Tiny Tubs: Don't Sacrifice Luxury In Your Tiny House!

So you are ready to take on the tiny house lifestyle, but you are not ready to sacrifice your luxurious indulgence to take a nice long bath after a tough day.  Well, guess what - you don’t have to.  Even in the smallest of spaces, if you plan it out, you can have a nice bathroom with a bathtub to relax in at any time.  

If you are confined to a small space, one great option is a Japanese soaking tub.  The Japanese Ofuro tubs are different than traditional American tubs.  They are usually deep enough that you can sit upright and when you do so the water should come up to about your neck.  They are typically either more squared off or oval and don’t have sloped edges. They are made of wood, fiberglass, plastic or stainless steel.  They are specifically designed for you to be able to wind down and relax, rather than for the purpose of cleaning.  In Japan, it is common that the same pour of water is used for more than one member of the family so in Japan they rinse and clean before getting into the Ofuro.

The standard size of a tub is 60 inches long and 30 to 32 inches wide.  If you don’t have this kind of space, lots of manufacturers make tubs that are smaller, so if you find one that you really like but it doesn’t fit your bathroom, call up the store or the manufacturer and find out if it comes in a smaller size.  If you opt for a smaller tub with a shower, you can add a glass panel to block the splay from the shower which will also take up a lot less space than a shower curtain rod.

Another idea is to store your tub under your bed! Yes, we are serious about this.  In this 128 square ft tiny house, the owners installed large honeymoon-style bathtub and lofted the bed on top of it.  Now this is a great way to utilize the space below your bed.  

Having a tiny house does not mean you need to sacrifice luxury.  If you put the time and effort into finding the right pieces and appliances, you can have all the amenities you would dream of having in a mansion in your tiny space without having to spend a ton of money.