one of the first entries to our “ofuro-jiman contest” ! This is an absolutely amazing space! it surpasses the rosiest hopes !! and I can imagine that also the window filled with green is considered as one of the artworks of the collection..!
Hi Iacopo, It took longer than expected to install our ofuro but we are very happy with the result. As artists, we are surrounded by paintings and sculptures but the tub room is the envy of our friends. Congratulations to your craftsmen for their high standards. Hope you like the photo. Regards, D&B
another early bird from the “ofuro-jiman contest” ! and another space full of charm, of purity and love. I especially like the harmony/contrast with the belgian ancient building`s inner courtyard! And here helow id the kind message from the clients:
Thanks to Iacopo’s professionalism, friendliness and helpfulness and the skill of his craftsmen, we finally realised a dream. Relaxing the mind and regenerating the body after the hard work of the day is a wonderful experience: we made it a special observation point from which to contemplate our tea garden in Brussels. どうもありがとうございました。
We just received photos from a client of their beautiful new bathroom!
” the tub is the centrepiece of the master bathroom its so beautiful!”
from S.T. (Singapore)
It must be amazing to soak in aromatic water while looking at the night lights of the metropolis!
and here below are some photos of the site before installation. when our client was writing us:
Please see attached. Am so excited to receive my tub tomorrow 🙂
We love when our clients make us participate to the installation process and of course can assist by phone or zoom the plumber and answer their questions ＼(^o^)／
We just received photos from a client of their beautiful new bathroom!
How lovely! The orange of the sawara wood goes very well with the dark tiles! Very stylish and homey at the same time. I see the ofuro is close to the shower. Be sure to rinse the wood after a shower to wash off the splashes of soapy water.
Apparently they first installed the shower and passed the sanitary inspection. Afterwards they just placed the ofuro which is actually for soaking so it is technically not a sanitary equipment. Very smart!
Have a nice bath!
Hi I promised you images I’ve been slow getting around to them. The tub is perfect I love it!!
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!!
