Thank you! Does yours taper the base (like in the photo I attached), or are the sides more vertical?

I like them best in a larger space and really how will you clean behind that tub

That is claustrophobic. Not to mention impossible to maintain.

stuff does get back there.... bathrooms have lots of dropped hair and skin flakes, and the whoosh of the door opening and closing will put mess back there. i guess a microfiber cloth on a ruler or yardstick should be able to chase it out.

I hope you hire out the cleaning!! WHAT A NIGHTMARE! I want at least 24 inches on sides and 12" behind a free stand in any niche. Any less looks like it should have been completely BUILT IN. A trend does not mean that trend will suit every home, any more that the "corner lake" under a window suited every darn suburban spec home of the nineties.

I was taught that when a design solution is difficult to maintain, it is bad design, period. Free-standing claw foot tubs is where we started. Why were they abandoned? Too hard to clean around? Free-standing tubs are great only when there is adequate room around them. For your application, I would consider an alcove style of tub, there are plenty of options.

a claw foot tub is a bit easier as a swiffer fits right under it.

Why put an oval "peg" into a too small rectangular niche? Just wondering why.............lol. Maybe to be back here in six months to ask how to get rid of it?

Freestanding tubs and cleaning- it was a huge concern of mine. The sides are fine- I have a central vac that can get into the corners. If you stand in the tub and use a thin attachment, you can get behind.

It's a great look, and the tub/area is incredibly relaxing. But perhaps I should have put this under "trends we think will go away". Big time ditto for the freestanding fixtures, which I skipped, just in case I decided to do an alcove, built in tub at a later date.

BTW- my tub is sealed on all sides, so nothing gets "under it".

My goodness- if I had that view of the vineyard, I'd put the tub outside! :)

Thanks everyone for all the advice and cleaning tips. I found a 60" tub that is quite comfortable and will leave me with 5" on either side. I would love to find a way to skip the freestanding filler.

bruce- here's an example of what I did- very simple fixtures, so as not to compete with the rock wall tile. It doesn't hamper getting in/out, isn't in your way as you soak.

A shot of the tub/wall. As I say over and over again, I'm a terrible photog. Yes- all of this is straight, and tub is evenly spaced on both sides :) This is a 60" tub, and soooo comfy!

902juanita - thanks for posting. It's such a nice, clean look.

In addition to the waterproof backing, there's a clear waterproof sealant applied. Works fantastic and keeps the look of the tile/rock.

We've done the same type of stone with clear waterproof sealant in our kitchen above quartzite counters and after 5 years it still looks beautiful and is clean. No problems-just compliments. Your bathroom is beautiful.

the bottom of the tub is very tapered. it the back I would think would be hard to clean if you can figure that out I would go for it.

I am thinking as well of putting in a freestanding bath and I will have only 2" either end. My thinking was "how could it be and more difficult than a traditional toilet that put in a corner of the bathroom. I assumed I would be using the shower fixture to spray around the back and that washes any nasties around the sides and out.

As a by the by, I would put in a normal bath but they're all really shallow compared to the freestanding.

@Jane Cockerill - did you end up installing the tub? My situation is similar and still debating whether to add one or not for my bathroom remodel. Thanks!

I think the more room you have around the free standing tub, the easier it is to clean around it. I love free standing tubs❣️

Hi! I did install a free standing tub and I love it. I have 6” on either side and 3” at the back, and there is no issue cleaning around it with a swiffer. The base is narrower than the sides so it’s not a problem at all. Good luck with your project.

Hey Bruce. So what size tub did u go with? Is that the available space from top or bottom?

Oh. Looks really nice. Love love love!

Fabulous tub❣️ Looks great.

Great tub, looks like a Barclay tub I’m looking at, the Barclay Lorenzo or Barclay or Raelene. I’m in the same situation. I have a 27 inch vanity closet on a 103 inch wall, it leaves me 76 inches of wall space for a tub.

You need enough space for a mop handle to pass through….that will be the only way to clean the floor around the back of the tub.

Do whatever your housekeeper wants! That's who'll be dealing with it!

Would 60-70tub fit in 90inch wide room?

It's not just the 15 inches or the 10 open inches ( as you asked ) after you set the tub. What is behind the tub? In front of the tub ? You need room for the filler, room to clean : ) All FOUR sides

Make sure you sit in the various tubs. Some are more comfortable than others with different shapes, etc.

We are remodeling our bathroom and annexed a walk in closet to create a large wet room. The freestanding tub is inside the walk in shower. This image is the look we were going for. We don’t have a window like the image shows, but we have a skylight over the shower which makes it look open and airy against white glass subway tile with an abalone accent line.

My tub is 65” and I have about 1” of space all the way around between tub and tile wall.

Hello, I am doing the same at my master bathroom. Did you complete your project? How is the cleaning behind the tub?

How do you think cleaning behind the tub will be? Spell impossible. When one has to pose that question on a free stand tub? You have the answer.............not easy. You will tire of it in 2 weeks, and so would any cleaning person. Meaning they will do what can be done most easily, or not at all. That picture above? NO.

I will bet a trip to Bed Bath and Beyond won't even yield a long handle anything that will squeeze into a single inch. But you can bet me on it.

I have a 60” tub and it’s perfect (I am 5’8”.). My freestanding tub has 18” pm each end and 12” behind it, it and it’s a good amount of space. You just need enough room to easily clean.

Exactly!!! EASY to clean, and good looks, meaning not squashed in? Is 12 to 18 inches. One inch is nightmare city, grunge

The concern about cleaning seems a little dramatic to me... How do y'all clean underneath and behind your other furniture? As long as a vacuum, swifer, or scrub brush fits around it it is fine: 12-18 inches is not required. Standard 3 in a row bathrooms often have toilets 6-7 inches away from 2 walls and an adjacent vanity. Dressers and couches with feet often only have 4 to 6 inches of space beneath. Many freestanding tubs are tapered, with more generous space around the floor than the top. Some folks-due to mobility issues or simple preference- may avoid furniture with legs or floor mounted toilets, but I would hardly consider less than 12 inches of space around a freestanding tub a unique cleaning challenge for people who don't.

Try getting a Swiffer wet into a TWO INCH space. Try getting into 12 hidden inches on your hands and knees. You love getting behind a toilet to get the dust and hair? The natural goo where wall meets tile? You want to crawl in there?

Free standing tubs are meant to look sculptural. They need space ( 4 sides ) around them to "shine" in any design.Cleaning around them ? Yes It bears consideration, as grunge isn't part of the look.

We just volunteered you, Elizabeth : )

I had a 50-year-old clawfoot tub in a previous 1920s house, and I can tell you the previous owners never cleaned under it, behind it, or anyplace they couldn't reach or see. Grunge does indeed build up back there. They didn't care, apparently. It was really gross. I was glad to replace it with a shower/tub combination, mostly because I wanted a shower, but I also was glad to be rid of getting down on the floor and reaching back there with a vacuum attachment to suck things out. Hair and dust rolls back there or falls down behind and then gets cemented down by drops of moisture that splash out. I just felt like the whole house was cleaner when that tub was gone. That was important once babies were on the way. Up to you though. Maybe you plan to redo your room every few years and replace the tub and floor both.