Last 31st December I created an open connection with zoom with Bartok design clients and friends which was very pleasant and full of surprises. The best and happiest of all was when S. made me virtually climb the stairs of their beautiful home and conceded me a virtual tour of their stunning bathroom featuring one of our tubs. A well balanced minimalist ofuro in front of a huge Palladian window opening on a perfectly virgin corner of paradise! And now they are doubling the pleasant surprise sharing some beautiful photos with all the community. Thank you soooo much!
Soaking in our Ofuro is still a special occasion every time, even after 2 years of regular use. It is not only a treat for the body, but a beautiful object that one can tell was created with great mastery and care. We know how privileged we are to own one, and we will never take it for granted!
Hello from Portland Oregon!
I wanted to write a quick note to thank you. We absolutely LOVE our bath. Attached are some pictures of the final install. We use it every day. With the cedar lid the bath stays hot all night long! It’s amazing, just like Japanese Onsen!
Thank you!
Comment from iacopo: Dear B., this is absolutely amazing! It is people like you that give meaning to our work! Even if in the near future all the traditional tubs in Japan will be replaced by plastic, and the new generations will not even know what a wooden bathtub is, your bathroom will remain to witness that a more meaningful, happy, and harmonious lifestyle is possible. Congratulations, stunning beautiful project! And…do not forget to enjoy the hot water!
I just want to send you some words, and pictures, from Norway, saying that we still are in love with our Hinoki bath tub, and we use it several times every week (except the warmest weeks of summer)!
On Christmas eve, our daughters (that have started to ask for a bath when they come to visit…:) wanted to have a “Christmas bath” – as did I of course. Inspired by the book “the japanese bath”, I made a “Christmas edition” bath, as you can see from the picture.
(We usually do not add anything to our tub water, of course, the hinoki scent is wonderful on it’s own). I took the chance that this would not harm the tub, and it seems to do fine:) Since our three daughters were using this bathroom during the Christmas holidays, we agreed that the use of perfume, hairspray etc would have to be used in another room (the toilet), not to ruin the hinoki scent that meets you as soon as you slide the door open, and greets and calms our senses. The shoji doors, which were sliding perfectly the first half year, have started to stop halfway for some reason. We have to look into that. Maybe the humidity has been too hard on them?
I follow your blog posts with great interest! It is exciting that you provide suggestions for future visits to Japan! Especially the hiking trips look very nice. As Norway is a country with many travelers, and Japan becoming very popular, ideas are popping up… Hm. It is a real dilemma now, with our environmental challenges, not to travel so much with airplanes, on the other hand being adventurous and really love to travel..
Anyway, Happy New Year and thank you for all your shared inspiration this past year!
So here are some pictures! You can see the lamps, that were not installed in your last pictures – and the rhododendron is blooming outside in the June pictures, beautiful when they reflect in the water. Unfortunately we have had no snow this winter so far, so no real wither pictures.. Since you are an architect, I attached some pictures of the room itself too. Look at the reflections from the tree outside on the wood panel behind the ofuro in the early morning light! (aspen wood). (Should you want to use some of the pictures, you are welcome of course:)
Remember, if you ever come to Norway, you would be most welcome to visit, and look for yourself:)
Here I am showing some photos of 2 ofuros and japanese bathroom accessories installed in a project in NYC. I had the pleasure to meet the owner in the past 2 times in Tokyo but it was the first time I saw the house. I received permission to share here the photos of the ofuros.
For privacy reasons, I will not publish the other photos of the interior but I can ensure you it is a real masterpiece and I am honored that Bartok design products are used in such a house.
Of course, the scale is grand and the materials luxurious but what really strikes is the attention for the details, the functionality, the balance.
I hope that these photos can offer inspiration for other projects as well!!
I received this beautiful picture from a kind client in Australia who installed this oversized kadomaru (L=1300mm) made of hinoki wood instead of the regular sawara. I do not know about you but I could just keep staring at this photo for hours. Doesn`t it look like paradise?
Hello Iacopo
Thought you might like to see where one of your beautiful tubs ended up.
Covered of course to avoid damage from sun but lovely like this when we enjoy a soak
Regards
M.
Our friends at Nora Studios sent us a few of the preliminary photos of a recent bathroom installation. It’s stunningly beautiful. The contrast of warm wood and cool stone is magnificent.
Ofuro specs: japanese Knotless hinoki wood bathtub (quarter-sawn) dim L1060 x W660 x H629mm (ext. dim.) 570mm(deep) nat. oil @ apron, wood dowels. Iron brand at front side top-right (Accessories are available from our shop)
It is difficult to understand it from the pictures as the sizes are so laser-perfect… but the tub feet are recessed in a ditch which collects the drain water as well as the overflow. Amazing detailing!
With the email subject line from our client “At last, the bathtub is in place” we could appreciate the hard work and effort that goes into redesigning a bathroom. Importing an ofuro from Japan takes no small effort and a huge amount of trust that we are going to get it right.
But get it right we did. Look at this stunning bathroom with its view on a miniaturized version of the Swiss Alps (or so we like to think – since the bathtub is in its new home in Switzerland). Hats off to the designers of the bathroom who have managed to create a calm and relaxing space that I am sure the owners will love for years to come.
Can you imagine slipping into the deliciously hot water after a day on the slopes?
Our customer James sent us a fun video of his cat contemplating diving in for a soak in the ofuro. Thanks for the giggle James! Ofuro fun for the whole family. You can see it over on our Facebook page. It’s a beautiful bath, so tranquil.
Send us your pics! We love them!! japan(at)bartokdesign.com is our email address.
