We were recently invited to contribute some ideas about luxury bathing for a feature in a leading bathroom magazine. The questions posed by the editor prompted some interesting thoughts so, in this article, we thought we’d summarise how, in our experience, the luxury bath market has changed in recent years.
Defining Luxury Bathing
Take a look at a typical ‘coffee table’ interior design magazine and you’ll probably find that one of the most common depictions of the luxury bathroom features an elegant freestanding bath set as the visual centrepiece of the room. There’s certainly nothing wrong with that; indeed, many of our own freestanding baths are chosen for precisely this kind of bathroom layout. Two good examples are the Serenity Plus and the award-winning Pleasance Plus, both of which are pictured below.
The Serenity Plus double-ended bath, here set in a tiled surround.
The Pleasance Plus, an elegant ‘slipper bath’ in the Georgian style.
However, looking back at customer enquiries over recent years, we see that this traditional depiction isn’t necessarily the kind that most modern consumers have in mind when planning bathroom renovations of their own.
Luxury and Lifestyle
In our experience, a significant number of consumers are moving away from the traditional idea of a luxury bathroom that comprises a free-standing bath placed in the middle of the room. Increasingly, it is clear that different people have different views of what ‘luxury’ means and, for many them, it means having a bath that suits their own particular lifestyle and needs.
For some, it might mean choosing a bath that will leave room for a separate shower, or one that will work as part of a wet room.
Here, a compact deep soaking tub (the Calyx) has been chosen to work as part of a wet-room that includes an impressive walk-in shower area. The sense of luxury arises from the feeling of space and the ability to use the bathroom in different ways on different occasions.
For others, luxury might mean having a second small bath installed within an ensuite, rather than having only one bath in the main bathroom. This often demands a bath with compact dimensions; possibly one that can be installed across the end of a narrow bathroom.
With compact dimensions, many deep soaking tubs can be installed across the end wall of narrow bathrooms, offering bathing and layout options that would otherwise be impossible. Where a smaller bath is required to fit neatly into a limited space, we are able to modify the external dimensions of all our soaking tubs (and indeed all our rectangular baths) to suit the specific dimensions. We believe that we are unique in being able to do so.
Other Luxury Bathing Options
When it comes to bathing, what constitutes luxury depends on what the individual buyer most wants and needs. Sometimes, those demands will relate to special, obviously luxurious features, such as a hydrotherapy system, chromotherapy lights or even a Bluetooth sound system. All our rectangular baths can be fitted with these options and they remain exceptionally popular.
Cabuchon baths can be fitted with bespoke hydrotherapy systems, with flush-fitting nozzles individually positioned to suit the needs and physique of the buyer.
On other occasions, buyers will have more particular demands in mind. In many high-end hotels and villas, for example, architects often choose two-person baths that permit shared bathing. Many of our freestanding and built-in baths are double ended, circular or oval and large enough to comfortably accommodate two bathers. For the same reason, we recently launched the Futari two-seater deep soaking tub, which combines shared bathing with a classic deep soaking seating position.
The Futari twin-seat deep soaking tub.
In short, many customers will define luxury in terms of their overall vision for a bathroom and how they intend to use it. That vision does not depend solely upon an image of the bath itself. For many – perhaps the majority of modern buyers – the bath will often be just one component of a broader, luxury bathroom aspiration.
Luxury and Deep Soaking
For many consumers, the idea of a luxury bath is no longer about emulating the interior of a country house hotel. A large proportion of our customers’ purchases now relate to soaking tubs. That’s because they offer a luxurious experience that suits more people’s homes and lifestyles. When properly-designed, deep soaking tubs are inherently luxurious. They are far more comfortable than conventional trough-shaped baths, partly because they typically feature supportive inbuilt seats and partly because the greater depth of water buoys up the bather, taking a considerable amount of weight off the neck, back and shoulders.
Additionally, deep soaking tubs allow the bather to be completely submerged, with both knees and shoulders beneath the water surface; an impossibility in most traditionally designed trough-like baths. It’s a very different bathing experience, and it’s growing ever more popular.
Tactile Qualities
All our baths are made from Ficore®, a proprietary composite designed specifically for bath manufacture. It has a pleasantly warm, tactile feel and is highly robust, resisting damage by knocks, scratches, heat and cleaning agents.
The use of Ficore affords another advantage. Independent tests have shown that it keeps bathwater hot over six times longer than acrylic and over twelve times longer than vitreous enamelled metal. For bathers who enjoy a long soak, this can translate into appreciable savings on water and energy – i.e. because water does not need to be partially emptied and refilled to keep the bath warm.
In addition to preserving the water temperature and being highly resistant to damage, Ficore also permits an exceptionally fine level of detailing.
Cost and Value
High quality, luxury baths inevitably cost more than mass produced baths that are based upon inferior materials and designs. However, a well-designed bath, hand-built using traditional craftsmanship, should greatly outlast cheaper alternatives. Thus, it should not need replacing and the whole-lifecycle costs should be substantially lower. All our baths come with a 25-year guarantee.
More importantly, perhaps, a high-quality bath should also ensure a far more comfortable and luxurious bathing experience. That means years of enjoyable bathing, free from regrets, and the satisfaction of having spent money well.
Since the middle of the last decade, there has been a growing tendency for homeowners to stay and upgrade their properties, rather than to move. This was highlighted in a 2018 report by Hiscox Insurance but it gained further momentum during the Covid pandemic, when successive lockdowns prompted many people to focus more attention on their homes. More recently still, researchers have found that interest in home improvements is continuing to grow, driven in part by the rising cost of living and higher interest rates. (See note.)
As a result of this greater propensity to stay, we are now seeing rising demand for baths with fitted grab bars. Their popularity is increasing because, first, buyers are thinking more about accessibility and second, they are thinking more about ‘futureproofing’ their bathrooms because they plan to stay for the long term. In that context, choosing a true luxury bath becomes a decidedly logical investment.
On the question of value, there is one further consideration, which is the high cost of energy and water. There is no doubt that the cost-of-living has been rising, and that utility bills have been a significant contributor to inflation. Consequently, modern consumers are placing increasing emphasis on water consumption and energy efficiency.
In this respect, the superior insulative qualities of Ficore are undoubtedly important. So too are the benefits afforded by deep soaking tubs: they generally have a much smaller footprint than conventional baths and they use considerably less water. This is because the bather adopts a more upright seated position and it takes less water to become submerged. The seat itself also displaces a certain amount of water. The result is an extremely comfortable bathing experience and significant long-term savings on water and energy.
The Takara deep soaking tub exhibits many characteristics that are now very popular amongst homeowners: a comfortable seat, grab bars for security, a compact footprint and a minimal water requirement.
Note:
The trend to ‘improve rather than move’ has been building for years. Back in 2018, research by Hiscox revealed that the number of homeowners deciding to refurbish their homes rather than to move elsewhere had risen five-fold, from 3% of all homeowners in 2013 to 15% just five years later.
The trend subsequently became even more entrenched as a result of the Covid pandemic, when successive lockdowns prompted many people to focus more attention on their homes.
More recently still, sources such as Pepper Money (April 2023) and the mortgage lender Together (April 2023), have found that interest in home improvements is continuing to grow.
