apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I don't have one now, but I grew up with one as a child. My parents still have it. It's a bit of a snug tub.

http://emblemorstain.blogspot.com

I really miss soaking in the old clawfoot tub I had in my last house---such a treat after working too long in the garden all day!!!

I have a clawfoot tub, but my bathroom is a disaster at the moment. The tub is starting to rust, the drywall is disintegrating, there's mildew all over the ceiling, the bare wood window frame was never painted, and the floor tiles are that awful color that never looks clean. The landlord keeps promising that he'll come in and fix it all, but seeing all the lovely bathrooms on AT this month is making me despair.

Oh, clawfoot tub. We had one in our last apartment, and I don't know how I've lived without it. It's just not the same anymore.

I lived in an apartment with a clawfoot tub for two years. It was amazing! I'm 5'10" and this was the only tub where I could stretch out and comfortably immerse myself, ever! I think that having the tub up off the floor also helps keep the water hot longer. I don't think I can ever take a bath in one of those skimpy little modern tubs again.

It was always my dream to have one of these. Maybe... someday.

I've ALWAYS wanted one of those! Hubby and I are living with the in-laws temporarily while looking for our own place, and last year they re-did their bathroom - they took away the gorgeous tub and now they have a boring shower stall. Sure it looks modern, and probably saves water, but it's just not the same!! :(

Mine is a dream. I live in an apt. and there was a clawfoot that was black with orange streaks showing through. Landlord didn't care what I did with it. He also let me paint the floor and walls! Now, I just go up a few stairs to my own private oasis (this is a tub strangely placed on the third floor by the attic and nobody but me goes up there.)

http://casapinka.typepad.com/casapinka/2008/03/to-curtain-or-n.html

These are beautiful - I totally lust for a clawfoot or slipper tub

Before I lived with one, I lusted after clawfoot tubs, too. Then I had one in an apartment and learned to hate the sucker. It's difficult to clean under and around them, and being petite, it's hard to climb in or out without banging shins or other fragile body parts! You need a separate shower, or you have to have a shower curtain that wraps around the whole space, which is claustrophobic. (Well, would be -- no shower at all in that apartment.)

No thanks. More fun to view than to live with.

I love these photos, but their lack of shower curtains is frustrating. We have a lovely clawfoot tub, but the look sure is different when you have to use it for showers, as well.

Yeah, my first thought was, how are they all getting away with no shower curtain? Are these actually used?
I'd love to see pics of a claw foot that is used on a daily basis.... did they use a curtain? Even if you had a the handle only, I feel like water would spray around. My sister's only shower is in a claw foot. It's a great tub but I don't see how to get around having a curtain. Maybe if it hung from a track that allowed the entire curtain to be pulled around behind when not in use.

What's with all of the bath mats hanging on the edge of the tubs?

Would love to have one.

I love these tubs. I wish I could have one, but my bathrooms are too small to hold it, unless I used it as a shower, also. I don't know how well that would work. Ideally, you would have a large enough bathroom to have the tub separate from the shower. Still love them, though.

I have a clawfoot that I use as a shower, too. I have the curtain that wraps all the way around -- you'd ruin the walls and floor really quickly without it, unless you had a wet room. Even with the curtain, I worry about the water that gets onto the wall behind the shower sprayer.

I bought a fabulous antique reproduction shower and sprayer from signofthecrab.com. It looks fabulous, and baths are wonderful. Showers ... not so much. The curtain all the way around leaves a very small space, and I'm always bumping into a cold, clammy curtain. It looks great, but considering how much it cost, it's not ideal. If I were doing it all over again, I'd rethink it.

We have two clawfoot tubs with just a sprayer, and no curtain around them. I wouldn't leave a kid alone in a setup like that, but a careful adult can sit in the tub, bathe, and use the sprayer with little or no splashing on the walls and floor. I should know--I did it every day for the last month while our shower was being fixed. After a month of that, though, I was definitely excited to have the convenience of the shower back. Taking a bath is only relaxing if you have time for it, not if the baby is crying and you're running late to get to work in the morning.

I've been trying to get a clawfoot tub group going on flickr but it hasn't exactly been catching on like wildfire. If you want to join, please do!

http://www.flickr.com/groups/987546@N21/

Be careful of lead levels with older tubs ! You can get swabs to check if enamel is leaching lead. Apparently over 60% of older porcelain ones can be toxic to kids... yikes!

Scary!! Another reason to be resentful of the clawfoot tub I was so exited about. I have a tiny bathroom, and mine is just a hazard. Bumps, cramped showers, and it is impossible for my daughter to get in and out of safely.

They are nice if you have tons of space and can afford to use them as decorative objects. Otherwise they are not practical.

I love them in principle, but really don't like mine in practice.