwing down fifty thousand dollars for a bathtub! The Kallista jumbo solid copper tub comes with a customized hand shower and holds seventy-one gallons of water. This tub is highlighted with starfish design handles and an antique bronze finish. It looks like a giant version of the copper tin that your mom keeps firewood or magazines in. There are less expensive copper tubs out there, but this one is the Ferrari of tubs.

Spending extra money on the copper tub you save a little on heat. Copper's ability to conduct heat is one of the reasons it is so ideal for plumbing accessories. As soon as the hot water hits the copper it traps the heat in and holds a luke warm bath for longer than other materials. This flexible material makes it easier for craftsmen to mold, allowing them to make products with unique shapes and textures.

For the back to nature kind of bath experience you can enjoy a dip in a tub handmade from Umbila, a solid African hardwood. Manufactured by Adagio it features smooth curves and strong wood grains. It is made with traditional woodworking methods of kiln drying. The tub is sealed seven times with a natural varnish to protect from stains and wear. It has a long oval shape and measures 24", 75", 36".

Wooden tubs were traditional for a type of Japanese bathtub that has become extremely popular in America today. An ofuro is a type of Japanese bathtub. Ofuro's differ from Western bathtubs by their deeper and more square wells. You are not lying on a slope, but sitting upright on a seat inside with water up high on your body. Not necessarily made from wood anymore, this tub style is very popular among hip designers. Diamond spa offers a beautiful stainless steel Japanese soaking tub saying, "Unlike with our lie-down tubs where you're lucky to get enough water to cover your belly button, these tubs make it easy to fully envelop your body in warm water."

Ofuro tubs were only one part of the Japanese ritual of bathing. They were made strictly for relaxing and washing was done separately. It was left filled with water for several days. However unsanitary it sounds, this original ofuro was the basis for the modern day hot tub. These stylish tubs have got the look, but the touch comes in with air-massage and that is a whole different market. The whirlpools that are available for our private bathroom transform it into a spa.

The air massage, also known as Effervescence, saturates the water in your bathtub with tiny bubbles of air. The air goes through the air-massage jets located on the bottom of the tub and creates a very amiable sensation. Millions of these tiny bubbles rising to the surface treat your body with a gentle tapping massage and influence the activity of your lymphatic system and blood pressure.

With all of these sweet new choices, the clawfoot tubs are still in style. There most adorable one, the baby clawfoot bath in the clearwater collection from Merich. It holds 4.5 gallons of water and weighs approximately 44 lbs.

Believe it or not, keeping up with the Jones's in the world of bathtubs is important when it comes to style and luxury. The solid copper tub is a warm work of art and the stainless steel ofuro is sleek and modern. There is a lot to think about when it comes to decorating your bathroom. Every bath is comforting but there are certain baths that are just pure luxury. Whatever your choice is, remember to lay back and relax - you deserve it.