The built-in bath is back: experts explain why it's a modern choice

Who doesn't like a bath? London interior designer Christian Bense wondered this when a couple asked him to redesign their pied-à-terre in London. To his surprise, both bathrooms had no bath. "The design was clearly from a developer who paid more attention to aesthetics than to practical family use," says Bense. He took out one of the huge showers and replaced it with a stylish, built-in bathtub surrounded by Arabescato Corchia (marble) and metro tiles with a crackle finish.

Say goodbye to free-standing baths, the built-in bath is back

After years in which detached baths – were often of enormous proportions – the eye-catcher on mood boards (and even appeared in bedrooms thanks to the influence of the Soho House aesthetic), the return of the built-in bath is a fact.

The twist now? The endless choice of modern materials, finishes, shapes and taps. "In the ’70s it was mainly a plastic bath surrounded by marble tiles – that quickly looks messy," said Australian interior designer Greg Natale. He himself likes marble, but prefers solid plates for a seamless, sensual effect. "Marble is timeless, and with the new colored variants from Brazil you can really unpack," he says. For a customer in Sydney – with the briefing: a bathroom reminiscent of the ocean –, he covered the room with Arcadia Quartzite and placed a sleek white ceramic bathtub in it. The result is both pronounced and dreamy.

Christian Bense replaced the oversized shower in this Mayfair apartment with a built-in bath framed with marble and matching skirting boards.

Architect Mike Gibson of Eldridge Architects goes one step further and designed a futuristic, triangular bath from one solid block of Carrara marble. Together with his customer he traveled to Italy to select two 20-ton blocks. These were cut into a bath in Athens and then transported to south-west London. 'This house is real one of a kind', so every element had to be custom', says Gibson. The house has a cloverleaf shape, with three bathrooms set in niches next to the bedrooms. It looks futuristic, but functionality came first. "A freestanding bath is difficult to clean and it's always looking where to leave the shower head," he adds.

Eldridge London designed this Buckinghamshire residence, complete with a bath and surround from one solid block of Carrara marble.

Although the freestanding bath will not disappear from view for the time being, some designers try to convince their customers otherwise

Scottish-American Kirsten Blazek, founder of the LA agency A1000xBetter, is such a supporter of the built-in bath that she even refused an assignment that required a freestanding bath. Instead, she delivered a design with a built-in version. "Unless it really fits the character of the house, I usually find a freestanding bath taking up empty space without much function," she says.

"A bath with a nice framing offers more ease of use, and the edge around it gives extra space for decoration – that makes the design much more finished." In a midcentury residence in the atmospheric South Pasadena, she dressed the bathroom with custom walnut slats and closets. The bath was given a niche with olive green tiles and a ceramic hanging lamp by Heather Levine. 'The colors make it warm and the wall hides the toilet. Handy, because there was no room for a separate toilet. You won't see it like that right away when you come in'

Designed by A1000xBetter, the wall of olive green tiles in this bathroom frames the bath while hiding the toilet.

A built-in bath can also be used smartly to control the room optically. Bense notes that in a long or rectangular bathroom with a built-in bath, you can make the proportions better. In fact, for Michael Chen of New York's MKCA, it was the only option when he transformed an old commercial property into a living space. Due to construction restrictions, the bath had to be raised. His team built a custom platform, clad in bright yellow tiles from Heath Ceramics.

A shower/bath combination is often the decisive reason to choose a built-in bath –, especially in older buildings, guest rooms or tiny houses, where space is scarce

Amanda Leigh of the LA duo House of Rolison transformed a fitted wardrobe into a bathroom, giving it a Spanish accent with a cobalt blue Zellige arch. "In smaller bathrooms, we line everything with tiles or stone," she says. 'And I'd rather put the shower head in the wall than on the ceiling –, so you can direct the water better. You don't always want to wet your hair!'

Gibson also used warm materials in Putney. He had the bath encased in teak – custom made by timber specialist William Garvey in Devon. 'Wood is beautiful, but you have to choose the right type and ensure good ventilation, otherwise you will get rotten under the floorboards,' he warns.

And then an often forgotten advantage of a built-in bath: the edge is the perfect place for plants. London designer Tiffany Duggan thinks back with nostalgia to her old bath. 'My plants grew there like never before. Once a week I put them in the bath, ran water over them and then put them back on the edge. There was room for everything!'

The LA-based House of Rolison proved that no space is too small by transforming a built-in wardrobe into a built-in bath with azure blue tiles and an arch inspired by Mediterranean design.