Fascinating Results when Remodeling with an Antique Bathtub

Your Bathroom Remodeling Ideas Come Alive with Antique Tubs

You've started your bathroom remodel project and you are putting the finishing touches on your new bath. If you really want to live the life of romantic and nostalgic luxury you might want to install an antique bathtub instead of buying a modern one.

Modern or Nostalgic?

Okay, you have finally decided to make over your small bathroom. Modern bathrooms can become boring. The standard stall shower, modern vanity and linoleum flooring is the typical recipe for a bathroom remodel. Why not think outside the box?

Bathroom remodels aren't cheap, so your new bathroom should offer a substantial aesthetic improvement over what you've got now. Retro looks are all the rage, from clothes and shoes to, well, bathrooms!

Here's a bathroom remodel plan that will knock the socks off family members and guests. It's also a great concept for a master bedroom retreat. Let's see how you can make the most of your bathroom remodel, and, at less cost! You don't need to hire an interior designer. This is a spectacular DIY project.

Install a Romantic Antique Claw Foot Tub

What a difference you can make with an antique bathtub! If you've ever visited a Victorian home which retains the look of those days, you're familiar with this nostalgic touch. Re-creating this nostalgic environment that takes a step back to simpler times is really not so difficult.

The antique bathtub of Victorian times is personified in the claw foot bathtub. Unlike modern tubs, the claw foot bathtub is generally oval in shape, made of enameled cast iron, with the base raised off the floor, pedestal style, supported by ornate feet most often resembling the feet of a lion.

You'll need to shop the local antique fairs and flea markets to find the bathtub of your dreams. Being made of cast iron, coated with enamel, this centerpiece of your bathroom remodel is a heavy guy, so bring a truck!

Prices for Antique Bathtubs

It may take several weeks to find the perfect bathtub at the right price. Rust stains are often a problem, but modern technology has provided us with solutions. The original antique bathtubs with claw feet were often adorned with gold leaf paint on the claws.

The ones you'll find in the antique markets are usually absent this finery, but gold leaf paint is still available, making it a simple task to artfully recreate this fine effect. These antique bathtubs also feature a rounded lip at the top of the tub, providing a comfortable arm rest for the bather.

You Might Need to Remodel Your Bathroom Flooring

These cast iron antique bathtubs are weighty, so you'll need to reinforce your flooring. Check with a DIY center to ascertain what sort of support you'll need to add to the flooring.

Once you've removed the existing tub and reinforced the floor substructure, you'll need to pull up the existing flooring to make way for your new look. In Victorian times, wood planking was de rigeur. Fortunately, today this is an easy task. You can buy tongue-in-groove fitted planking, in any number of finishes, in easy to install boxes of pre-finished wood.

Shopping for a Bathroom Vanity

A pedestal vanity is easily obtained at any DIY center, with many models nicely simulating the Victorian era. Marble basins enhance the look of the antique bathtub, creating an authentic look of yesteryear.

Construct a simple book case of wood, to the side of the pedestal sink, with an extended top shelf to hold an old-fashioned wash basin and pitcher. Use wood that closely matches your flooring. In the shelves below, you can store bath linens, rolled and tied with satin ribbons, baskets with fancy soaps and herbal bath sachets.

Build a medicine cabinet, fronted with an antique framed mirror in keeping with your antique bathtub. Look to DIY sites for a simple plan for a medicine cabinet, using Victorian style hinges to attach the mirror.

Extra Long Shower Curtains for Effect

For the finishing touches to your antique bathtub remodel, hang romantic Victorian patterned curtains with sheers behind. Hang a few botanical prints, or Impressionist reproductions on the walls. Keep a large flower vase of the Victorian persuasion, filled with fresh flowers, prominently displayed. An ornate candle holder helps complete the picture of your antique bathtub based bathroom remodel.

Add to the Romance

By all means, hang vining plants in the bathroom. Ferns, spider plants and varieties of Pothos add to the nostalgic effect.

Bathroom Lights and Antique Tubs

You needn't rule out a few modern touches. Candle sconces, or even track lighting can surround your antique bathtub to good effect, conveying an old-time feel to your bathroom makeover.

The only truly technical updates should come in the form of music. Run a hot bath in this Utopian bathroom, light a candle and kick back and relax. Experience a romantic interlude while soaking in your new (old) bath. Be sure and use plenty of bubbles. After this bathroom remodeling project, you deserve it!