When we first purchased our home thirteen-years ago, there was a whopper-sized garden tub in the master en suite. What is a garden tub?<\/em> You might ask. Well, the term garden tub originated in eighteenth-century France. At that time, only wealthy citizens could afford indoor plumbing in their homes. The French elite would sometimes place their deep soaking bathtub\u2014deep enough that they could climb in for a full-body soak\u2014near a window. This allowed the bather to relax while gazing outside at their private garden, hence the term \u201cgarden tub.\u201d<\/p>\n Not only did this mammoth tub take up valuable floor space in our en suite, but I would imagine the difficulty of climbing in and out of it safely, not to mention the hassle of cleaning it. Since my husband and I prefer showers, we agreed to have the built-in garden tub removed before we moved into the house.\u00a0<\/p>\n During the past 5 years or so, I\u2019ve seen a trend for freestanding bathtubs in the design industry. You\u2019ve probably seen them before. They often show up on HGTV design shows and elsewhere as they\u2019re viewed as something that\u2019s really cool to include in homes. A freestanding tub is all about a \u201cwow-factor.\u201d<\/p>\n Over time I\u2019ve longed for a standalone soaking tub. I discovered they come in an insane variety of materials, designs, and finish options. Freestanding tubs comes with a wide array of shapes including oval, rectangular, and circular, as well as in a wide array of bathtub materials, including wood, cast iron, acrylic, and copper. My husband said, \u201cIf you want a bathtub, then it\u2019s up to you to pick the one you want.\u201d I certainly had my work cut out for me.<\/p>\n My vision was a gorgeous posh model single-slipper tub. I didn\u2019t want a classical Victorian-styled clawfoot tub with the ball-and-claw design. I wanted the sleek new tub to have the appearance of a slipper, with one end raised higher. And I didn\u2019t want the tub to have any legs, so the tub would sit on the floor. In my mind\u2019s eye I imagined I\u2019d light a candle, drop in some scented bath oil, and relax with a good book.\u00a0<\/p>\n Unlike the previous built-in garden-tub that came with our house, most freestanding bathtubs are installed in the middle of the room. If we had a freestanding tub installed away from the walls, there\u2019d be no reason to install grab bars.\u00a0<\/p>\n I\u2019d have to invent a way to stash soap, shampoo, and conditioner at my fingertips. Perhaps I could use a bath caddy or a freestanding stool beside the bath. This would be an easy fix.<\/p>\n
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<\/a>After a lot of research, I decided I definitely wanted a single slipper acrylic tub. Let me tell you a story. Not so very long ago, I had an opportunity to visit an out-of-town plumbing and lighting gallery showroom. I was super excited! My husband doesn\u2019t have any interest in decorating. And he\u2019s not a fan of shopping at showrooms or big box stores. However, because this particular showroom was an hour away, Paul offered to go with me.<\/p>\n