Luxury Bathtub Brands to Indulge In (3/4)

• Jacuzzi – If you want to go with a trusted brand that has over 100 years of experience building and designing high-quality bathtubs with one of the best warranties on the market, then Jacuzzi is a solid choice. After all, going with a Jacuzzi is like bringing a hot tub into your bathroom. Available at showrooms across the country, the Luxury Bath Collection has become a coast-to-coast favorite. Choose from a range of style options, installation types and hydrotherapy experiences, including heated soak, whirlpool, Swirlpool® and the spa-like Pure Air® bath option. You’ll be delighted with the collection’s advanced features, including Jacuzzi’s Tru-Level® pre-leveled bases. The brand’s freestanding tubs are also sensational and designed for superior soaking experiences. Among these are the Solid Surface collection made from Luxecast, a mineral-based composite material that is crafted from natural stone. With their simple, fluid forms, Jacuzzi’s bathtubs are ideal for a modern minimalist bathroom.

• Kohler – From freestanding to undermount and drop-in to alcove, Kohler offers an expansive range of bathing options to indulge your senses and elevate your bathroom style. Recognized as having introduced the world’s first enameled cast iron bathtub in 1883, Kohler has continued to innovate ever since. Their bathtubs combine classic style with modern technology, including overflow baths that create a continuous cascade of water to give you the experience of soaking in a natural spring. Chromatherapy lights aim to improve your mood, the Heated BubbleMassage™ air bath and Whirlpool features soothe sore muscles and promote circulation and Vibracoustic baths use sound vibrations to help you relax. In addition to acrylic baths, Kohler produces freestanding baths from Lithocase, a solid-surface acrylic with the look of stone. The majority of the brand’s baths fit a modern aesthetic, but the Ironworks and Artifacts line offers a more vintage look.

• Waterworks – With over 40 years of experience, Waterworks operates on the premise that impeccable quality requires the meticulous selection of high-grade materials, including unadulterated metal, finely-grained wood, Venetian glass and Tuscan marble. It’s this absolute veracity that governs all Waterworks choices. From artisanal freestanding baths to drop-in models, their products are inspired by European bath traditions. Their Classic line includes freestanding and skirted tubs in vintage and simple, timeless styles. The Modern line strikes out with smooth, rounded forms. And the Transitional line blends the best of both but leans toward vintage. Several models include air and whirlpool features. Most models are made from high-density acrylic, but you’ll also find a few metal tubs. Popular among them is the opulent French-style Clothilde tub, a double-ended bateau bath handcrafted from copper with no visible seams using original 19th-century tools and methods. If understated sophistication is more your style, try the cast iron models.

• Victoria + Albert – A British brand with a worldwide reputation for creating beautiful bathtubs and basins, Victoria + Albert is known for the graceful elegance of its freestanding and under-mount/drop-in tubs. Formed in 1996 with a passion for baths and bathing, Victoria + Albert’s international roots fuse together global design, sales and marketing operations with in-house manufacturing to deliver luxurious, lasting products. As the ultimate statement in quality and style, their model line-up is packed with inspirational freestanding designs made from 100% QUARRYCAST™, a blend of Volcanic Limestone™ and high-performance resins. Naturally white, each item is individually hand-finished by craftsmen. From the very first freestanding bath being manufactured in South Africa, Victoria + Albert Baths have strived to become innovative product developers and market leaders within the freestanding bath market. New, exciting launches keep the brand fresh and at the forefront of international luxury bathroom design.

• Urban Archeology – A leading design resource for bath furnishings, Urban Archeology’s product lines draw inspiration from its roots in architectural salvage. Summoning designs from the turn of the 19th century through the modernist aesthetic of the mid-20th century, Urban Archaeology produces a relatively small but highly unique collection of bathtubs in high-end materials, including marble, brass, copper and pewter. They offer the unique opportunity to collaborate with a team of craftsmen to customize virtually every product from their extensive collection or to create custom designs suited to any space or creative vision. Their marble bathtubs are hand-carved out of a solid block. The Estate series tubs rest on a base with ogee detailing that gives them a classical look. The City series takes a more understated approach. Metal bathtubs in the Mercer collection draw on traditional styles that have been popular since the 18th century. The optional front rivets offered with these models make them perfect for an industrial-style bathroom. If a rustic style is more your thing, look to the Country series. For durability and easier cleaning, the company’s metal tubs are made with either a vitreous porcelain interior or an insert of porcelain enameled cast iron.

• Devon & Devon – Based in Florence, Italy, Devon & Devon designs and produces luxury products for the bathroom and custom solutions with a distinctive sartorial feel for the home. Drawing much of its inspiration from its home city’s architectural traditions, the brand focuses on timeless designs in cast iron and marble, as well as their proprietary materials, White Tec, a mineral-based composite and White Tec Plus, made from plant-derived resins. Among the cast iron models, you’ll find the striking neo-classic Capital series bathtubs, which feature geometrical designs in bas-relief. The President bath offers a similar look in marble. White Tec and White Tec Plus baths are available with shapely ogee bases as well as in sleek, contemporary forms. For any model, you’ll have your choice of matt or gloss finish in any of more than 500 colors.

• LaCava – A leading designer and manufacturer of bath furnishings in contemporary and transitional styles for the most discerning tastes, LaCava is a Chicago-based company with Italian roots that produces acrylic and solid-surface bathtubs in modern designs. The brand stands out for creative bath shapes that you’ll be hard-pressed to find anywhere else. If you’re looking for a distinctive bathroom focal point, consider the La Scala low-profile slipper bath with cascading levels, the flowing vase-like Lirico bath or the Suave, a fluid semi-circle bath framed by a dramatic rectangular rim. LaCava also offers oval, rectangular, and round baths if you favor pure geometric forms. 

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