You don't have room for a free standing tub in this space. You have awkward space around it drawing dust. Freestanding tubs need enough room to comfortably walk around them. What are the room dimensions? Is there room to put the tube perpendicular to the wall where the lavatories are and move those to the tub wall?

Hi Jennifer-

I don't know what you mean by helping your tub seem more at home.

I do know that none of your things are around so it looks like you are not at home.

You need :

Towel rack to hold towels for you to dry yourself off with and for the towels to dry on. (Hooks look sloppy and the towels don't dry well either). You need two (if two people are using this bathroom) large double towel racks to be hung on the wall behind the sinks close to the bathtub for washcloths, bath towels, bathsheets.

You also might want an additional double towel rack on the wall behind the sink for hand towels, face towels and wash cloths.

a double hook with space for two robes - mount on the wall at the entry to the bath area

a place for soap, shampoo, scrub brush, a container of bubble bath, bath oil, etc. :can you build a shelf to hold these things, and find beautiful containers for them?

a big fluffy white bath mat

On the counter with the sinks put a pretty plant or a simple glass vase with a few lucky bamboo.

Only after you find appropriate space for the things that have to live in a bathroom can you think about art.

maybe turn the tub in the space is there is room? really need a floorplan

@loobab thanks for the suggestions and I am adding towel bars, etc. the fixtures are set, so I can’t rearrange anything at this point. In hindsight, I might have been better off putting the tub in the center of the alcove but too late! So now the question is- could I hang framing lightweight curtain panels (or maybe just one that’s ties back to the side) or something?

Yes, I think the light weight curtain(one to the side) would be a good idea to help soften the area. I need visuals, so maybe put up something with blue tape before making it permanent.

If it were my space, I’d add a little stool to put things on, a towel bar and a beautiful picture set on that back wall. I’m opposed to curtains in a bathroom personally. Maybe something like rattan Roman shades

I agree with loobab. I would put up the towel racks and other accessories that you need first. Then see how it looks. I don't think a curtain is the answer. Your bathroom is lovely. Nice clean lines. I think some white fluffy towels will soften the space without taking away from everything else.

With the baseboard heater and lack of space at the end of the tub, I'm not sure there is enough room for curtains to hang properly. But you can warm up the space with other things like art, rattan stool, wooden bathtub caddy. Here's some pics -- hope they provide some inspiration.

Replace those lights to something sparkling, softer. Current light looks industrial.

Hang a piece of art above the tub, that’s it. When water gets in the vent, and mold grows, you’ll be tearing it out anyway. I get that we want what we want, but sometimes, it’s just not practical. I would spend the bucks now to move the tub, rather than spend much more later to alleviate mold in the walls and vents.

You need a beautiful chandelier in the space but it should not be hung over the tub. Remove the spot light you have mounted on the edge of your skylight. It look weird and is out of place.

I think I’d do something like this (sans chandelier, of course):

Tub nook

I agree, Mint, it’s no favor to the poster to ignore design that’s going to cause expensive problems in the near future. Decorating bad design doesn’t make it better.

The lighting above the tub is odd, especially mismatched, and adds a coldness to the space that's probably part of what's putting you off. A softer chandelier will add more warmth to the space and create a nice focal point. If wiring needs to stay where it is currently, you could try pendants or recessed lighting, although the gap in the middle presents a difficult challenge for pendants. A chandelier is probably your best bet.

Add big art on the back wall and a tub tray, standing towel rack.

Don't forget the doggy shampoo.

Just one more thought: since you have the spout on the left you may want to put something interesting on that wall since that’s where you will be looking when you are relaxing in your tub.

Hi Jenski1010. Your bathroom is lovely. If you don’t mind me adding my two cents, I think a chandelier in your bathroom would be great. I did that in my master bath with great trepidation. I was unsure between the bath and the shower if the humidity would be it’s undoing. Well to make a long story short it’s acrylic so humidity does not seem to faze it. Found it at Home Depot (gasp). Good luck with your project, I’m sure you’ll love it.

There should never have been a free standing tub in that space what a nightmare to clean behind I sure hope some bathroom designer did not do this.Why not a beautiful soaking tub a bit longer than average would have been 10 x better. No amount of fancy stuff will cover up a big design flaw. Sorry but it is hard to ignore poor design so sometimes that is what you get .

Thanks for all the comments, especially the productive ones that are helpful. Here’s a photo of the shower, in case anyone wants to rip into that, too. :) I chose standalone tub based on designer recommendation and wanted to avoid losing much needed heat by removing the baseboard. It’s a huge alcove and by the way, we never bathe - mostly shower, so it won’t be seeing much water. Regarding the lights, I am not a chandelier fan but will look for something less industrial. With the huge skylight above and since there were existing light fixtures, I thought simply replacing them would work. Live and learn!

By the way, it’s a soaking tub. 60”.

Love a great big bathtub!

Groveraxle's shelf unit is a great idea, but not if you live in a seismically active area. Ditto for a chandelier over the tub if you have earthquakes. Nothing wrong with getting hit in the head with a towel, but all those other things- nah.

Nice shower! Are those 4 niches? How nice to have enough room for all your (and your partner's paraphernalia in the shower, very clever of you! And a bench is a great idea, too.

jalarse- Thanks for the chandelier suggestion. I’m re-evaluating!

Not sure what the purpose of those swivel bullet lights in the ceiling are for but they are not working in the space.

BeverlyFLADeziner - Agreed and they’ve been voted off the island. It’s a failed attempt to simply update what was there previously. I’m planning to replace them. But not sure with what. I’m just not the chandelier-type so I may just put 2 recessed lights there to match the others. Thanks for your input and I love the pictures you suggested.

Do you think something like this would work?

Why do you need a shower curtain?

I don’t think you need curtains in front of the tub area. Go to your local bath store or Target and stock up on some big fluffy towels and accessories.
First find some nice big art to put on the wall that you face in your photo. Use those colors or neutrals to determine the rest of the color in there
It is going to be nice but it just looks a little stark right now.

A ladder for towels and a woven grass shade like shown in this link would add a lot of character and warmth. I don’t think a long curtain in the bathroom would be practical- especially not linen.

Put ladder mentioned in my previous comment on the left, large organic object as in this link on the back wall and a plant on the right. (I wish I knew how to photoshop these elements into your room!)

https://www.houzz.com/photos/21st-century-redwood-contemporary-contemporary-bathroom-santa-barbara-phvw-vp~47463512

Below are some of our designs, they might help you with decorating your bathroom.

Can I just keep the dog?

I'll be the odd man out and say that I love the idea of one drape tied back....and a stool at the other side if there's room....how utterly romantic! "Honey, pass me a glass of champagne"....

Make sure it's sheer and that's kind of not easy...I know, I went through many lots of fabric and drapery for just the perfect drape and sheer for my four poster...

Not a fan of anything that could potentially fall on me while I'm in the tub.

Idk if this was said: I don't like the little ceiling lights, and I'd swag over to center of wall a chandelier you like.

Find one that's right, that's dimmable -- idk, but 16.5" wide....

Seems in the room you have several shades/bulbs already, so in one way I'd avoid another grouping over tub [and use 1 shade].... for the zen experience. :)

https://www.houzz.com/products/trans-globe-lighting-rystal-with-red-butterfly-shade-prvw-vr~82814498