If there’s one room in a house that people underestimate, it’s the bathroom. Everyone talks about kitchens, living rooms, outdoor entertaining areas — but the bathroom is where most of us start and end the day. It probably says more about our lifestyle than any other space. And here’s something I’ve noticed over the years (both in my own home and helping friends with renovations): the quickest way to turn a plain bathroom into the kind that makes people stop and say, “Wow,” is a freestanding bathtub.
I used to think baths were just… baths. A practical thing, nothing more. But the first time I saw a freestanding bath in person — not in a magazine, not on Pinterest — I got it instantly. It changes the whole room without even trying.
It grabs your attention without begging for it
In most bathrooms, your eyes jump from tile colour, to mirror, to shower screen, trying to make sense of everything at once. In a bathroom with a freestanding bath, your eyes land on one thing straight away: the tub. It dictates the atmosphere of the room before you even notice anything else.
It doesn’t matter whether the style is hotel-luxury modern or old-world vintage. The bath becomes the hero. I’ve seen bathrooms with nothing extravagant — simple paint, everyday tiles — and just because they had a freestanding bath, the room felt high-end.
That’s why more and more people shopping for bath tubs in Perth aren’t asking, “Do I have space for one?” They’re asking, “How do I make the bath the centrepiece?”
It completely changes how the room is designed
Built-in baths force a layout. Freestanding baths don’t.
I’ve seen them placed:
- Right under a window for natural light,
- Against a stone slab feature wall,
- Diagonally in a corner for softness,
- Or even almost in the middle of the room (which sounds extreme until you see it — then it makes perfect sense).
You suddenly get to design the bathroom around how you feel in the space, not around where the plumbing box says the tub belongs.
Here’s the funny part: people assume freestanding baths need a huge bathroom. But when you place the bath away from the wall, it actually makes the bathroom feel bigger because there’s visual space flowing around and underneath it. I’ve seen this happen in a tight ensuite — it transformed it from “functional” to “spa-like” instantly.
Choosing the right freestanding bath is a personal thing
If there’s one mistake I’ve seen people make, it’s buying a bath based only on how it looks. You have to sit in it. You have to imagine yourself actually spending time in it. I know that sounds odd — sitting in an empty bath in a showroom — but you’ll instantly know if it’s the right one.
In baths Perth stores you’ll find all kinds:
- Oval shapes that feel soft and cocoon-like,
- Straight-edged rectangular baths that suit modern architecture,
- Slipper baths that support your back perfectly,
- Claw-foot baths that feel like stepping into another era.
Different materials change the feel too. Acrylic warms quickly to your body. Stone baths feel heavy, expensive and incredibly solid. Matte surfaces look more contemporary; glossy surfaces shimmer under the water.
What matters most is not what’s trending — it’s which one you’re excited to climb into.
The styling around the bath makes it even more powerful
A freestanding bath looks great on its own, yes, but the room around it will decide whether it looks intentional or just placed there.
Small details that make a surprisingly big difference:
- A pendant light or chandelier above the tub,
- Floor-mounted tapware that curves in harmony with the bath shape,
- A timber stool with towels or candles,
- A feature tile “zone” under or behind the bath.
The only thing you don’t want? Clutter. A freestanding bath loses its magic when it has shampoo bottles and kids’ toys scattered all around it. Leave space around it — that negative space is what gives it power.
The real value isn’t visual — it’s emotional
Even though freestanding baths look impressive, that’s not why people fall in love with them. It’s because the bath becomes a ritual. A reset button.
And once you start using it, you notice the difference in your mindset:
- You breathe slower,
- Muscles finally unclench,
- You put your phone down,
- You stop rushing.
If there’s one thing adults forget how to do, it’s pause. A freestanding bath forces you to. In a world where everything is fast, that feels like luxury.
Where to explore freestanding baths in Perth
If you’re thinking about upgrading, take your time to look around, compare shapes, sit inside the tubs and make sure it feels right — design isn’t only about how a room looks, but how you want to live in it.
A great place to browse a wide range of bathtubs Perth customers rate highly — from modern stone to traditional claw-foot — is Tuck Plumbing Fixtures. Their collection of bath tubs Perth offers choices for pretty much every bathroom style and every budget
If you want your bathroom to feel like more than a space you walk in and out of — if you want it to be somewhere you actually enjoy being — a freestanding bath might just be the smartest design decision you make.
