Bathtubs

A solid stone bathtub is a single block of marble or travertine hollowed out and finished by hand, with no seam, no joint and no liner. At these dimensions the block starts at well over a tonne and the finished tub still weighs enough to need a structural check before it is delivered — a suspended timber floor will usually need reinforcing, and the delivery route into the room has to be planned rather than assumed.

The range covers travertine, black marble, grey marble and Calacatta in freestanding lengths from 65 to 73 inches. Each is a made-to-order piece; production time is stated on the listing and is measured in weeks rather than days.

Stone holds heat far longer than acrylic, which is the practical reason people choose it. It also reacts to acid, so keep bath oils with citrus content, descalers and bleach away from the surface and reseal annually. Get the plumbing set out before the tub arrives: the waste position is carved in and cannot be moved afterwards.

Before you order

Three checks decide whether a stone bath is possible in your room. First, the floor: get a structural opinion on the filled weight, which is the tub plus roughly 250 litres of water plus a person. Second, the route in — measure doorways, stair turns and landings, because the tub cannot be tilted on its rim without risk. Third, the waste and filler positions, which are carved into the block and fixed from that point on.

Stone baths are not sold with a tap. A floor-standing filler or a wall-mounted spout both work; a rim-mounted mixer does not, because the rim is solid stone and drilling it after carving compromises the piece.

Exact external dimensions, internal bathing length and finished weight are on every listing. US shipping is free and each tub travels in a purpose-built crate.