HInoki Bath Tubs by Bartok Design

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We can't get over the beauty of these hinoki bath tubs by Bartok Design. They combine the stark simplicity that's appealing in modern bathrooms with warm wood craftsmanship...

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Hinoki bath tubs are soaking tubs made with the Japanese wood species hinoki. The designs by Bartok Design are boxy and minimalist. We love these hard lines softened by such a warm material.

Not on the market for a soaking tub larger than your apartment's bathroom? Check out this Hinoki Wood Bathmat from VivaTerra or Hinoki Tissue Box.

Comments (7)

I can't help but wonder how difficult these would be to keep clean and looking nice?

posted by nazrd on March 12th 2008 at 4:15am
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GORGEOUS! But like nazrd, I wonder about their upkeep. Does Hinoki wood have any special qualities that make it mildew/mold resistant? I guess I'll go Google it right now and let ya'll know what I find!

posted by Monica on March 12th 2008 at 4:31am
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I found these 2 sites with some good info:

http://www.molalla.net/ohp/faq.html says: "The most prominent elements in Hinoki wood are known for their ability to naturally kill bacteria, viruses, viral infections, and fungus. In fact, Hinoki's anti-infectious agents are known to cure infections. The wood has been used in Asia for centuries without complaint."

http://www.rhtubs.com/hinoki.htm says: "The wood of both the hinoki and Port Orford Cedar is a lemon-scented, light-colored wood with a rich, straight grain, and is highly rot resistant."

Also said is that wood tubs will weep but do not leak.

posted by Monica on March 12th 2008 at 4:37am
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oh all the bad places to get a splinter..

posted by bramasoleiowa on March 12th 2008 at 5:56am
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We have wooden hot tubs at my spa (made of Jarrah and Teak) but we considered hinoki. The smell is amazing and they are super durable. They stay cleaner than our fiberglass - you just occasionally have to scrub or powerwash the wood. And splintering has never been an issue. When you first fill them they tend to leak until the wood swells but then it's not much of an issue.

I can't wait until I have a bigger bathroom to install one of these!

posted by renee c.f. on March 12th 2008 at 6:22am
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nope. sorry. just don't get it.

posted by loislane on March 12th 2008 at 7:35am
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Hi everybody, I am Iacopo from Bartok design.
Thanks also to the editor for featuring our products.

Just one word on japanese hinoki:
Set aside any prejudice or common-sense logic.
This wood is very resistent and easy to maintain.
Japanese use hinoki in traditional buildings (temples, castles) as a structural material (expecially columns) which has been exposed to rain and shine for hundred of years. Hinoki is also used today to build the exterior fixed frame of windows and window sills (where we would use aluminum!).

Unlike teak (Burma) or Yellow Cedar (West coast), hinoki is abundant and sustainabilly harvested.

Please find here more info.
http://www.bartokdesign.com/japan/faqs_comments/