Overflow Bathtubs from Käsch
These bathtubs from Käsch, a German manufacturer, caught our attention, not just because they’re designed to allow the water to overflow, but because we don’t normally see bathtubs that are so level with the floor.
From Käsch:
The Overflow bathtub series is designed in such a way that overflowing water is directed back into the tub which gives the bath the appearance of a natural waterhole. The concept resulted from the wish to combine the aesthetics of nature with the cultic character of bathing, and to give space to the element water in order to allow for all its possibilities. When flowing, it creates reflections in the interplay with light and new experiences associated with its sound. Man’s contact with the element water is intensified. Overflow understands itself as part of a bathing culture intent on naturalness, accentuating both meditative and stimulating elements in the bathroom.
Visit the Käsch website – here.
Via Gizmodo
Hoechstetter Interiors on 07 Mar 2009 at 8:22 pm #
Beautiful – but these would be *very* hazardous to get into and out of set into the floor or ground as shown. The overflow gap in particular invite broken legs and knees.
A much safer bet would be to set them into an elevated platform, so they’d look like a regular inset tub, with the overflow gap built in, or at minimum, to install a handrail to assist in getting in and out.
Great blog, though, by the way!
Wendy
bathtubber on 07 Mar 2009 at 10:41 pm #
Wouldn’t a simple solution be to just sit down before getting in? I think they’re stunning.
sasha on 08 Mar 2009 at 2:18 am #
yes, that gap seems tricky…but they are – omg! so beautiful::D
Liz on 08 Mar 2009 at 3:33 am #
Must say, it is an interesting concept. However functionality and ergonomics is very important while designing. I must agree with Wendy that besides beautiful form and simplicity I see an exposure to injury.
best wishes,
Liz
Connie on 08 Mar 2009 at 8:15 am #
They are beautiful but, at least when placed in the middle of the room, they are a major hazard. Think about going to the bathroom at night, all tired and eyes closed – oooops! If I wanted such a tub installed, I’d always put it in a corner.
Abbie on 08 Mar 2009 at 10:28 am #
While amazingly beautiful, these tubs present several problems. As already mentioned they would be somewhat dangerous to get in and out of, not to mention dangerous people just walking around the bathroom. They would also be terribly difficult to clean, especially in the overflow crack. Also, overflow tubs, while beautiful, are a huge waste of water. Still, they are sure pretty to look at.
ithaqua on 08 Mar 2009 at 10:47 am #
I think they are stunning.
Liv on 08 Mar 2009 at 2:47 pm #
Abbie… It might be a huge waste of water if the water was not redirected into the tub (it said that at the top of the post). I think these are very beautiful and I would love to have one in my home.
Mykal on 08 Mar 2009 at 6:21 pm #
Very elegant design but I agree with the hazard issues raised. A possible solution would be to have a flush grating of a different material to give the same feel of a gap and still allowing the water to overflow when entering the tub. the grate could even be clear and lit from inside to highlight the edge.
gc on 08 Mar 2009 at 8:20 pm #
I agree the gap is a hazard, however, nobody has mentioned what a pain in the ass they’d be to clean. I guess if you can afford to own one, that’s not a concern.
Ilia B on 08 Mar 2009 at 8:44 pm #
Beautiful.. but soo dangerous and disfunctional (broken bones, smashed faces… where do we start?!!)
I suppose beauty comes at a price
Debbie on 08 Mar 2009 at 10:50 pm #
They are nice but I think they’d be likely to get dirty and hard to clean in the crevice. I’d always worry about spiders, too.
Andy on 09 Mar 2009 at 12:24 am #
I agree with Mykal, a grate would fix the hazard problems and perhaps some steps in the tub of course. The grate could definitely be made to fit with the design with a little thought put into it.
Christian on 09 Mar 2009 at 1:58 am #
Well, let’s put some thought in… I would assume that the overflow gap technically doesn’t need to be more than some (toe-friendly) 30mm, so I suppose the designers made it so wide so we see the water actually running down the sides of the gap. Such effect would obviously be gone if we would put any sort of grating over it, I would even go so far as to say it would look like a bog standard overflow we see around every public pool! Maybe we can try something with glass? A bit pricey for sure, but it should create some pretty effects, especially in combination with clever lighting!
Kate on 09 Mar 2009 at 10:25 am #
Wouldn’t the water cool down during the time it flows out of the tub and back in? There would have to be some heating mechanism to re-warm it. Rather energy intensive, as well as a breeding ground for
bacteria mold and mildew.
The concept is probably derived from fountains (or swimming pools – which would overflow only on one side.) That water is chemically treated – not exactly what one would seek in a bathing experience!
Mishele on 09 Mar 2009 at 3:23 pm #
Well, maybe I’m just grumpy because I just woke up, but who the hell writes the ad copy for stuff like this? “cultic nature of bathing…..Man’s contact…with water is intensified”? Well duh, he’s soaking in it. Being a klutz, I would never have such an obvious trap in my house. I do like the outdoors setting, maybe it could become “a natural water hole”.
Davy on 09 Mar 2009 at 6:12 pm #
I’m guessing from the name that this is a European company. What many Americans don’t know (those commenting on safety issues here) is that elsewhere in the world people are not rewarded by juries for injuries caused by their own clumsiness or idiocy. I would be willing to take the risk and have one of these beautiful installations, trusting against all odds that I would somehow be able to make that hazardous descent from floor to tub. Good grief!!!
Bonnie on 09 Mar 2009 at 9:26 pm #
I think the biggest point of all that should be made is that if you have one of these in your home you 1. Don’t need to worry about cleaning it because you probably have a maid 2. you would know it was there and wouldn’t be dumb enough to fall in and 3. would probably own it for the aesthetic value not the fact that it is a tub… probably not your “daily bather”
VERY AWESOME!!! Would love to see it in the setting like with the pond around it or for outdoor hot-tubs!
Cara on 10 Mar 2009 at 12:21 am #
These are beautiful!
I love the stones around them in a few pictures and definitely think that the circular ones look best.
I agree with Bonnie about the knowing where it is.
The stairs in my house are off the hallway on the way to the bathroom and I don’t fall down those because I know where they are.
Though my stairs aren’t as beautiful as the tubs.
thekeybunch on 10 Mar 2009 at 5:57 am #
Oh boy, these are simply beautiful…this could be the ultimate luxury!
pepper on 10 Mar 2009 at 9:03 am #
If you think you would have a hard time with the tub I hope you don’t drive a car. Those tub are awesome!
kongstuffer on 10 Mar 2009 at 9:55 am #
what a totally idiotic waste of time, money and water. why on earth does anyone need to have a tub that overflows? oh and by the way….use your brain……..it’s overflowing right? so you get in and displace some water….oh no it’s not overflowing any more!! better put some more water in so I can sit in this overpriced, I need to impress someone with my tub, tub. PLEASE people stop the insanity…..you are pathetic!
delila on 10 Mar 2009 at 1:12 pm #
Man! Fuddy duddies! “bla bla bla hard to clean…” How ’bout all the people who are afraid of the bathtub just don’t buy one? Leave it to the athletic youngsters with maids under their employ to enjoy.
InhouseVisuals.com on 10 Mar 2009 at 1:13 pm #
Stunning!
Especially love the first one.
cole on 10 Mar 2009 at 4:46 pm #
I have grave reservations about these bath tubs. I have visions of water all over the floor, slipping and smashing all my teeth out on the side of the bath. There would be blood, teeth and splintered bone swilling around in the water, and, i would have paid enough to buy two neonatal intensive therapy unit incubators to do it. Besides only dirty people need to have a bath!
kyle989 on 10 Mar 2009 at 7:08 pm #
Damn people, can’t you just accept a design for the way it is. They are stunning. So what if they may be dangerous, people know what their doing when they build em.
Harry Bishop on 10 Mar 2009 at 7:13 pm #
I shake my head to see the North American over-lawyered perspective come out so strongly in a lot of these these comments, blaming the bath for potential problems instead of realizing that as a adult you would have to accept the responsibility to use it properly and safely IF you wanted to buy it. That’s like people who buy a puppy then get upset and then give it up because it peed inside the house (and there are LOTS of people who do just that). I love these baths and would buy one IF there were no small children around. Many countries are very different and people realize they have some personal responsibility in these sort of things.
OK serious comments over – wonderful looking baths!
http://www.harrybishop.ca
Cam on 11 Mar 2009 at 12:56 am #
Maybe instead of a grate, one could use different arrangements or irregluar shaped stones? As for cleaning, why not do what most do with their dishwasher, (assuming water is pumped back in) have it run a cycle (i dont know what you would call it with this) with only cleaning chemicals in it. I like it, I think there are some disadvantages, but it looks nice, and if you don’t like it, don’t buy it.
kast on 11 Mar 2009 at 1:03 am #
its still dangerous ..dont u ever heard the prevention is better than the cure…what happened if u house out off electricity or the floor is too wet and slicky ??
the design is great and just need a lil improvement like to reduce the gap or shallow it ..or just give an illusion like fixing a glass to make it shallow…and i love to give the gap a drama by adding a light fix ..
Angelrex on 11 Mar 2009 at 3:25 am #
Omg!! they are indeed really beautiful and classic!!
jon on 11 Mar 2009 at 5:15 am #
i’m wondering if everyone saying these are dangerous have ever walked outside of their houses before.
Chips on 11 Mar 2009 at 5:30 am #
Sheer beauty and design perfection. Saw a commercial for an overflow tub and it caught my eye. Was just last night… now to see the designs here.
Thanks for taking the time to show these off!
P.S. These are not for homes with invalids, small children and idiots. If you worry about falling, injuries getting in and out you should not own one.
Rob in Atlanta on 11 Mar 2009 at 6:13 am #
I came here to look at bath tubs but instead found myself rolling on the floor with laughter! Thank you cole!
karl_creech on 11 Mar 2009 at 9:13 am #
When I was a kid, I always thought that the screen was a wonderful invention. To think of it! This thing would keep big things from going into something but let things like air and water flow freely. hmm…
marmaraelt on 11 Mar 2009 at 9:39 am #
these are so gooddd…
ladybuggsi on 11 Mar 2009 at 10:13 am #
These tubs are only for people, who… first: can afford this luxury, 2nd: understand the cautions of entering and exiting, and 3rd: have an eye and appreciation for the new and unique. (I doubt that we are looking at the elderly and handicapped as consumers)
I love the entire concept and the open bathrooms… obviously, these homes are more privately located.
Dove_Tail on 11 Mar 2009 at 11:50 am #
For those who think water will spill on the floor – view the comments about the Gap. The gap is where the water flows not on the floor. They are beautiful.
I can see my wheelchair bound friend loving one in her home, as long as there was a a small addition of a seat with two levels so she could get down from her chair then back up, could even be made to look like a natural rock by the pool to keep the natural feel.
The gap is probably wide enough to get hand in to clean. But I am curious about the cooled water returning to the bathtub is that wat it does or is it warmed I wonder.
jack on 11 Mar 2009 at 2:14 pm #
Stop fuzzing about injury. Just don’t wander around drunk if you have one of them.
Those are simply beautiful! I’d like to have one.
Lindsay on 11 Mar 2009 at 4:43 pm #
Pretty, not exactly practical. Though I guess if you could afford one, practicality isn’t on your list of priorities.
I think injury is only an issue if you have small children or elderly. Otherwise… an adult should be able to manage the complexity of up and down like a stair. Then again, we do have escalators to offset that.
Lindsay on 11 Mar 2009 at 6:40 pm #
I think that it would be better if there was a hard top to it like a pool cover but that matched your flooring (at least the style) that would erase the tripping/falling hazard, and I don’t think i would waste water if I had one, I’d just fill it to the top and if it did overflow, cool – it can do that.
gage on 12 Mar 2009 at 12:07 am #
wont you run out of hot water?
Ben on 12 Mar 2009 at 12:20 am #
OMG! Cole, I never finished reading what you posted because I found myself tearing up with laughter every time I tried. What a bunch of ridiculous blue-hairs! “too dangerous” Ha!
Tell the truth: do your children know you’re on the “internets”?
Shelly on 12 Mar 2009 at 2:39 am #
If you consider having this installed, think carefully about the cleaning aspect, the gaps in between should you fall or slip, and most importantly – if you have babies, keep them well away, and if you are bordering on the age of say in your 70’s etc, think about how you are going to get into the tub never mind getting out, normally you would have a bar on the side of the tub helping you to stand or get out.
Mandi on 12 Mar 2009 at 10:08 am #
I think these are absolutely gorgeous. Great creativity and design concept! I like the cover idea (like a pool). Maybe it can have it’s own little room in case of that urge to pee in the middle of the night. Who wants to look at a toilet anyway, when you’re sitting in one of these? The gaps in-between don’t have to go all the way around, pick an entrance area and cover that part up. I also like the water recirculation. As a matter of fact, I think it would make it easier to clean. What I would do after a bath, is put clean water in it, along with a very little low sudsing detergent,(a little bit goes a long way) and just let it circulate, drain, towel dry, (very important) and repeat with fresh water.
Shofar on 12 Mar 2009 at 9:40 pm #
Gorgeous, creative, and inviting!
If I was slim, fit, and super flexible…
But not for me. I’d need steps and a handrail like a sunken hottub. I don’t bend as easily as I used to. I take a hot bath when my back hurts. The LAST thing I want to do is try to get up or down on the floor. Compound that with wet feet and hands! I take showers because I don’t like climbing in and out of a regular tub.
Building code won’t let us put an open pond inside a house without some kind of protective railing/fence/wall.
Jade on 13 Mar 2009 at 4:35 am #
very nice bath tubs would love to have one or two
cath on 13 Mar 2009 at 2:54 pm #
These baths are beautiful,if I had the money I would buy one.Yeah,I could trip up and fall in,but I could trip over the curb and fall under a bus tomorrow ,thats the risk you take when you get out of bed in the morning.
Reston on 14 Mar 2009 at 11:19 am #
Extending the decking to cover the overflow trough would eliminate the “gap” from being visible, but it would still be functional. In that way, the water would appear as a pond beneath the floor. When someone lowered into the pond, the water would flow ‘under’ the floor and into the trough.
Teri on 14 Mar 2009 at 6:25 pm #
If I had a bathroom that was big enough… I’d do this! I think it’s so beautiful, very zen. FYI: Those of you who have a problem with the functionality… They do sell the walk-in type bath tubs. I don’t know about anyone else, but I sure wouldn’t mind soaking in a one of these gorgeous tubs after a long day!
jun jie on 14 Mar 2009 at 7:52 pm #
pretty pretty,guess i be getting 1 for my new house soonz
Pieter on 14 Mar 2009 at 11:58 pm #
I can just imagine myself fumbling around in the dark trying to find the toilet and well, you know… ending up arse-over-tit in the bloody tub.
They are beautiful deathtraps!!
RK on 15 Mar 2009 at 6:12 am #
The designer is obviously an artist. The true practicalities are obviously absent.Beautiful to behold however so dangerous as to warrant arrest grevious bodily harm. A really unworthy consideration for installation in a home.
Dave on 15 Mar 2009 at 11:57 am #
Ok, the tubs are kinda pretty. However, the whole overflow issue aside, wouldn’t it make more sense to get a jacuzzi if the tub were decorative and for special occasions…?
Alex on 15 Mar 2009 at 3:38 pm #
OK – people wtf – If you would think like a designer for a moment, this is not a peice of equipment that you would buy a la carte.
So when creating your super ritzy bathroom, this would be a centerpeice. You would have people install the bath and have it coated with an anti bacterial nanotech and flush it periodically with bleach. Your electrician would install motion sensitive lights for your bathroom.
Its not a waste of water, when you’re having a long bath, the water turns cold so you turn on the hot tap at let the water go through the overflow drain, which by the way you NEVER clean anyways, and keep the water hot. These tubs are designed to, yes, put in a little extra water, but only enough to start the cycle of recycling the tub water into a pump through a heating element and then back into the tub. I guess that rich person now is conserving water where one can so easily waste it.
Tom on 16 Mar 2009 at 5:50 pm #
Beautiful
Dangerous
Hard to Clean
Chris on 17 Mar 2009 at 5:02 pm #
They sure are gorgeous, but seriously, you wouldn’t try to step down into them, you would jump & enjoy the splash!
Bob on 17 Mar 2009 at 9:48 pm #
As a solution, couldn’t one part of the overflow gap have some sort of platform over it, a small plank or something and couldn’t there be stairs inside the tub leading down? It would still look cool when it’s filled with water. I don’t think a small bridge somewhere would make it look any less cool if it was incorporated into the design and the water could still pass through underneath. Eh?
And let’s be honest, anyone who buys this thing is rich and would probably have a special bath tub room. I don’t see the “middle of the night, going to relieve oneself and slipping in the tub” as a plausible scenario.
Eric on 18 Mar 2009 at 10:46 pm #
What is everyone 80 years old?
The bathtubs are awesome. Why all the talk about how dangerous they’d be?
Hose off in the backyard then.
Kimberly @ Home Improvement Blog on 19 Mar 2009 at 6:06 pm #
Now that is one of the coolest upgrades for a home I’ve seen in a while!
How neat is that! Same principle as the overflow pools…beautiful!
I want one!
Kimberly
Cerise on 19 Mar 2009 at 8:18 pm #
Dangerous, right. Cars are dangerous, skateboards and half pipes are dangerous, steps are freaking crazy dangerous, have we talk about swings yet? a 5 years old, on his own, up in the air??? what about doors? sometimes it’s opened, sometimes its closed… pay no attention and you end up with brain dammage.
It’s prolly tricky to go in but really who wouldn’t try it? It’s O-some. Amazing design.
not green though, really not green.
Kate on 20 Mar 2009 at 2:41 am #
OKAY guys.
It’s cool and all how you think that everyone complaining about the dangerous aspects of the tubs are from North America. Even if this were true, why do you automatically think that we would sue if an accident did happen? I personally have been hurt many times by many different products, but even though I’m American, I somehow avoided the idiot gene that makes me think it is somehow someone elses fault that i burned my hand on the stove. These tubs are a huge risk for someone who is clumsy like myself! i can just see myself tripping over my own feet, stumbling, my foot landing in the gap, and ick, just imagine what that would do to your leg when you fell forward. also, when stuff gets wet.. it gets SLIPPERY. so so so much could go wrong. they are beautiful, but not thought out well.
bill on 20 Mar 2009 at 3:00 pm #
LOL you guys, “*very* hazardous”? Only if you pay no attention whatsoever to what you’re doing. I know that in the USA people have learned that they can flail their limbs all over the place at all times and expect to be fully protected, but come on, it’s a f*cking bathtub.
Reebok on 28 Mar 2009 at 2:11 pm #
Par lo It would still look cool when it’s filled with water. I don’t think a small bridge somewhere would make it look any less cool if it was incorporated into the design and the water could still pass through underneath
Riscy on 29 Mar 2009 at 6:11 am #
Wow, really neat idea.
To resolve the gap problem is to fill it with stone pebbles or cover grill, very simple safety measure for those concern about it. Make sure it is regularly treated to avoid moss growth.
I don’t like round as it not efficient or water saving but would like to try out the rectangular one for my future project in Bulgaria.
Riscy
Bill on 13 Apr 2009 at 8:53 am #
Holy cow. I have never seen so many terrible responses. Hazardous? Overpriced? Hard to clean? This tub is not for all of you clumsy and broke people out there. Stop judging by your own limitations and accept the fact that there are wealthy people who want something more than what you can buy at Home Depot. You won’t ever see a tub like this because it’s installed in multi-million dollar homes. Those people have maids and apparently enough common sense not to go strolling blindly through the bathroom in the middle of the night. They also don’t care how much it costs to heat the water over and over. I mean, come on, these tubs are not like the one you have in your bathroom. You don’t just walk up to it and step in, you sit at the edge and lower yourself in. Has no one ever gotten in to a swimming pool without using the stairs? Have you never sat in a hot tub? Everybody here thinking “practical” and coming up with ideas to make it safer are better off not commenting here at all, because this item is not for you. The point of this tub is to put it in a large, open space and to actually *see* the water overflowing. They’re not gonna put rocks, decking, or ladders on this tub. If you’re going to do that you might as well just buy the one from home depot.
lisa on 19 Apr 2009 at 9:00 pm #
Hello I found it, Wish is the most beautiful bathtub I have ver seen. I am a Professional house cleaner . I have cleaned so many pits and palaces in 20 years. I could figure out a way to clean this beauty.Even using essential oils such as thyme eucalyptus and tea tree , melaluca would work. Also I know there is an energy effecient heating coil that could keep a constant hot water supply.I think i would use the faucet(water trough) embedded in that freestanding wall to help myself in and out ..and in and out. I like Alex’s idea of motion sensor lights. I have a gorgeous heavy wooden bench I might put in my dream bathroom in my dream house. i have cleaned enough of them to know what i like. And this is it.
Em-Jay on 26 Apr 2009 at 10:17 am #
WOW, OMG I am almost speechless at this. These are amazing I would kill to have a bath like that! Absolutely Beautiful!
Lulu on 29 May 2009 at 2:47 pm #
So, we are about to embark on a remodel and I thought as I have a few moments to spare, let me check out those soaking tubs, you know, the sunken ones which look so inviting and relaxing after a long, stressful, busy day, and then I saw the Kasch tubs……….
I was totally struck by the simplicity and beauty of these water oasis’sssss – I would really, really like to have one, so if there is anyone out there generous enough and willing to buy one for me, (the oval one in fact) I am totally open to having it in my soon to be ‘new’ Master Bedroom! The comments from everyone about the negatives are so reflective of the American way of thinking – ‘oh sweety, I am sorry you hurt your little pinky,porky toe. Let mummsy wumsey kiss it better and then phone the lawyer to sue the manufacturer cus he has more money than us and we could then afford to buy more tacky things and be able to give you everything you want so we can keep up with the neighbors! What a load of ….. To those of you who have nothing better to do than see the negative in everything – if its too steamy, stay stay out of the bathroom!
Eta on 07 Jul 2009 at 9:49 pm #
Make it so that one side doesn’t have a deep overflow. Just a slight slant. The other sides catch the rest. Problem solved. Most accident in the home happen in the bathroom anyway… Use your common sense… Or get in the tube first… No bitching required… Seksi tubs.
Joanna on 15 Jul 2009 at 10:35 pm #
1) skiing is dangerous
2) driving a car is dangerous
3) climbing a ladder is dangerous
4) swimming is dangerous
5) chopping onions with a sharp knife is dangerour
but none of the above looks half as cool as this tub.
Lana on 31 Jul 2009 at 8:54 am #
I think a simple solution would be a kind of grate or something over the overflow gap
Brad324 on 17 Aug 2009 at 6:09 am #
^ I was thinking the same thing. Simply surround the thing with a grate, like they have at public swimming pools, and not only is it safer, it looks better.
As for it being unsafe at night, a lid could solve that.
ajsmith on 26 Jan 2010 at 1:31 pm #
Absolutely gerogeous! Would love to have one of these tubs before I meet my maker.
NOT for the idiots who worry about injury.