The pros & cons of a freestanding bath

How do you choose between a freestanding or built-in bath for your dream bathroom renovation? We take a look at some of the pros and cons of a freestanding bath.

• Luxury - Pro

A freestanding bath offers a level of luxury in your bathing space that is not so easily achieved with a built-in bath. Freestanding baths make an eye-catching and beautiful focal point for the room and allow you to create a tranquil, day-spa feeling.

• Style - Pro

There are a multitude of options when it comes to freestanding baths, which means you’ll be sure to find one in the perfect style to match your bathroom design. Whether you’re going for something classic, modern or a statement piece check out the range available at Cook & Bathe for some amazing options.

• Comfort - Pro

Freestanding baths are certainly crafted for people who love to spend time bathing and relaxing, so comfort is a key consideration of most designs. Compared to a built-in bath, freestanding baths often have more depth to ensure you stay comfortable while you while the time away under a layer of bubbles.

• Placement - Pro

Whilst built-in baths usually need to be placed against a wall, and often in a corner, freestanding baths have many more options of where they can be placed. You can design the bathroom around the perfect placement of your bath, and really make it the key feature of your bathing space.

• Price - Con

Freestanding baths will generally set you back a considerable amount more than a standard built-in bath. The difference in price is usually reflective of the quality of materials and design that are utilised in crafting a beautiful freestanding bath. So, even though you might be paying more, you’ll be sure to end up with the bathroom of your dreams if you choose a freestanding bath.

• Space - Con

Freestanding baths do usually take up a considerable amount of room when compared to a built-in bath. This means a built-in bath may be a better option if you’re working with a small space, particularly if you need to incorporate the shower over the bath. Cook & Bathe do, however, have a number of baths that are known as ‘back to wall freestanding’ - they don’t require building-in but have an edge that sits flush with the wall, which may assist with small space design.

• Weight - Con

Depending on the freestanding bath that you choose, they can be significantly heavier than a built-in bath. This can have implications in regards to the reinforcement of the floor on which the bath will sit. This is definitely a consideration to be made and you should consult an expert for their opinion if you’re unsure.

• Practicality - Con

If you’ve got small children, a freestanding bath can tend to be a little difficult to bathe them in due to the increased depth. In this case, it might be better to reserve your freestanding bath for your parents’ retreat and stick to a built-in bath more the family bathroom.

If you need more inspiration in order to pick the perfect bath, visit the Cook & Bathe showrooms at Fawkner or Flemington.