When we bought our first family home – a three-bed barn conversion with a small, awkwardly shaped bathroom – I was thrilled it had a beautiful antique roll-top bath already in place. Cast iron, double-ended and perched on ornate ball-and-claw feet, it was the sort of statement piece you see in boutique hotels. I’d never even bathed in one before, let alone owned one. I loved it instantly, and it was one of the main features that swung the purchase for me.
It looked gorgeous, full of character and charm, but I soon discovered living with it wasn’t quite so jolly. The bathroom’s pokey proportions didn’t do it any favours, and what started as a dream focal point for my small bathroom ideas quickly became a lesson in why fitted baths are making a comeback.
