Nude with a view

10 years ago

As my kitchen turned master bathroom nears completion, I have had a few more people come through for some of the finishing touches. If I have had six people see the bathroom, five of them have asked why I didn't either move the window or move the bathtub so that the bathtub was in front of the window.

Because I didn't want to.

Now, I will freely admit that I am a lot more practical than most and I will make a mind movie in a minute so as I think about the bathing experience, I cannot, for the life of me, come up with a good reason to have the tub in front of the window. During the day, when I would be able to see the lovely view of my neighbor's yard outside my window, I'm rarely afforded the time to languish in a tub. When I do have that kind of time, it is late evening or nighttime, when that window becomes a big black square. Nothing to be seen there. And neither of these even address the issue of doing a jaybird imitation in front of a window. Yet, every picture in every magazine and on every show has the bathtub in front of a window.

Am I missing something? Am I really the only one in America that doesn't want my Mrs. Doubtfire figure on display?

Featured Answer

MongoCT

10 years ago

There's only so much wall space in a bathroom, and with most of it being taken up by mirrors over the sink, floor-to-ceiling tile in a shower, or a linen closet, etc, a logical place for a large window would indeed be over the low-height tub.

But I do agree, it depends on what (and who!) is outside of the window.

The back of my house overlooks woods and a lake. No neighbors. No pedestrians. No street view. Plus being on the second floor, there's the vertical isolation.

So there's the window over the tub, which I have no problem with...but there's the context of what's outside the window that can matter.

I do like the "top-down-bottom-up" window shades for tub windows. That way the bottom part of the window can be covered, but light can come through the top, like this one:

From houzz.com:

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (11)

treasuretheday
10 years ago
If it isn't a good idea to you, then it isn't a good idea for your room. Those five people can take baths in their own houses(!) lol.

When we bought our house 20+ years ago, there was a pair of casement windows behind the jacuzzi tub in the masterbath. When we renovated the room, we replaced them with double hung windows. With top-down/bottom-up shades, we are able to open the windows from the top for sunlight and a lovely breeze... and spare our neighbors from their Mrs. Doubtfire view. Sometimes though, once I'm in the tub, I like to raise up the windows for a cooling breeze. Sitting in the tub, I don't see the neighbors' house, just the treetops outside my window. Ahhhhhh!
pricklypearcactus
10 years ago
I wonder if the home location and yard make a difference for people putting tubs below windows. My master bathroom (while not actually large enough for a tub) faces the street. If I were to have a tub in front of a big window, my neighbors would certainly be able to enjoy a view as well. I actually do have a window in my bathroom and I always keep the shade drawn. I haven't remodeled yet, but I've wondered what I will end up doing. Honestly, I don't really want my neighbors watching anything I do in the bathroom. If I had a large yard surrounded by trees and my bathroom faced the back of the house with a nice view of the yard and no neighbors, I would be more than happy to have a nice big window and not worry about drawing the shades.
Related Professionals
Ojus Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Philadelphia Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Roselle Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Yorba Linda Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Cleveland Kitchen & Bathroom Remodelers · Hunters Creek Kitchen & Bathroom Remodelers · Tuckahoe Kitchen & Bathroom Remodelers · Cave Spring Kitchen & Bathroom Remodelers · Atlanta Glass & Shower Door Dealers · Palm Beach Gardens Glass & Shower Door Dealers · Glendale Heights Cabinets & Cabinetry · Lakeside Cabinets & Cabinetry · Palos Verdes Estates Cabinets & Cabinetry · Chicago Window Treatments · St. Louis Window Treatments
sapphire6917
Original Author
10 years ago
Thanks for the responses! I actually have two, almost floor to ceiling, windows in my bathroom but neither are in front of the tub. I plan to put window film on the glass so light can come through but all things bathroom related remain private.

I just wondered if there was a reason, other than personal preference, why all of the bathtubs were in front of a window.
dekeoboe
10 years ago
Are these new windows? If so, you might want to check your warranty on them as many are void if you add window film.
sapphire6917
Original Author
10 years ago
Those are nice shades! I live in an urban area so someone can potentially see me through every window in my home. I don't mind that because I love living in the city. But seeing me enjoy a meal in my dining room is a little different than seeing me hike up a leg and sink down into my tub.

Dekeoboe, my house is over a hundred years old so the windows are hardly new! The film I'm using is the peel and stick variety so they can be taken off in the event I get liposuction or fall madly in love with my neighbors.
dekeoboe
10 years ago
Also, the window film only provides privacy during the day. So, if you want to bathe at night, you will need something else for privacy.
sapphire6917
Original Author
10 years ago
Yep. At night, I will draw the curtains for privacy. My Mrs. Doubtfire silhouette is just as frightening as the real thing.
lee676
10 years ago
I rearranged the walls during remodeling so an existing window wouldn't be over the tub/shower, or indeed in the bathroom at all.
Nancy in Mich
10 years ago
Sapphire69, I am with you. I don't understand the tub with windows idea. I do not think I know anybody wealthy enough to own enough land to make bathing in front of their window a sure-fire private occasion. A neighbor with a pair of binoculars could be on their own second floor. Or a hiker could be on a hill or a hunter in a tree stand. I would consider bottom up/top down shades essential for the tub windows.
sapphire6917
Original Author
10 years ago
Glad to see I'm not alone! After it was mentioned to me, I went looking at bathrooms online and they ALL had the tub in front of the window! For more than one reason, it was never a consideration for my bathroom.