Corner Bathtub Decorating Ideas and Installation Guide

Corner bathtubs offer plenty of benefits. Whether your bathroom is small, large, or somewhere in between, you'll find that installing a corner tub will maximize floor space while also contributing plenty of style and spa-like indulgences. Thanks to their placement, corner bathtubs open up the center section of a bathroom, which allows traffic to move freely through the bath and provides extra room for those standing at sinks or sitting at dressing tables.

Corner Bathtub Basics

Corner bathtubs are usually designed so that two sides adjoin two walls. They're often five-sided with a triangular basin large enough to accommodate two bathers. Some corner bathtub designs feature rectangular, hourglass, trapezoid, or oval interior basins. Most corner bathtubs have dual backrests, molded armrests, and deck areas or ledges for setting out toiletries. Some are for leisurely soaks; others offer pampering essentials, such as air jets, massaging waterfalls, and chromotherapy systems.

Generally, corner bathtubs are crafted of acrylic or cast iron, with the most commonly available designs measuring 4 feet long by 4 feet wide or 5 feet long by 5 feet wide, with depths between 21 and 26 inches. A corner bathtub may be a built-in model with an outward-facing side, apron, or a tub insert that is dropped into a platform or surround.

Corner Bathtub Design Ideas

Before selecting a corner bathtub, determine which corner of your bath is best suited to place the tub. Many bathroom floor plans set a corner tub beneath a window so bathers can bask in natural light and enjoy sky and garden views. Consider positioning your corner tub next to sinks and vanities to take advantage of plumbing pipes and drain systems. 

Take accurate measurements of the selected corner, making sure you add on inches/feet for a platform or surround if you're using a drop-in bathtub. Choose a corner bathtub style or build a platform/surround that incorporates your corner bathtub design idea. Built-in skirted tubs, available in classic and sleek contemporary silhouettes, need no platform or surround and stand out as focal points when highlighted by complementary painted, paneled, or tiled walls. The streamlined simplicity of built-in corner bathtubs makes them fine choices for modern bathroom designs.

Beautifully conceived surrounds replete with wide ledges give drop-in bathtubs form-and-function substance. Drop-in corner bathtubs take a transitional turn when inset into shapely surrounds covered in slate, limestone, or marble. Straight-lined surrounds clad in white-painted beaded board exhibit cottage character, while stained wood panel surrounds complement traditional and old-world designs.

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